Tonight in CNF: Tuesday, Feb. 26

Tonight we'll wrap our discussion of Amy Krause Rosenthal's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AN ORDINARY LIFE by reviewing your own encyclopedia entries. We'll be looking at your work for voice, spark of emotion, and true sentences -- the hallmarks of Amy's best work.

We'll also spread Amy's joy with a quick writing exercise.

Then we'll begin discussing Studs' Terkel's work and why it's important. I have a powerpoint lecture for you, plus some video footage that will help introduce you to Studs the person, the writer, the journalist and oral historian.

Assignment:

Read at least five entries in WORKING and be prepared to write about them in a short essay exam next week.

Find one person to interview and, employing Studs' technique (as covered in class), produce a piece to share in class. Your piece should be no more than 800 words -- not including your introduction. Follow Studs' example in WORKING. Your piece should include not just an account of what your subject does all day, but how he/she feels about what he/she does all day. It's the feeling that really counts.

Tonight in Creative Nonfiction: Amy Krouse Rosenthal's

 

We'll start class by writing a Six Word Memoir over at Smith Magazine.

We'll do a Table of What Your Childhood Tasted Like (p. 60)

These will go into your prompts binder.

 

Then we'll watch some things: 

 

 

 

Amy gives a Ted Talk in 2010.

 

And in 2012.

We'll break into small groups to discuss Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life, looking specifically at the following things:

*   Your favorite passages and why they work
*   Overall Structure
*   Concept
*   Themes
*   Focus

We'll also discuss Amy's Stash of Truth, specifically:

"It was intentional that the book begins with Amy and ends with You. My agent, Amy Rennert (fittingly named), suggested the former, and writer pal John Green suggested the latter.

There were five drafts of the book. I wrote the book accordion style, adding and deleting entries as I went along. I wrote what I felt compelled to write, then gave it a title and compiled it accordingly;

I never even thought to write it in alphabetical order or to pay attention to the number of entries under each letter.

The two parts of the book that remained unchanged in the book were the actual bookends of the book, the Foreword and the “You” entry.

The most difficult entry to write was “Tears.” I originally titled it “Crying” but upon cataloging it, realized that the passage would be too jarring placed early in the book. This was one of the few instances where I interfered with leaving the shape of the book to chance; by and large I liked the idea that the alphabetical device created the narrative.

The very last thing I wrote was the entry that appears on the back cover, “Book, standing in the bookstore holding a.” I e-mailed the passage to my editor on October 2, 2004, exactly a year to the day when I found out the book would be published.

There is only one illustration—that of a radish—in the entire “Evolution of this Moment” section. This was my attempt at symbolism. I had written about a radish memory (page 58) that resurfaced in my mind throughout my life. When I later read Montaigne’s passage (as quoted on page 26), a bulb went on (so to speak), and I took it as an important clue in my scavenger hunt/gestation stage when I was starting this project, that it was indeed valid to write about, or to even be focused on, such ordinary matters, and soon thereafter (in book time, one page), arrived at the encyclopedia concept and title.

I tried to chronicle a typical 21st-century life. I like that there is an umbrella on the cover. I think the spine looks really cool."

We'll eat some chocolate. We'll read the encyclopedia entries you posted to the blog and collect the rest for workshop next week.

Assignment:  Read through the packet of entries handed out today and be prepared to workshop next week. Read WORKING and find someone you'd like to interview about his/her job.

Amy Krause Rosenthal -- TED Talk

Tonight in Creative Nonfiction: Tuesday, Feb. 12

Tonight we'll finish workshopping your first essays, then begin talking about Amy Krause Rosenthal's Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life.

Since Amy is a master of compression, luminous detail and insight, we'll practice those techniques by writing a six-word memoir.

Then, for your writing assignment, you'll write three encyclopedia entries modeled after Amy's work.  Post one of your entries -- a short one -- to the comments section below. Then bring hard copies of all three entries to class next week for workshop.

Remember to turn in your revision of Essay #1 for grading, too. Your revision is due the week after your piece has been workshopped. Last week's workshop-ees are due tonight. Tonight's workshop-ees are due next week.


Read Ahead:  Our next book is Working by Studs Terkel.