https://apps.facebook.com/wpsocialreader/?fb_source=bookmark_apps&ref=bookmarks&count=0&fb_bmpos=2_0
Millions of interlocutors across the world have joined Twitter, a social media website that allows a carte blanche of free thought and opinion sharing for anyone with internet access. Some people believe that the internet is a stygian place that condones or even encourages contemptuous behavior. This sophistry argues that social media is a place rife with procrustean individuals with no regard for others or their own responsibility and has caused quite a donnybrook from a generation so acclimated to these tools. The internet offers a virtual, cosmopolitan lifestyle because of easy access to global information and experience. Today, there is only a vestige of people strewn across the earth who haven't been affected in some way by social media.
Twitter and its other rivalry networks are attempting a metamorphosis in how users are evaluated in terms of popularity ratings. These social network sites are concerned with how their users are able to view their popularity. On twitter, users can "retweet" (internet nomenclature for post again or share) what someone else posted, creating a sort of incantation of one person's thought. Twitter is beginning to consider that retweeting may more accurately portray a user's success, because their tweet has been sent to more than just their own followers.
I am nonchalant about the way twitter tracks it's users. As long as an internet brigand or hacker does not steal my account from me, I'll be all set.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Quick Story Mondays (blogpost 8.0)
Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie
by Sam Saucier and Sarah Beth Campisi
On September 21, 2012, the long awaited film Perks of Being a Wallflower premiered in select theaters. Perks of Being a Wallflower is a novel by Stephen Chbosky published in 1999.
Jill Kehoe, the librarian in Thornton Academy’s Library and Academic Commons, read the book several years ago. “I read it at the same that I read Catcher in the Rye, because this book was supposed to be the contemporary Catcher in the Rye,” Kehoe said. “You really can’t compare. I guess [Perks of Being a Wallflower] was okay.”
Perks follows the story of high school freshman, Charlie, an introvert with a troubled past who is just trying to blend in.
Hanna Langley, a sophomore, says that Perks is “a really great story and I cried reading it.” Anxious to see the film version of her favorite characters, Langley is most excited for actress Emma Watson’s take on the character Sam. “She’s amazing,” Langley says, beaming.
Students are curious to see how the cast list turns out, worrying (as any fan would) about who will take on and foster the personalities of the characters they care about. “I figured they’d end up butchering it,” says senior Nathan Morris. “It’s my favorite book because I can relate to Charlie so much.” Morris said that Perks is on his list of things he would save if his house were burning down.
"It's relatable,” says Sydney Curran, junior. “Everyone feels like that awkward kid.”
Perks will summon all the wallflowers into Maine theaters on October 6.
verb: to be
connect interviewees to story
Thursday, September 20, 2012
The Lead (blogpost 7.0)
On writing news story leads:
- A news lead typically written in 40 words or less
- starts with the main point of the article
- the most important questions to answer are who and what
- could start with where then answer the who? and what? and other questions if appropriate
- could start with why then answer who? and what? etc
- present participle: starting with answering "how"
- begin with a prepositional phrase (no subject or verb) (ex: after two years of discussion...)
- start with a gerund (ing verb) in order to narrate
- start with time period (temporal clause)
- Feature fact: the most important fact that should be featured in the lead
- vignette lead: storytelling approach to report major issues in order to bring them to a personal/human level. Paragraphs start long then become more traditionally short, newswriting form to bring facts to a close. Used in features.
- Descriptive or background leads: gives details of settings leading up to the story. Could include dialogue.
- start with a question that will hone in a reader's curiosity
Friday, September 14, 2012
Photography (blogpost 6.0)
This photo was taken in 2010 by Chris Jones.
The photo is of a chair found in an abandoned building. This photo meets the requirements of fantastic lighting, color, and gives a good angle. It also follows the rule of thirds. Aside from the aesthetics being pleasing, this photo makes me want to read the story that may or may not go along with it. It makes me question the existence of that chair, why is it facing the window? Why is it the only piece of furniture in this abandoned room? Why is the room abandoned in the first place? If this photo was featured in a story, it would pull me in and make me want to read.
