Gonzo

Baed on your reading of "The Scum Also Rises," what are some of the defining characteristics of Gonzo journalism? Please respond before class on Thursday.

How to Write a Story (Originally published in The Rose & Thorn)

Begin in the middle
with the screams

of something burning,
then insert nightfall

and a trail of bread crumbs
the crows will maliciously eat.

It’s important that there be
lost children, but the search dogs

should be tired, or even better,
dubious, and with no way

to stop the bleeding
in the region of the brain

that controls our tears.


What, according to this poem, are the key components of a well-written story? Does your projected story incorporate any of the components? Respond by noon, Monday, February 9.

The Prince of Hyperbole

Someone (me) once wrote that H. L. Mencken believed that "Nothing succeeds like excess." Identify a passage in "Deep in the Coca-Cola Belt" that supports this statement. Does Mencken's penchant for hyperbole aand exaggeration detract from or enhance his standing as a "factual" journalist in your eyes? Respond by noon Thursday, Feb. 5.

Art & Fear, Part 1

Is there a particular statement in the first half of Art & Fear that especially speaks to you? Which one? Why?

Please respond by noon Monday, Feb. 2.

Writing Routines

Do you have a writing routine? Go to the link "Writing Routines" below. Read a few descriptions by authors of their writing routines. Now briefly describe your own. If you don't have a routine, do you see any advantages in developing one? Please respond before noon Thursday.

Riis's Pieces

From whose point of view is "Abe's Game of Jacks" primarily told? (Mark on the handout the places or passages where this point of view is evident.). What other points of view come into play in the story? (Mark and label these as well.)Please respond before noon on Monday.

Goals & Objectives

Describe in a well-written paragraph your biggest or most important goal for your writing this semester. What is it you wish to work on or improve in relation to your writing? How do you propose to accomplish that?