ENG 319

December 11, 2008

Peer Review

Brianna: All of her work was very extensive and enjoyable to read – paper two was probably my favorite of hers. She seems to have a different voice in all of her essays particularly in the memoir assignment, she really did an excellent job getting all of her points down and then emulating one of the authors from this semester. At times it was difficult to see where the memoir was headed – but after reading her final draft she did an excellent job of revising and making sure that everything came together, hopefully I will get a chance to read a different kind of essay of hers, I would really like to see what other tactics she has as a writer.

Matt: Matt’s work is very strong, even though his memoir isn’t considered a persuasion piece it still touches on racial, economic, and political issues affecting the area he’s originally from. The most enjoyable part about Matt’s work is that he takes the issue or memory at hand and writes it the way he wants it to be told – in his initial response to Bizzle I believe he held back a little bit with his own voice and stuck to the reading. The memoir let him go way outside those lines and talk without boundaries, excellent memoir.

Noel: The addition of adjectives and elaboration really makes for a vivid memoir. It is difficult to judge what’s different about Noel’s work because her voices are so distinctive from one another. The memoir was incredibly inclusive, whereas the first paper rifled through memories that didn’t really flow together as well as the transitions in the memoir. Even so, she addressed the issues accurately, I would like to see a piece from her that is more closely related to the first essay in order to appropriately examine what else has changed.

Chelsea: Most of Chelsea’s writing is very alike. The best part of reading her work was that she stayed on topic and didn’t elaborate too much. Her foreshadowing to a grim night in her memoir really drew me into the rest of the story – this is a hallmark of great essay writing. In her analytical work, I found myself hearing the exact same voice from the memoir (voice as described as substance) in a different light. I would like to read another memoir of hers to see if her voice changes with content, but still recollecting a memory.

Myself: It’s been a nightmare of a semester. Somewhere in the midst I found a better way to write and edit. A lot of what’s changed for me is the fluidity of my ideas and essay structuring. I’ve rearranged my “5 paragraph” style of writing to work for many of the pieces that I’ve done in all my English classes this semester. One of the most enticing parts of the semester was going back and forth between academic discourse, journalism, and essay writing; each has their own distinct attributes and for me, especially in the beginning, was very difficult and hurt much of my work.   

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

Dec. 3, 2008

Frankfurt vs. Miller

            The two pieces between Frankfurt and Miller encompass the virtues of what it means to be truthful, or as quoted in Miller’s piece “truthiness.” The main distinction between the two is the Frankfurt tends to examine interpersonal relationships and the importance of truth, whereas Miller looks at it from a social standpoint and contesting that perhaps truth can sometimes only take one so far.

            Miller describes the instance of the author of A Million Little Pieces being found guilty of embellishing on many of the facts in his book. The interesting point that Miller brings up is if Oprah liked the book and it helped people with their own addictions, then how could this piece be a bad one? When writing a memoir, as we discussed in class, there is little validity toward what a writer can say about themselves in the first place. Sometimes the occurrences that we remember so vividly never actually took place exactly the same way.

            Frankfurt, however, chastises lying in almost every instance. His philosophies include clearing the air between people and understanding the ramifications of telling the truth, or the possibility of those ramifications growing if the lie is ever found out. Frankfurt understands that there are these consequences, but he speaks of how in the best way to free yourself is to be completely honest – except in the case of lying to a significant other. Only when two people who love and understand each other can the lie be seen through and disregarded as it is only a white lie.

            Both pieces examine the merits of being honest thoroughly with thought provoking controversies. Following truth to its limit from Frankfurt’s standards seems only fit for a saint, however I do think it’s interesting that the man who wrote the memoir that angered Oprah didn’t just say that his book had pieces of fiction in it. The answer was always in the title – A Million Little Pieces—he may as well have titled it Written by Everyone. Regardless, I think it would be interesting to see what Frankfurt would have to say on the issue of this man’s memoir.

