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Thoughts on Ferguson

A Missouri grand jury refused to indict a police patrolman in the shooting of Mike Brown, a black man. Now, there are riots and protests happening all over the country.

Darren Wilson, the police patrolman, said in a testimony that Mr.Brown aggressively laid his hands on Wilson while the officer was still in his cruiser, alone. Mr.Brown isn't here to tell his side of the story. I was shocked when I found out there were so many people defending Wilson. It's just hard to believe that Wilson needed to shoot Mike Brown more than five times on order to defend himself. It makes you think he must have had underlying rage. Even if they were both the same race, it's the police patrolman's job to ensure the safety of the unarmed individual rather than put an obscene amount of bullets in him. One shot to the leg would've sufficed. This is why it's become a race problem.

Although some of the protests are a bit extreme they're very necessary. You can't expect people to accept this and stay quiet. We need to raise awareness and encourage people to speak up for those who don't have a voice.

This isn't just about Mike Brown, it's about racism. It's about respecting all life. It's about black kids feeling like their lives matter and are just as valuable as everyone else's. It's not just about one person; it's about the ugly face of racism.

Book Club Post 11/19

After finishing the book I noticed many changes in Laura Hillenbrand's writing style. At first, she relied on quotes and recalling personal events and in the third part of the book the story becomes more fact based. She does a fantastic job of being historically accurate. I found myself losing interest because there were too many details of battles and other events. It started to sound more like a history textbook than a profile on Louis Zamperini.

I would definitely say that this book is a profile, but one thing I noticed was how the story changed from a profile to an essay of place. In the second and third parts, Laura Hillenbrand is describing the situation during World War II and being a prisoner of war in Japanese prisons. The focus turns away from Louis and becomes more about his surroundings.

Death of a Playmate

After reading this piece, I can see how a magazine feature allows for more creativity and it has less of a strict structure. I had trouble following the story because of the way it was set up, but the writing was easy to follow. At times the story wasn't engaging and it was very long. Teresa Carpenter used multiple quotes. I didn't always feel like they added to the story. She was also able to include other people's thoughts on certain issues. Carpenter unveiled a side of Dorothy not many had seen before and talked about problems with her marriage. The topic was interesting, but I enjoyed reading "Pearls Before Breakfast" more.

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Book Club Post 3 - 10/29

By the third part of the book, Laura Hillenbrand has finally gone back to preface at the beginning of the story. Louie and some crew members are sent on a rescue mission to search for the missing B-24. Ironically, on this rescue mission the engines on their plane begin failing and they crash in the middle of the ocean.

The author uses vivid language that forces the reader to become emotionally invested with Louie's story, especially because we know it's a true story. Mac, one of the members on the crew, becomes insane. The trauma of the crash causes him to be so distraught and I really felt for him. I was surprised as to how strongly a person can be shaken. However, weeks later, Mac becomes a hero, and he saves Louie's life. Hillenbrand does a great job showing the multiple sides and layers of every character.

After 47 days, they finally see land, but a Japanese boat gets in their way and they become prisoners of war. The fact that Louie survives under all if the extreme circumstances is a miracle. The odds were never in his favor. The author's description of the torture they endured is historically accurate and intense. Hillenbrand mention the "Night of a Thousand Suicides." In the Japanese culture, people believed that becoming a prisoner of war would bring shame to family, and a family's dignity is above all.

Book Club Post 2 - 10/15

The story has been fascinating so far. During our group's discussion last week we wondered how Laura Hillenbrand found out about Louie Zamperini because he was much older. Hillenbrand had been writing a story about a Depression-era race horse and she was reading a 1938 clipping about a horse when she happened to turn it around. It was a profile on Louie Zamperini. She heard about him again later on and decided to send him a letter. He replied and told her his story and that's how it came about. We have already read nearly 200 pages of the book and the amount of research she conducted is unbelievable. At times, just one paragraph holds ten stories.There are so many details and she manages to make it really easy to follow. Louie's character shines through and I can't wait to finish reading the book.

Book Club Post 1 - 10/8

The section my book club group had to read was jam-packed with with information and story. The book is based on the story of an Italian boy named Louis Zampernini whose parents immigrated to the U.S. He was always a troublemaker, but eventually it lead his older brother, Pete to coach him in track. Just after the first year, he became the first student from his town to compete in the all-city finals. He continues to enter competitions and becomes a college track star. I think the author, Laura Hillenbrand, is trying to show how his perseverance was intensified through every stage of his life. The preface is a scene from when he was stranded in the middle of the ocean during World War II. They'd been stranded for 27 days and everyone was weak. But Louis makes a daring move to try to save himself when the Japanese bombers attack. Although that story isn't complete yet, we know he has lived to tell it, so his decision to hide underwater pays off. His resilience and bravery started from a young age. Hillenbrand takes us back to the beginning of his story - when he was in grade school - to show us his transformation.

Reading Reflection 9/29

I always thought that the more quotes you use, the livelier the story would be. However, you have to be careful not to overpower your own writing. The story about the Colombian at Walmart showed me just that. Using less quotes makes the quotes you do use even more powerful. Dialogue keeps readers interested and so do details. The smallest details can complete a story and give the reader a fuller experience. I have also decided to write my story in chronological order because that's how most stories are told and heard. One thing I learned about this is that certain time periods can be sped up or slowed down. That was very helpful because after conducting my interview, I felt like I knew more about my interviewee's youth.

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.