This photo was taken in 2008 in Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal by Joao Paulo Barbosa (from Brazil).
This photo has a lot of depth in the landscape as well as a neat perspective: the angle looks through the prayer rags and the himalayas sit in the background. There are many colors in the photo and well as interesting light and contrast.
Should I write my story on art after high school, I have to be careful with how I photograph my subject. There are many typical photos leaning over the shoulder of students as they draw. I need to find a way to make the pictures more personal.
Should I write my story on art after high school, I have to be careful with how I photograph my subject. There are many typical photos leaning over the shoulder of students as they draw. I need to find a way to make the pictures more personal.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Vocabulary 1 (blogpost 5.0)
https://apps.facebook.com/wpsocialreader/?fb_source=bookmark_apps&ref=bookmarks&count=0&fb_bmpos=2_0
"Don't Ban Big Gulps"
A mayor in New York has proposed a moratorium on the sale of 32 oz sodas. Opposers of this seem to be ubiquitous, organizing protests against the ban. According to a poll, 60% of New Yorkers are in opposition. The article quotes the US to be, in vernacular terms, "the fattest nation on earth", quite a casual statement that hits you in the oversized gut. It is true that America is replete with overweight persons. The jokes made about this issue are interminable. Americans are always sought out to be the punch line of some other country's joke because we are so young and powerful but frankly, can be quite stupid. It is lugubrious that healthy foods are so often priced higher that unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, Americans are zealous about prices, always trying to get more for less, but that often compromises the health of the decision. It would helpful if politicians and the economy would form a camaraderie on the issue of highly taxed healthy foods. This is not a new issue. There have been a litany of issues about food prices linked to obesity. The only way to truncate the list of complaints is to comply. It must be especially hard for people living in a city like New York City to eat healthy because not only are prices high, there is a complete lack of arable land to home-grow foods. It is true, the issue of taxes in America is a frangible one. Everyone is sensitive to the topic and it must be approached with great care as it seems to be a wrenching concept to some. It's a natural response, though. Nobody likes to have their wallets desiccated...figuratively, of course.
Maybe someday, we can handle a situation about soda sizes with more equanimity.
"Don't Ban Big Gulps"
A mayor in New York has proposed a moratorium on the sale of 32 oz sodas. Opposers of this seem to be ubiquitous, organizing protests against the ban. According to a poll, 60% of New Yorkers are in opposition. The article quotes the US to be, in vernacular terms, "the fattest nation on earth", quite a casual statement that hits you in the oversized gut. It is true that America is replete with overweight persons. The jokes made about this issue are interminable. Americans are always sought out to be the punch line of some other country's joke because we are so young and powerful but frankly, can be quite stupid. It is lugubrious that healthy foods are so often priced higher that unhealthy foods. Unfortunately, Americans are zealous about prices, always trying to get more for less, but that often compromises the health of the decision. It would helpful if politicians and the economy would form a camaraderie on the issue of highly taxed healthy foods. This is not a new issue. There have been a litany of issues about food prices linked to obesity. The only way to truncate the list of complaints is to comply. It must be especially hard for people living in a city like New York City to eat healthy because not only are prices high, there is a complete lack of arable land to home-grow foods. It is true, the issue of taxes in America is a frangible one. Everyone is sensitive to the topic and it must be approached with great care as it seems to be a wrenching concept to some. It's a natural response, though. Nobody likes to have their wallets desiccated...figuratively, of course.
Maybe someday, we can handle a situation about soda sizes with more equanimity.
Pulitzer Prize Inspiration (blogpost 3.0)
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article750838.ece
My choice of the Pulitzer Prize winning articles was The Girl in the Window by Lane DeGregory. The article is of a severe case of child abuse centered around a girl named Dani, who was found in a closet when she was seven, covered in maggots and her own feces, unable to speak or communicate. I can tell it won the Pulitzer Prize for a reason; it was possibly the most compelling and captivating article I've ever read. After reading, I found myself reading other articles on Dani. I looked through photos of her and read up on more of her history because Lane DeGregory found an incredible story that is not only easy to care about on it's own, but is so skillfully written that it was difficult to break away from my computer screen while reading.
