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“The true alchemists do not change lead into gold;
they change the world into words.” – William H. Gass
It’s my second blog not only in an English Composition class but in life. The initiator of my blogging is my English instructor, Sabatino Mangini. For this blog, I will use three articles that explain what writing process is and how to make writing less stressful. I will set a scene where all three writes are coming together.
Teach Writing as a Process Not a Product (Don Murray) Against Vanity: In Praise of Revision (Mary Karr) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (Anne Lamott) I have a friend who is always late. Nothing works with her, and even if you would tell her meeting time in 30 minutes early, she would still late. Although this time she is really very late, and I, just to kill time, go to the nearest library to look through magazines. I take a couple of magazines and take a seat in the comfortable armchair. At the first, I didn't even notice three persons that are seating like knights of the round table and arguing about somethings but my curiosity has taken its and I start listening to their conversation. As far as I understand, they are talking about a writing process and how it is better to teach a writing process for students. I go to them, introduce myself as a current student of DCCC, and ask their permission to participate in their roundtable. These three persons are Mary Karr, Anne Lamott, and Don Murray. “What is the writing process?” I ask. “In the college, our professors are telling so much about this term that it is hard to identify what steps or stages are?” Marry Karr answers, “I’ve heard three truths from every mouth: (1) writing is painful – it’s “fun” only for novices, the very young, and hacks…” And Anne Lamott agrees with her,” The right words and sentences just do come pouring out like ticker tape most of the time.” The guy, who looks for me as real “nerd” in English composition and literature, tries to settle down my growing concern about writing, “The writing process itself can be divided into three stages: prewriting, writing, and rewriting.” (Don Murray) “Oh…our professors always indicate the importance of outlines and drafts…but for me, it is just a wasting of time,” I mention. Don Murray, taking off his glasses and granting me with his super wise sight, pronounces,” The student should have the opportunity to write all the drafts necessary for him to discover what he has to say on this particular subject.” Anne Lamott immediately interrupts him, and states,” The first draft is the child’s draft… The second draft is the updraft - you fix it up. The third draft is the dental draft.” And Mary Karr adds her second truth about the writing process,” …(2) other than a few instances of luck, good work only comes through revision…” I repeat after them,” Prewriting, writing, rewriting, drafts… I have used all these tools and still dislike writing. I must follow rules in essay writing and go through peer review. And this process is nothing than an attempt not upset another person by making remarks on his or her writing and effort to hold me from a knock on his or her head due to comments on my work.” Mary Karr tries to encourage me, “Writing, regardless to the result-whether good or bad, published or not, well reviewed or slammed- means celebrating beauty in an often ugly world.” Anne Lamott’s words,” I don’t think you have time to waste not writing because you are afraid you won’t be good enough at it…” Don Murray, with a warm smile on his face, utters,” There are no rules, no absolutes, just alternatives. What works one time may not another.” On this totally philosophic passage from Don Murray, I get an angry call from my friend that is arrived, finally. So, I am leaving the roundtable with a big inspiration for my future writings.
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Marcel Proust (1871-1922) was a famous France’s writer and scientist who got recognition from his contemporaries and was nominated a couple of times for different awards. He developed a questionnaire about one’s individuality. Marcel Proust believed that through answering to these questions a person can “bare” its own truthful temper and personality. I responded to Proust’s Questionnaire too, and here are my answers.
