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.