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

Dec. 2, 2008

Elbow – Bartholomae

            Both Elbow and Bartholomae make strong points towards academic discourse in its simplest form. Elbow explains that writing without teachers would begin a different kind of academia that is undefined within our writing system, while Bartholomae urges that we cannot move forward in the academic without teachers. The critical analysis of the two lies within these ideas, although Bartholomae takes the common approach to the academic Elbows “free writing” ideas are much more creative and different. Perhaps it is that there needs to be a teacher in the classroom, but that kind of constructive teaching much have its limits in writing.  

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

October 18, 2008 – Revised December 3, 2008

Final Paper 2, Group 1

Word Count:  1,451

They will ask “What did he say?” Not “How did he say it?”

When conveying a message in writing, there is always of difference in voice within the content of that message through the selective choice of different words while writing. Writing is a silent form of speaking, therefore, we agree upon certain images to convey that message, this is the mental process of reading. Languages constructed of pictograms, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic, confirm that as humans we interpret language through content; ideogram languages force us to change the irrelevant symbols to content. Style, on the other hand, is simply the compilation of a voice. Style is not dependent on content, but simply different. Voice is the personal selection of content that conveys the message. Style accompanies voice by the use of words in the appropriate sections of the piece.

            Every writer has a distinctive voice is defined by its specific content. After reading a piece it’s as if the author’s spoken voice comes through what he or she writes and not necessarily the way he or she writes it, whether the author intended on implementing dramatics or humor or other tactics of writing. Content is what defines a writer’s voice from one another. This is not to be confused with quality of a work. Instead content is the representative of the author’s persona as a writer. When writing a paper I first go through the words that will make my point stand out, style is simply the arrangement. Imagine a music composer, he thinks of the notes first because they relate to sound and then the speed and tempo that they should be played. The same can go for writing a paper whether on fiction, nonfiction, academic discourse, and any other form of writing.

            There is, evidently, a difference between the written voice and the spoken. Naturally we all have the ability to speak formally and informally, but there are always differences between the two. Writing can never fully convey the author’s spoken voice; however, the content chosen in writing is also similar content in the spoken voice (Learning Media Limited 1996). “The greatest differences between speaking and writing are those between formal written texts and very informal conversation. Because it is permanent, writing provides opportunities for more careful organization and more complex structures (Learning Media Limited).”

Style comes naturally after speaking a certain way repeatedly. For example: this very paper. While some would argue that there is more power to building up an argument, and then explaining the other side in a later paragraph, I believe it is necessary to explain the differences immediately in comparative writing. This does not have any significance on the writer’s voice due to the content not changing with specific arrangement.      

            If voice is content based, then is it ethical or logical to write based on point of view in academic discourse? How else would persuasive writing exist? Persuasion is fed by content that unmasks voice to what the author is passionate about; some of the most passionate speeches in history have been made this way. In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he begins with “Four score and seven years ago,” instead of saying eighty-seven years ago, this simple choice of words has become a memorable introduction for over one hundred and forty years.

 In its most elementary form persuasive writing is evidently fuelled by the content in a compelling sentence.  This example was taken from a personal website for guidance in basic writing, by Anne Creed (2006).  The wrong way: Our computers have 14-gigabyte snufflewhupters. The right way: With 14-gigabyte snufflewhupters, you'll finish your work in time to eat dinner with your family (Creed 2006).” It is evident here the style of the writer has not changed, but the persuasive content has give the author’s argument a better stance. The additional information this gives better elaboration and detail to the subject.

            It is with content that we can form the sentences to our benefit of intended voice. Style cannot be the voice of an author, for if the choice of words did not matter to people then style would be the only way to convey a voice – an indiscriminant equation would be the end result of every paper leaving readers indifferent to the position of the author. Let’s not forget the popular example of persuasive writing, Reverend Jonathan Swift uses eating babies to draw the attention and severity of English oppression to his Irish audience instead of typical and practical methods of survival. 

