When I read the first sentence of the Cybill Shepherd feature story, it gave me a very good view into what type of person Cybill was. I liked the lead a lot, especially the part that said “she is wearing a “Memphis Country Club Member-Guest 1982” visor”. Describing what she is wearing and the lookout that she is sitting at immediately lets you know that Cybill is either a high-profile person, or someone who is very high maintenance.
I really liked how the quotes from Cybill were scattered throughout the reading. I felt like it gave me a glimpse into her life that we wouldn't have gotten if there weren't quotes from her.
In the end of the story, Cybill tells the people who surround her what she wants written on her tombstone when she dies. She tells them she wants it to read “we’ll make this a comedy yet”. The story ends with everyone watching the sunset on her porch and her making the comment that she regrets every sunset she’s ever missed at her home. I think the ending is beautiful because it gives a lot of insight into who she is. I feel like it shows everyone that she is the type of person who just wants to relax and be home and at peace—not always dolled up and recognized for being a beautiful movie star.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Cybill Sheppard
By: Taylor Smithson
When reading the Cybill Sheppard, I couldn't help but think about the summer beach reads I enjoy so much. I thought the interview was fantastic. It made me fall in love with Cybill. After reading the article, I looked her up because I felt like I wanted to know as much about her as I could. Not only is she beautiful and a talented singer but what I found most charming was all of her other qualities. It makes me want to be just like her when I get older. Her open-armed Southern hospitality, the way she stays as natural as possible but still is as glamorous as ever. I would have loved to have been the interviewee for this job. Not only is she a pop-culture icon, but it shows she still has her head on her shoulders. She didn't let the Hollywood lifestyle take over, in fact she wasn't a big fan of it at all. She actually complains about the partying at one point and mentions that she didn't like them.
Her character seems so charming and loving that I didn't even want to be upset with her for potentially breaking the marriage of Mr. Bogdanovich and his wife at the time. This is the style of interviewing that I find the most entertaining and hope to read more like this in the future.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
"Notes on a Scandal"
By Cathy Caudill
In honor of our class session on the craft of interviews, I've chosen to analyze a feature on Jenny Sanford—the wife of South Carolina's famously adulterous governor Mark Sanford—written by Rebecca Johnson, and published by Vogue (September 2009).
Stories of wronged politicians' wives are far from new, and I've come to expect their inevitable feature to have the standard appeal for sympathy. They stand behind their husbands in photos that adorn front-pages nationwide, looking ashamed, violated, and withdrawn—the sub-caption might as well read "Woe is me." Sanford's wife, however, begs for none of it—which I found to be positively refreshing.
The lead addresses her unique (and rather wise) approach to the political scandal: "Before Jenny Sanford came along, the options for wronged political wives were pretty poor. You could suffer silently (see Silda Wall Spitzer), deny everything (hello Hillary), or make catty asides about the harlot who caused your husband to stray (Elizabeth Edwards). Then came Jenny Sanford." This is a great lead, as it automatically makes the casual reader sharply aware that this story is not going to be the same wronged-politician's-wife tale that has been recycled since the emergence of politics (or the mass-media).
The following graph goes on to explain exactly how Jenny was different, while cleverly inserting both a description of her personality and physical makeup for the readers (who can glance at the opposite page at her photograph to confirm if the description is accurate—it is): "Petite, clear-eyed, strong-willed, pious without being smug, smart without being caustic, Jenny Sanford became an unlikely heroine by telling the simple truth. Her children were the most important thing in the world to her. She had kicked the lying bum out of the house when he refused to give up his mistress...[but] if he wanted to try and make the marriage work, the door was open."
Johnson's description of her house on Sullivan's Island, where she interviewed Jenny, was written to give readers a sense of her personality—or practicality, rather. "[The house is] a modest cinderblock affair, albeit one with million-dollar views of the ocean. The kitchen counters are Corian, the rugs are sea grass. It's a house for the boys to knock around in and friends to gather in."
The article is heavy with quotes from Jenny Sanford and her closest friends. While the media are constantly trying to assess (or assume) how a woman in her situation would feel, the feature story does not take liberties with her thoughts and emotions—which feels far more appropriate. The article benefits from the fact that Jenny is particularly articulate—no need for a writer to paraphrase. Sanford's quotes aren't evasive either, but sound honest and intelligent.
