Initial Thoughts for Book Club

Our group will be reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. At first I was worried because I didn't want to read a bunch of war stories, but after reading the summary and finding out that Louis Zamperini, the main character, went to the Berlin Olympics I was so excited. Olympians always have the most interesting and inspiring stories. As a child, I watched the Olympics with my family every two years. As I got older, I wanted to know what they did after they won and how their lives changed. I've read a few biographies and follow many of them on different social media sites. 

In this story, Louis becomes an airman and he manages to survive a plane crash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The summary alone left me hungry for more and I can't wait to read this book. The book also has excellent reviews.

This book is actually going to be a major motion picture, directed by Angelina Jolie. It's coming out this Christmas. Here's the trailer, if you'd like to take a look. 

Zepps Last Standing

This story was filled with flashbacks of Ed Zepp's life which gave us a more complete overview about his life. A first, the story didn't grab my attention, but as I kept reading I became more interested. Madeleine Blais's vivid description of Zepp portrayed him as a very old, tired man. Through his actions and the dialogue, we see that he had a set of principles and values that he lived for. He would never let anyone tell him otherwise. He consciously used his values to make decisions all throughout his life. That's what made me like Zepp. The way he defied people, even his superiors, when standing up for what he believed in showed a lot of strength.

Blais connected the stories together in a way that allowed the piece to flow. His character was conveyed through his dialogue. We were able to see how much he loved his wife and how much his honor meant to him. I love how she ended the story with a strong quote. It summed up his personality in a remarkable way.

Mrs. Kelly's Monster

One thing I really enjoyed while reading this story was the different perspectives Jon Franklin brought to it. The story had a continuous fluidity even though we heard about the doctor's personal and professional life as well as Mrs.Kelly struggles in a chronological order. Franklin captured his audience and slowly weaseled them into connecting with Mrs.Kelly. I didn't even realize it was happening.

He also explained the medical terminology in a way that the average reader would be able to understand. There were many metaphors used throughout the profile, however, not once were they confusing; in fact they enhanced the story and brought it to life. This story shed light on the intricate details and tensions that go on in an operating room. During the surgery he describes Dr.Ducker's movement saying the "blunt-tipped instrument travels in millimeter leaps." A millimeter is anything but a leap, but because the operation is dangerous, the slightest move could make the largest impact.

It was the slight things in his writing that made the largest impacts on the reader. The repeating words. The updating times. The transition between dialogue and description. It all fit well together, like a peanut butter sandwich.

Reading Reflection 1

When I read chapter 12 in On Writing Well, I got the impression that the more quotes you use, the better the story. You should also only use your own words if two ideas need linking. Generally, the interviewee can word his or her experiences better than any eloquent writer. People's personalities and characters shine through the way they articulate a story. Zinsser says that you can reorder people's quotes if it allows the piece to flow. I was surprised by that because I assumed that it's the interviewer's responsibility to keep all of the quotes intact and unchanged, including the chronological order, but I suppose it's also the interviewer's responsibility to portray the person being interviewed in the best light. In Dinner at Uncle Boris's, Sinic doesn't use many quotations, but the essay was smooth and captivating. It was an enjoyable read and the author portrayed the his feelings about the characters through dialogue and description. 

Blog Post 1 - Subject of Interest

The first person I'd like to write my journalistic piece on is Pedro Xavier. He is the head instructor at Boston Tae Kwon Do Academy and a 6-time World Champion Point Fighter. He inspires his students, including myself, everyday, but I'd like to know where he gets his inspiration. The next candidate is Richard Booth. He has been teaching English for nine years and worked 15 years as a reporter and editor for The Westerly Sun newspaper. He also edited the First U.S. Coast Guard District magazine. His experience is sure to offer intriguing insight to the world of journalism. The third person I'd like to interview is Karin Firoza. She's the program director at YouthLEAD and recently co-founded a training consultation company called Roots and Wings. I'd like to know what inspired her to go into this line of work and how her interfaith work helps people connect across differences.