*          *         *

Section XIII Imitation

            The point that Rich makes is sound and valid, but it is not the only part of interpersonal relationships. William Shakespeare, one of the greatest poets of all time, examines a contrast to complete honesty. [Shakespeare’s Poem Follows]. Most would agree that in order to keep relationships working full honesty is not always the best solution. Men and women are different, people are different, but that doesn’t mean they cannot continue to love each other through  the pettier lies.

            If you can’t trust the person through the clear and basic lies, then the relationship will ultimately fail. As humans we lie to each other almost to gain trust. If a woman asks a man if she looks fat in a dress, the man, assuming he loves her, will tell her what she wants to hear; not necessarily the truth. The lies that build upon a relationship are almost welcomed as the sense of trust will build through understanding each other’s specific lies.

            Lying will typically end in an unfortunate disaster eventually. Though lying is not something I enjoy or expect you to practice Shakespeare’s sonnet may strike a chord with your own relationship. As Frankfurt examines, when two people trust and love each other they may lie to one another, but trust each other knowing the truth as long as the lie is benign. If you find yourself in a relationship similar to this you’re a very lucky man or woman!

*          *          *

                        I think it’s interesting that content is referred to as “substance.” When I think of substance it’s always a very general term that doesn’t give much meaning to anything at all – the term is just too vague to express the complexities of language. To me content is the definition of voice. The option to choose which words can replicate the very sound of my thoughts; I suppose that’s why great writers take down every idea, word, and for some image representing later writing – it is a record of their original voice. Even when the original voice is altered through revision the choice of word usage doesn’t change, the original message is still prevalent through the authors voice. Although it may not be the exact original thought, anyone who has ever taken pride in their work will review their original copy, the first look is typically not the best.

            Study of voice in the depiction of either content or style has shed light on a few aspects of writing. I always knew that I chose the words carefully for my writing but never truly thought about the implications of style and how it is important to content. While, as I stated earlier, style does not represent voice, but enhances it. I’ve learned to recognize the different styles of writing and how the different voices of authors have impacted their own as well as other styles.

            How could romantic essays and poems be distinctive without alliteration and stanzas to proliferate the nineteenth century style? Without the ability to recognize the correct words, not only for relevance to the poem, but for the aesthetics that have historically drawn respect to this day – from Wordsworth to Frost, these were the artists of lyrical enrichment (of the time).     “Sweet is the lore which nature brings; / Our meddling intellect / Misshapes the beauteous forms of things; /  --We murder to dissect (William Wordsworth, The Tables Turned.” The content is so closely related to Wordsworth’s voice, it almost as if the sound of the original voice comes through the piece.

            The practice of identifying my own voice through this study has also showed me how much different my writing can be. I have only begun to see what different types of writing are out there and I intend to read more to expand my view on the differences between writing. Hopefully this will lead to more inspiring work that I can be pleased with – that is where the original voice comes from, I believe, from what makes us content with ourselves. Not too excited, angry or emotional in anyway.  A simple acceptance of a perfection that we continue to struggle with in writing, but it’s just enough to know we have the privilege of writing.  Thank you for reading.     

Works Cited

Learning Media Limited. “Exploring Language.” Ministry of Education (New Zealand). Crown  Publishing. 1996. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2008. http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/exp_lang/speaking_writing.html

Creed, Anne. “Persuasive Writing.” 2006. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2008. 

Eric Heinz

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

November 18, 2008 – Revised December 2^nd, 2008

Memoir Assignment

Word Count: 1,801

Writing Toward A Future

            My intentions of becoming a journalist originate not long ago starting in my first year at UNC. When I first arrived to college I was very misguided as to how to live on my own and how to schedule my life. It wasn’t that I was homesick, but I didn’t know how to manage my time as well as the students who I saw studying constantly and succeeding past the university’s credit expectancy. Somehow I could never find the motivation; living in the uninspiring, old, dungeon-like McCowen Hall, which has recently been replaced, didn’t help exercise my writing skills.  