Interestingly, the focus isn't entirely on the scandal—it's on Jenny herself. Much of the article is spent on her life prior to the scandal, addressing her career as a successful investment banker in New York City, and the large role she played in getting her husband elected to office. In the end, the article allowed the reader to view the governor's wife as an entity outside of a scandal—that the scandal was only one minor aspect of her life, another stone in the wall of life's many trials. Which was—and I know that I am repeating myself—absolutely refreshing.
Cybill Shepherd Article Analysis
This article is very descriptive and engaging. The opening paragraph, which depicts Cybill's demeanor during the interview immediately grabs your interest and makes you want to keep reading. I liked how the article went back and forth from present moment of the interview to telling about her life. Normally, this technique would probably lose the reader but the writer of this piece goes back and forth seamlessly.
I think that it is the subject of this article in particular that makes it so engaging, because it shows the many sides of Cybill Shepherd. The details of her winning the science fair and setting the district record for the long jump show that she is not just a pretty-faced actress, but that she's a well-rounded, intelligent woman, who happens to act. I think this article has a great deal of universality, since everyone has many dimensions. We are all complex and hate to be put in just one box.
I think the details about Cybill's apartment add a nice approachable touch that one might not expect in a story about a well-known celebrity. The fact that it is "furnished with little more than a few director's chairs...a dhurrie rug on the dinning room floor,...and a small dining room table" makes one feel a familiarity with Cybill Shepherd, like she could be someone you know, not a rich, spoiled celebrity.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the fact she is almost always referred to as "Cybill Shepherd" and hardly ever referred to as Cybill in the article, which I thought sent mixed signals. One the one hand, the story is depicting her in a very down-to-earth way, yet it usually names her in a formal way, which I didn't really like. Plus, it's not like we are going to forget who we're reading about. Overall, however, I thought this piece was very interesting and well-written.
I think that it is the subject of this article in particular that makes it so engaging, because it shows the many sides of Cybill Shepherd. The details of her winning the science fair and setting the district record for the long jump show that she is not just a pretty-faced actress, but that she's a well-rounded, intelligent woman, who happens to act. I think this article has a great deal of universality, since everyone has many dimensions. We are all complex and hate to be put in just one box.
I think the details about Cybill's apartment add a nice approachable touch that one might not expect in a story about a well-known celebrity. The fact that it is "furnished with little more than a few director's chairs...a dhurrie rug on the dinning room floor,...and a small dining room table" makes one feel a familiarity with Cybill Shepherd, like she could be someone you know, not a rich, spoiled celebrity.
The only thing that bothered me slightly was the fact she is almost always referred to as "Cybill Shepherd" and hardly ever referred to as Cybill in the article, which I thought sent mixed signals. One the one hand, the story is depicting her in a very down-to-earth way, yet it usually names her in a formal way, which I didn't really like. Plus, it's not like we are going to forget who we're reading about. Overall, however, I thought this piece was very interesting and well-written.
Hunger Description
Jourdan Cable
Oops! I forgot to post this…
Her mother gently rubbed her back, which revealed every bone in her rib cage. She was singing a lullaby to drown out the sound of the child’s rumbling stomach. Tears were running down the daughters face, and her mother was holding back tears of her own. If only someone was there to help them. The child crouched into the fetal position, for made the pain go away. This also revealed more bones in her fragile body. If only there was something for them to eat. The mother continued the lullaby as the child slowly drifted to sleep. Tomorrow is another day and another chance for hope.
Oops! I forgot to post this…
Her mother gently rubbed her back, which revealed every bone in her rib cage. She was singing a lullaby to drown out the sound of the child’s rumbling stomach. Tears were running down the daughters face, and her mother was holding back tears of her own. If only someone was there to help them. The child crouched into the fetal position, for made the pain go away. This also revealed more bones in her fragile body. If only there was something for them to eat. The mother continued the lullaby as the child slowly drifted to sleep. Tomorrow is another day and another chance for hope.
A topic... Finally!
So I've struggled this past week trying to come up with a topic for my first feature story. I'm not sure why, but my mind has been blank. Just like we discussed in class... sometimes it's hard to choose a topic. Of the two types we could choose from, I knew I would rather write a first-person story than a newcomer story. For a while I couldn't think of anything that is special enough to share. Well, I'm happy to announce (with the help of some friends) I officially have an idea! It turns out that I was brainwashed as a child... with the music of Bruce Springsteen. My family's insane obsession with "The Boss" has made into who I am today and I have my dad to thank for that.