So, what makes a good story? One that pulls the reader in so quickly then wins Pulitzer Prizes? (Okay, there might be some steps I skipped here and there, but what are those steps?). I've examined Lane DeGregory's writing for evidence. I found 3(ish) major things that Lane McGregory does to make the story leave an impact on the reader.
1. Her descriptions. McGregory paints a wonderful scenery to set the story she is telling. When reading The Girl in the Window, I visualized every moment vividly, whether I wanted to or not (some images were upsetting/disturbing, but that means she's that good of a writer to be able to achieve such things)
1a) Zooms in on details to pull at emotions of reader. McGregory often describe the Dani's eyes and how they never seemed to look at, but through. Dani's lack of basic human understanding as a result of her abuse was described in little moments, like her inability to laugh, to understand peek-a-boo, to nod yes or no. All these are basic and natural concepts to us that it's hard to fathom not having them. These details register certain ways with humans to make us sympathize. So the reader is pulled in.
2. Examines all sides and people within story in order to give a broad perspective with many sources with play off of. McGregory interviewed with Dani's adoptive parents, her birth mother, policemen, court officials, Dani's school teachers, doctors and psychiatrists; all of which added rich detail and insight of Dani's background.
2a) Thoroughness; the story spanned over 3-4 years of time and manages to pull the reader in enough so that they want to know as much as possible.
3. McGregory picked a specific, intriguing story to discuss a broad topic. Child abuse is a widely spread issue that is (unfortunately) common to hear about and happen. Dani's case was not only a specific case of child abuse, but an especially extreme one that some say is the worst they'd ever seen. Dani's physical and mental health is permanently damaged because of what happened to her. This is the type of story that makes people feel something. It makes people sad and frustrated and angry and can ultimately influence a person to take action against a pressing issue such as child abuse. That's why The Girl in the Window is a good story. It educates and inspires.
My choice of the Pulitzer Prize winning articles was The Girl in the Window by Lane DeGregory. The article is of a severe case of child abuse centered around a girl named Dani, who was found in a closet when she was seven, covered in maggots and her own feces, unable to speak or communicate. I can tell it won the Pulitzer Prize for a reason; it was possibly the most compelling and captivating article I've ever read. After reading, I found myself reading other articles on Dani. I looked through photos of her and read up on more of her history because Lane DeGregory found an incredible story that is not only easy to care about on it's own, but is so skillfully written that it was difficult to break away from my computer screen while reading.
So, what makes a good story? One that pulls the reader in so quickly then wins Pulitzer Prizes? (Okay, there might be some steps I skipped here and there, but what are those steps?). I've examined Lane DeGregory's writing for evidence. I found 3(ish) major things that Lane McGregory does to make the story leave an impact on the reader.
1. Her descriptions. McGregory paints a wonderful scenery to set the story she is telling. When reading The Girl in the Window, I visualized every moment vividly, whether I wanted to or not (some images were upsetting/disturbing, but that means she's that good of a writer to be able to achieve such things)
1a) Zooms in on details to pull at emotions of reader. McGregory often describe the Dani's eyes and how they never seemed to look at, but through. Dani's lack of basic human understanding as a result of her abuse was described in little moments, like her inability to laugh, to understand peek-a-boo, to nod yes or no. All these are basic and natural concepts to us that it's hard to fathom not having them. These details register certain ways with humans to make us sympathize. So the reader is pulled in.
2. Examines all sides and people within story in order to give a broad perspective with many sources with play off of. McGregory interviewed with Dani's adoptive parents, her birth mother, policemen, court officials, Dani's school teachers, doctors and psychiatrists; all of which added rich detail and insight of Dani's background.
2a) Thoroughness; the story spanned over 3-4 years of time and manages to pull the reader in enough so that they want to know as much as possible.