            Beyond the typical melancholy acts of maturity that I assume everyone plays out at some stage in their life, I found writing to be incredibly accessible and soothing when needing to mentally remove myself from the dormitory. I began writing regularly in the middle of fall semester when the leaves had just started to turn and the large foliage that surrounded the main entrance to McCowen in a semicircle had wilted. The atmosphere had become tenser than when I first arrived, now that everyone had been introduced to the college life; we were all down trodden with homework. This kind of dreary aroma didn’t appeal to me, but being in Greeley there wasn’t much else to do but to practice writing.

            I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I first came to UNC. I told them that I would be a “pre-business” major, but that never guided me into any real business emphasis or class schedule. It would have been more appropriate to put down “clueless” instead. Unlike the students who seemed more confident in their direction of study, I couldn’t quite find the niche I was looking for to commit my tuition and time. Looking for a productive way to spend my time I picked up a notebook and began to write short stanzas and essays to keep my mind from becoming slow. Writing kept me entertained and relaxed.

            Soon after, I began with short poems posting them on my MySpace and Facebook blogs. During my freshman year I was much more concerned with writing on the internet to my old friends from high school, but now most of my writing in essay form is kept private or submitted for class. My friends from the first series of four year schooling were very gracious in their anecdotes and comments. The annoyance was that I never received and constructive criticism, especially none as the help from the workshops I now attend in all of my classes. These days I can’t rely on the appreciation of my friends – as much as I enjoy their remarks – with the criticism of my work. I need serious critique in order to strengthen my writing in a classroom and business setting.

            Even when I knew I wasn’t getting anything out of my old friends I knew that I could keep working on my writing abilities through my text books and writers manuals. Soon, I was able to turn one-line rhyme schemes into full stanzas without struggling so hard to find rhythm and content. These personal seminaries were my therapeutic method of keeping my mind on task and building a stronger voice in different style; this easily took my mind off my roommate living five feet away from me, who had just set off the fire alarm in the our room by burning his popcorn one November afternoon. With more writing, my discontent of my living situation began to subside and I was able to focus better on my assignments. I thought at the time, “This will be my stable profession, something different that I enjoy but will have to work hard at”.

            Freshman year, however, continued with different obstacles that I had to overcome. I had loaded my second semester schedule with twenty credits, including a business class that was nearly impossible to pass and an algebra class. I hadn’t taken algebra since my junior year of high school. The work load along with playing a club sport was immense, I would wake up to three to five hours of class, possibly a shower, a rapidly consumed breakfast at Holmes Dining Hall, and then finish off the day with another four hours of homework. This, along with the constantly rioting dorm, was overwhelming. My writing slowly went from random thoughts and amusement into something that might have come from an old man’s angry letter about any common problem. Now I was writing just to get things off my chest, which caused me to pick up some bad habits. Too often I would rush through my ideas, something I still have trouble with today, and not back up or cite sources correctly. Assignments became intertwined with eating and sleeping. There never seemed to be any time to waste.

Finally in the first five weeks I surrendered to the heavy curriculum and withdrew from algebra, I also continued to watch my grade in the business class wither down to nothing like an over dried prune. Impulse took over my planning of assignments. When I should have been meticulously planning the different arrangements for my papers and projects I instead rushed through with a sense of paranoia that I wouldn’t get all my work done.

 This kind of anxiety drove my writing into further problems with my college research paper professor, Jennifer Boland, a talented graduate student who, thankfully, enjoyed my work but saw many errors that I would need to fix if I wanted to pursue writing as a career. Her class was very interesting and later in the semester would help me not only achieve better writing, but save a few of my grades from failing as well. Still, I could not escape the rest of my report card.

 With a failing “D” grade-point-average and a blog full of overly descriptive poems and articles I had put myself in a predicament that would have to be solved next semester: if I was to stay at UNC, I would have to bring up my grades and stop losing so much focus in my ideas my papers would have to be fine tuned from now on. This led to a new dilemma: I loved to write for myself but that isn’t always what the editor or publisher wants.