I wasn't introduced to all the great bands of the past... it was strictly Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. My dad first heard Bruce booming out of his brothers room when he was just a boy. He remembers it like it was yesterday. I was born February 24, 1988 at 9:24 pm. So where was my dad on February 25? Yup, you guessed it. He still found a way to make it to the Bruce show. Back in the day, my dad was a journalist, too. I have a collection of many articles he has written over the years, many on the topic of the Bossman. My old man didn't just share the word with my byounger rother and I, but with anyone and everyone he comes in contact with. Christmas presents? The new Bruce album, what did you expect? I couldn't tell you how many of my friends have jumped on the bandwagon because of my dad's generosity. He'll buy you a CD, ask you what you thought of it, and then its likely he'll purchase you some tickets to The Boss is action. Springsteen is an unbelievable performer and my dad believes its necessary to see him at least once in your life. How many times has my dad seen him in concert, you ask? Over 100. It might even be close to 130, that's something I'll have to check on. I've seen him close to 30 times, and my 11 year old brother... 10 times. Some people think my dad's crazy but what they don't see is that, to my family, it means so much more.
I can talk about it for days. So I'll save the rest for my feature story :)
I wasn't introduced to all the great bands of the past... it was strictly Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. My dad first heard Bruce booming out of his brothers room when he was just a boy. He remembers it like it was yesterday. I was born February 24, 1988 at 9:24 pm. So where was my dad on February 25? Yup, you guessed it. He still found a way to make it to the Bruce show. Back in the day, my dad was a journalist, too. I have a collection of many articles he has written over the years, many on the topic of the Bossman. My old man didn't just share the word with my byounger rother and I, but with anyone and everyone he comes in contact with. Christmas presents? The new Bruce album, what did you expect? I couldn't tell you how many of my friends have jumped on the bandwagon because of my dad's generosity. He'll buy you a CD, ask you what you thought of it, and then its likely he'll purchase you some tickets to The Boss is action. Springsteen is an unbelievable performer and my dad believes its necessary to see him at least once in your life. How many times has my dad seen him in concert, you ask? Over 100. It might even be close to 130, that's something I'll have to check on. I've seen him close to 30 times, and my 11 year old brother... 10 times. Some people think my dad's crazy but what they don't see is that, to my family, it means so much more.
I can talk about it for days. So I'll save the rest for my feature story :)
Weekly post: The beginning of the first assignment
By: Lizzie Cothran
Starting the first assignment has definitely given me an idea of how the class will be so far. One of the last chapters gave pointers for getting the interview, but I've found that although it may be difficult to get people to agree to interviews, it's hard enough getting in touch with them to ask! Although the "newcomer" I'd like to interview is in my class, I haven't had a chance to be in class with her since I've decided on her being my subject for my assignment. I did find her e-mail and sent one, but haven't heard anything back yet.
I know that she is in some type of ROTC thing here at HPU, so I'm thinking that my staff member could be whoever is in charge of that, just to get an idea of what she's like from a different person, but someone that sees her probably at her worst. Although, I don't know how to find out who that is...
I've also realized just living off campus, in Winston, and working almost everyday are both going to add another challenge to my assignments because it will make it harder for me to work with others for interview times.
I realize that the due date for this assignment is in 4 days, so I've been worried about not having enough time to get interviews, find a focus, and write a descriptive article in that amount of time. Therefore, I've been playing with the idea of writing the personal essay. I've got two different ideas for that, so if I decide to, I think I can make it work.
Starting the first assignment has definitely given me an idea of how the class will be so far. One of the last chapters gave pointers for getting the interview, but I've found that although it may be difficult to get people to agree to interviews, it's hard enough getting in touch with them to ask! Although the "newcomer" I'd like to interview is in my class, I haven't had a chance to be in class with her since I've decided on her being my subject for my assignment. I did find her e-mail and sent one, but haven't heard anything back yet.
I know that she is in some type of ROTC thing here at HPU, so I'm thinking that my staff member could be whoever is in charge of that, just to get an idea of what she's like from a different person, but someone that sees her probably at her worst. Although, I don't know how to find out who that is...
I've also realized just living off campus, in Winston, and working almost everyday are both going to add another challenge to my assignments because it will make it harder for me to work with others for interview times.
I realize that the due date for this assignment is in 4 days, so I've been worried about not having enough time to get interviews, find a focus, and write a descriptive article in that amount of time. Therefore, I've been playing with the idea of writing the personal essay. I've got two different ideas for that, so if I decide to, I think I can make it work.
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