3. McGregory picked a specific, intriguing story to discuss a broad topic. Child abuse is a widely spread issue that is (unfortunately) common to hear about and happen. Dani's case was not only a specific case of child abuse, but an especially extreme one that some say is the worst they'd ever seen. Dani's physical and mental health is permanently damaged because of what happened to her. This is the type of story that makes people feel something. It makes people sad and frustrated and angry and can ultimately influence a person to take action against a pressing issue such as child abuse. That's why The Girl in the Window is a good story. It educates and inspires.
Monday, September 10, 2012
My Story and First Interviews (blog post 2.0)
Before Interview: purpose. Become familiar with subject and think of questions. Contact interviewee (explain why you want to interview them and set up an interview date)
During: ask informational and direct questions. Don't ask the hardest questions first. Be objective. Have materials ready (recording devices, papers, pens)
My story: Nerdfighters: nerdfighTAria. Vidcon, project for awesome, kiva, what it means to be a nerdfighter. youtube/vlogging. relations to social media, interview: Liz Park, Mike and Alex (if they come to TA), and Jennifer Pinches. Esther.
Pepperell Squares: interview Adam Glynn, Forrest Tripp, Aaron Lockman.
Why is it so hard to be an artist? after high school and college it is difficult to make a living with art. Why do artists have to be the best of the best? What about those students who want to be artists but don't follow through because it's "impractical"? What about those students who are successful? What constitutes being successful?
story (my perspective): 9/11 and future generations. How will 9/11 be remembered/taught in schools? This generation's grandchildren will think of 9/11 as ancient history, similar to how we know of WWII through our grandparents. Will September 11th become just another date that history teachers through out to pop quiz students like they would with pearl harbor or Gettysburg? Someday, 9/11 will be remembered by students as statistics and facts. Has 9/11 had such a significant impact that it changes the way history is taught? Does our modern documentation help the way it could be taught?
write something on gender issues
During: ask informational and direct questions. Don't ask the hardest questions first. Be objective. Have materials ready (recording devices, papers, pens)
My story: Nerdfighters: nerdfighTAria. Vidcon, project for awesome, kiva, what it means to be a nerdfighter. youtube/vlogging. relations to social media, interview: Liz Park, Mike and Alex (if they come to TA), and Jennifer Pinches. Esther.
Pepperell Squares: interview Adam Glynn, Forrest Tripp, Aaron Lockman.
Why is it so hard to be an artist? after high school and college it is difficult to make a living with art. Why do artists have to be the best of the best? What about those students who want to be artists but don't follow through because it's "impractical"? What about those students who are successful? What constitutes being successful?
story (my perspective): 9/11 and future generations. How will 9/11 be remembered/taught in schools? This generation's grandchildren will think of 9/11 as ancient history, similar to how we know of WWII through our grandparents. Will September 11th become just another date that history teachers through out to pop quiz students like they would with pearl harbor or Gettysburg? Someday, 9/11 will be remembered by students as statistics and facts. Has 9/11 had such a significant impact that it changes the way history is taught? Does our modern documentation help the way it could be taught?
write something on gender issues
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
It's Elementary, Dear Reader (blog post 1.0)
Today, the subject of my attention was a radio piece on ALS and an article about a man who writes postcards to strangers from his home in Maine (both pieces from the Salt Institute). Or at least, those are the topics of the two pieces.
What I learned today was possibly the most essential tool that should be used not only for journalistic purposes, but for any piece of writing: personals and emotions, the heart of the story. It's human nature to connect with stories on a personal level. It's important to the writer to bring out the emotional conflicts of a story as to pull in the reader and bring them down to a level they can connect on, while simultaneously providing a window of information that will open eyes and broaden perspectives.
These intriguing moments of a piece come from the details. Personal relationships belonging to the subject, their past, the environment they reside in; little anecdotes that may seem to stray from the topic but have overall influenced the story into what it is. These miniature stories within the larger picture make the reader feel like they can relate to what the author is conveying.
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