At the beginning of my sophomore year I found myself a new place to live with four other men I get along with very well. The basement I lived in was small yet cozy and kept very quiet, it is easy to become concentrated quickly on an import assignment. I began to look over different voices and different mechanics of writing while sitting on my large bean bag in the corner of my boxed in study. I continued to work hard with writing as well as my other required classes and pulled myself out of the dangerously low end of the grading scale. It’s always important, I believe, to have a place where you can go that you know will you will adapt to quickly so that you can meet deadlines, or find a way out of writers block, or simply just to write for the sake of writing.  

It still wasn’t enough to satisfy my motives in a career. I didn’t want to be an English major, and the title of “pre-business” was starting to get old. I have always had an interest in the news and, especially, newspapers but at the time I was still intimidated to try and publish any of my work – writing was still the personal that I wasn’t ready to unveil to anyone except my teachers. Even though I was still uncertain about what I wanted to do I declared journalism as a major and haven’t looked back. This was a completely different entity of language that I hadn’t experienced before. News writing is so strict in regards to content and structure that there is hardly any room to elaborate unless you know how to do it properly.  

Journalism was irritating at first, I wasn’t accustomed to the way unnecessary detail was unwelcomed and therefore kept me from doing well early in my first two-hundred-level JMC class. Despite the frustration, I had learned to overcome the differences in writing styles and was able to control the way I wrote. The flashy adjectives were replaced by facts organized from the most important to additional information rather than different subjects, allotted to throughout the piece. This new style of writing has, and still is attractive to me and I am hoping to continue blogging freely again soon. I’ve realized that it’s best to write at least semi-publically if you’re planning on getting into the news writing field; your profession will be to attract the most readers to your writing and hiding it won’t help. You may even find that you have a specific subject that you are particularly adept at reporting. Most columnist practice blogging as well as writing for their paper help keep their skills up to par.   

Writing is still the method I use remove myself from and emotions on particular issues or situations. I am a writing minor because I want to be a better writer not just from a journalistic style, but from a buffet of different writing styles and originality. I now enjoy the ability to write more in the higher level classes since I have completed most of my supplementary and introductory courses; however, it takes more time and effort to become a better writer. This year I have been taught in the most challenging writing classes that I have ever taken. Specific rules are so important and, sometimes, so ambiguous or common that I overlook them unintentionally, or I don’t follow the specific rules so that they don’t ruin the way I’ve intended the piece to come out.   

It is the continuing study of writing that keeps my interest. I enjoy talking to different people in interviews and I am becoming more confident in my writing in all styles. I realize that I still have a lot of work ahead of me before I can consider a career, but I believe that I am taking the necessary steps and have the passion to achieve, as well as enjoy, in writing. Through practice with the Connection newspaper, classes, and blogging; this is how I intend to build my future. Looking back at how much I’ve learned from my classes and my own writing education I feel it is amazing how much influence the written language can have on someone’s vocation.           

Eric Heinz

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

November 18, 2008

Memoir Assignment

Word Count: 1,801

Writing Toward A Future

            The beginning of my intentions to become a writer, in the field of journalism, originates not long ago starting in my first year at UNC. When I first arrived to college I was very misguided as to how to live on my own and how to schedule my life. It wasn’t that I was homesick, but I didn’t know how to manage my time as well as the students who I saw studying constantly and succeeding past the university’s credit expectancy. Somehow I could never find the motivation; living in the uninspiring, old, dungeon-like McCowen Hall, now replaced by the newer and more hospitable structure on 11^th Avenue, didn’t help exercise my writing skills.  

            Beyond the typical, melancholy, acts of maturity, that I assume everyone plays out at some stage in their life, I found writing to be incredibly accessible and soothing when needing to mentally remove myself from the dormitory. I began writing regularly in the middle of fall semester when the leaves had just started to turn and the large foliage that surrounded the main entrance to McCowen in a semicircle had wilted. The atmosphere had become tenser than when I first arrived; now that everyone had been introduced to the college life, we were all down trodden with homework. This kind of dreary aroma didn’t appeal to me, but being in Greeley there wasn’t much else to do but to practice writing.