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness? My perfect happiness is to be surrounded by people with which I can go anywhere, either to rob a bank or carry the word of god. 2. What is your greatest fear? I cannot say that I have a great fear, just a small one as fear of spiders. I can overcome my fears because only when you out of your comfort zone, you would gain something. 3. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? I deplore not listening to my parents during adolescence. Hopefully, with age, I became wiser. 4. What is the trait you most deplore in others? I do not like envious and jealous people, and I try to cut off communication with them. 5. Which living person do you most admire? My person is my dad. He grew up in a small village where was not even a school, but he graduated from the Agricultural University with his master and has reached high career position in the forest industry. 6. What is your greatest extravagance? If I will believe my husband, I am not spendthrift. Of cause, I can buy one extra handbag or spend extra money for my hobby, but it is always a deliberate decision. 7. What is your current state of mind? I can say that my state of mind today is curious and open for everything new because of relocation firstly to Canada and now to the USA. 8. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Exception people as they are without any judgment, homily, and desire to remake their personality. 9. On what occasion do you lie? I am lying in the situation for the best. It means for the benefits of someone loved. My parents far from me, and it are not mandatory for them to know everything about me and my family, so time to time I lie to them for not to worry them. 10. What do you most dislike about your appearance? I love myself the way it is. People perceived you as much as you love yourself. 11. Which living person do you most despise? I do not have such a person. If I do like someone, I simply stop commutation with this person, so with time he or she just vanished from my life. 12. What is the quality you most like in a man? Potential to hold his words. A man said it, and a man did it. 13. What is the quality you most like in a woman? Ability to shut her mouth in a particular situation and not spreading gossips. 14. Which words or phrases do you most overuse? As for me, I do not have parasite words. Sometimes I can use some swearing words, but it depends on a situation. Likely I can do it in my native language, so fewer people can understand what exactly I say. 15. What or who is the greatest love of your life? I love my family, parents, and I like things around me. But if something would happen on, I am able to overcome after some time spent in remorse. 16. When and where were you happiest? I am happy where I am right now. I never have regret about the past, as well I have never guest for the future. 17. Which talent would you most like to have? Like many women, I want to eat anything and do not gain weight. It is some kind witch power. 18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I do not change anything in myself. I am the way I am. 19. What do you consider your greatest achievement? I think my greatest achievement at this point of life is returning to the school with a fundamental change in my future professional field. 20. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? Looking at my Scottish Fold cat and her lifestyle, I want to be a beautiful purebred cat. 21. Where would you most like to live? I would leave anywhere, just my loved ones must be near. 22. What is your most treasured possession? I think it is an ability to overcome past and present troubles. Life is going on. 23. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? We as human beings are able to defeat anyone and anything. Only one what we need is right people around with proper words to support. But the lowest depth of misery still exists, and it is, in my opinion, suicide. 24. What is your favorite occupation? I admire to seat in the corner of the sofa and cross-stitching. 25. What is your most marked characteristic? People are telling that I am an optimistic person, even too much, and plus a great sense of humor, sometimes a “black” one. 26. What do you most value in your friends? I love my friends for not asking questions. If I come to one of them with my problem, no one would ask, my friend would put on the table a bottle of wine and chatting about everything and nothing. And after a couple of hours, we will be laughing like schoolgirls. 27. Who are your favorite writers? It is hard to distinguish one favorite author. I like to read detectives by different famous modern and dated writers. My favorite books came from my childhood and school years, so they are mostly from Ukrainian and Russian writers. 28. Who is your hero of fiction? I do not have one specific hero, it is a more collective image with such attributes as honest, kindness, faith in people, courage, and willingness to help others. 29. Which historical figure do you most identify with? In the early 18th century, in royal Russia exist opposition called Decembrist. And some point, the government catch them and send to the Siberia, but not a whole family, only man. Wives of the Decembrist went after their husbands on their own wishes and spent entire life there. I identify myself with these wives because I am ready to follow my husband anywhere even if he would ask. 30. Who are your heroes in real life? No one is ideal. 31. What are your favorite names? As soon as names are people’s names but not after the car’s brand of strange movie’s names, I am ok with them. 32. What is it that you most dislike? I dislike a Sisyphean toil, endless repetition the same meaningless task. 33. What is your greatest regret? I do not have great regrets. Life is a complicated and gushing thing where everything on its time and place. 34. How would you like to die? I would like to die quiet, just fall asleep and do not wake up. I do not want to be a burden for my family. 35. What is your motto? Even if you have been eaten, you have two choices for an exit. |
AuthorI will use this page to post blogs throughout my English Composition I class. Archives
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