            I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I first came to UNC. I told them that I would be a “pre-business” major, but that never guided me into any real business emphasis or class schedule. It would have been more appropriate to put down “clueless” instead. Unlike the students who seemed more confident in their direction of study, I couldn’t quite find the niche I was looking for to commit my tuition and time. Looking for a productive way to spend my time I picked up a notebook and began to write short stanzas and essays to keep my mind from becoming slow. Writing kept me entertained and relaxed.

            Soon after, I began with short poems posting them on my MySpace and Facebook blogs. During my freshman year I was much more connected to old friends from high school through the internet, but now most of my writing, in essay form, is kept private or submitted for class. My friends from the first series of four year schooling were very gracious in their anecdotes and comments. The annoyance was that I never received and constructive criticism, especially none as the help from the workshops I now attend in all of my classes. These days I can’t rely on the appreciation of my friends – as much as I enjoy their remarks – with the criticism of my work. I need serious critique in order to strengthen my writing in a classroom and business setting.

            Even when I knew I wasn’t getting anything out of my old friends I knew that I could keep working on my writing abilities through my text books and writers manuals. Soon, I was able to turn one-line rhyme schemes into full stanzas without struggling so hard to find rhythm and content. These personal seminaries were my therapeutic method of keeping my mind on task and building a stronger voice in different style; this easily took my mind off my roommate living five feet away from me, who had just set off the fire alarm in the our room by burning his popcorn one November afternoon. With more writing my discontent of my living situation began to subside and I was able to focus better on my assignments. I thought at the time, “This will be my stable profession, something different that I enjoy but will have to work hard at”.

            Freshman year, however, continued with different obstacles that I had to overcome. I had loaded my second semester schedule with twenty credits, including a business class that was nearly impossible to pass and an algebra class. I hadn’t taken algebra since my junior year of high school. The work load along with playing a club sport was immense, I would wake up to three to five hours of class, possibly a shower, a rapidly consumed breakfast at Holmes Dining Hall, and then finish off the day with another four hours of homework. This, along with the constantly rioting dorm, was overwhelming. My writing slowly went from random thoughts and amusement into something that might have come from an old man’s angry letter about any common problem. Now I was writing just to get things off my chest, this caused me to pick up some bad habits. Too often I would rush through my ideas, something I still have trouble with today, and not back up or cite sources correctly. Assignments became intertwined with eating and sleeping. There never seemed to be any time to waste.

Finally in the first five weeks I surrendered to the heavy curriculum and withdrew from algebra, I also continued to watch my grade in the business class wither down to nothing like an over dried prune. Impulse took over my planning of assignments. When I should have been meticulously planning the different arrangements for my papers and projects I instead rushed through with a sense of paranoia that I wouldn’t get all my work done.

 This kind of anxiety drove my writing into further problems with my college research paper professor, Jennifer Boland, a talented graduate student who, thankfully, enjoyed my work but saw many errors that I would need to fix if I wanted to pursue writing as a career. Her class was very interesting and, later in the semester, would help me not only achieve better writing, but save a few of my grades from failing as well. Still, I could not escape the rest of my report card.

 With a failing “D” grade-point-average and a blog full of overly descriptive poems and articles I had put myself in a predicament that would have to be solved next semester: if I was to stay at UNC, I would have to bring up my grades and stop losing so much focus in my ideas, my papers would have to be fine tuned from now on. This led to a new dilemma: I loved to write for myself but that isn’t always what the editor or publisher wants, and I later realized it usually wasn’t.

At the beginning of my sophomore year I found myself a new place to live with four other men I get along with very well. The basement I live in is small yet cozy and kept very quiet, it is easy to become concentrated quickly on an import assignment. I began to look over different voices and different mechanics of writing while sitting on my large bean bag in the corner of my boxed in study. I continued to work hard with writing as well as my other required classes and pulled myself out of the dangerously low end of the grading scale. It’s always important, I believe, to have a place where you can go that you know will you will adapt to quickly so that you can meet deadlines, or find a way out of writers block, or simply just to write for the sake of writing.  

It still wasn’t enough to satisfy my motives in a career. I didn’t want to be an English major, and the title of “pre-business” was starting to get old. I have always had an interest in the news and, especially, newspapers but at the time I was still intimidated to try and publish any of my work – writing was still the personal that I wasn’t ready to unveil to anyone except my teachers. Even though I was still uncertain about what I wanted to do I declared journalism as a major and haven’t looked back. This was a completely different entity of language that I hadn’t experienced before. News writing is so strict in regards to content and structure that there is hardly any room to elaborate unless you know how to do it properly. There is a style of literary journalism, but I still have yet to master the techniques of smaller articles in reporting.

Journalism was irritating at first, I wasn’t accustomed to the way unnecessary detail was unwelcomed and therefore kept me from doing well early in my first two-hundred-level JMC class. Despite the frustration, I had learned to overcome the differences in writing styles and was able to control the way I wrote. The flashy adjectives were replaced by facts organized from the most important to additional information rather than different subjects, allotted to throughout the piece. This new style of writing has, and still is attractive to me and I am hoping to continue blogging freely again soon. I’ve realized that it’s best to write at least semi-publically if you’re planning on getting into the news writing field; your profession will be to attract the most readers to your writing and hiding it won’t help. You may even find that you have a specific subject that you are particularly adept at reporting. Most columnist practice blogging as well as writing for their paper help keep their skills up to par.   

Writing is still the method I use remove myself from and emotions on particular issues or situations. I am a writing minor because I want to be a better writer not just from a journalistic style, but from a buffet of different writing styles and originality. I now enjoy the ability to write more in the higher level classes since I have completed most of my supplementary and introductory courses; however, it takes more time and effort to become a better writer. This year I have been taught in the most challenging writing classes that I have ever taken. Specific rules are so important and, sometimes, so ambiguous or common that I overlook them unintentionally, or I don’t follow the specific rules so that they don’t ruin the way I’ve intended the piece to come out.   

It is the continuing study of writing that keeps my interest. I enjoy talking to different people in interviews and I am becoming more confident in my writing in all styles. I realize that I still have a lot of work ahead of me before I can consider a career, but I believe that I am taking the necessary steps and have the passion to achieve, as well as enjoy, in writing. Through practice with the Connection newspaper, classes, and blogging; this is how I intend to build my future. Looking back at how much I’ve learned from my classes and my own writing education I feel it is amazing how much influence the written language can have on someone’s vocation.           

Eric Heinz

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

November 18, 2008

Memoir Assignment

Word Count: 1,654

Writing Toward A Future

            The beginning of my intentions to become a writer in the field of journalism originates from my first year at UNC. When I first arrived to college I was very misguided as to living on my own. I wasn’t homesick yet I didn’t know how to manage my time as well as the students who I saw studying constantly and succeeding past the university’s credit expectancy. Somehow I was always miserable living in the old dungeon-like McCowen Hall, now replaced by the newer and more hospitable structure on 11^th Avenue.

            Beyond the typical melancholy acts of maturity that I assume everyone plays out at some stage in their life, I found writing to be incredibly accessible when needing to mentally remove myself from the dormitory. I began writing regularly in the middle of fall semester when the leaves had just started to turn and the large foliage that surrounded the main entrance to McCowen in a semicircle had wilted. The atmosphere was tenser than when I first arrived; now that everyone had been introduced to the college life we were all down trodden with homework. This kind of dreary aroma didn’t appeal to me, but being in Greeley there wasn’t much else to do but to practice writing.

            I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I first came to UNC. I told them that I would be a “pre-business” major, but that never guided me into any real business emphasis or class schedule. It would have been more appropriate to put down “clueless” instead. Unlike the students who seemed more confident in their direction of study I couldn’t quite find the niche I was looking for to commit my tuition and time. Looking for a productive way to spend my time, I picked up a notebook early on in the semester and began to write short stanzas and essays to keep my mind from slowing down. Writing kept me entertained and relaxed.

            Soon after, I began with short poems posting them on my MySpace and Facebook blogs. During my freshman year I was much more connected to old friends from high school through the internet, but now most of my writing, in essay form, is kept private or submitted for class. My friends from the first series of four year schooling were very gracious in their anecdotes and comments. The annoyance was that I never received and constructive criticism, especially none as the help from the workshops I now attend in all of my classes. These days I can’t rely on the appreciation of my friends – as much as I enjoy their remarks –  with my work I need serious criticism in order to strengthen my writing in a classroom and business setting.

            Even when I knew I wasn’t getting anything out of my old friends I knew that I could keep working on my writing abilities through my text books and writers manuals. Soon, I was able to turn one-line rhyme schemes into full stanzas without struggling so hard to find rhythm and content. These personal seminaries were my therapeutic method of keeping my mind on task and building a stronger voice in different style; this easily took my mind off my roommate living five feet away from me, who had just set off the fire alarm in the our room by burning his popcorn one November afternoon. With more writing my discontent of my living situation began to subside and I was able to focus better on my assignments. I thought at the time, “This will be my stable profession, something different that I enjoy but will have to work hard at”.

            Freshman year, however, continued with different obstacles that I had to overcome. I had loaded my second semester schedule with twenty credits, including a business class that was nearly impossible to pass and an algebra class. I hadn’t taken algebra since my junior year of high school. The work load along with playing a club sport was immense, I would wake up to three to five hours of class, possibly a shower, a rapidly consumed breakfast at Holmes Dining Hall, and then finish off the day with another four hours of homework. This, along with the constantly rioting dorm, was overwhelming. My writing slowly went from random thoughts and amusement into something that might have come from an old man’s angry letter about any common problem. Now I was writing just to get things off my chest, this caused me to pick up some bad habits. Too often I would rush through my ideas, something I still have trouble with today, and not back up or cite sources correctly. Assignments became intertwined with eating and sleeping. There never seemed to be any time to waste.

Finally in the first five weeks I surrendered to the heavy curriculum and withdrew from algebra, I also continued to watch my grade in the business class wither down to nothing like an over dried prune. Impulse took over my planning of assignments. When I should have been meticulously planning the different arrangements for my papers and projects I instead rushed through with a sense of paranoia that I wouldn’t get all my work done.

 This kind of anxiety drove my writing into further problems with my college research paper professor, Jennifer Boland, a talented graduate student who, thankfully, enjoyed my work but saw many errors that I would need to fix if I wanted to pursue writing as a career. Her class was very interesting and, later in the semester, would help me not only achieve better writing, but save a few of my grades from failing as well. Still, I could not escape the rest of my report card.

 With a failing “D” grade-point-average and a blog full of overly descriptive poems and articles I had put myself in a predicament that would have to be solved next semester: if I was to stay at UNC, I would have to bring up my grades and stop losing so much focus in my ideas, my papers would have to be fine tuned from now on. This led to a new dilemma: I loved to write for myself but that isn’t always what the editor or publisher wants, and I later realized it usually wasn’t.

At the beginning of my sophomore year I found myself a new place to live with four other men I get along with very well. The basement I live in is small yet cozy and kept very quiet, it is easy to become concentrated quickly on an import assignment. I began to look over different writing and the different mechanics while sitting on my large bean bag in the corner of my boxed in study. I continued to work hard with writing as well as my other required classes and pulled myself out of the dangerously low end of the grading scale.

It still wasn’t enough to satisfy my motives in a career. I didn’t want to be an English major and the title of “pre-business” was starting to get old. I have always had an interest in the news and, especially, newspapers but at the time I was still intimidated to try and publish any of my work – writing was still the personal that I wasn’t ready to unveil to anyone except my teachers. Even though I was still uncertain about what I wanted to do I declared journalism as a major and haven’t looked back. This was a completely different entity of language that I hadn’t experienced before. News writing is so strict in regards to content and structure that there is hardly any room to elaborate unless you know how to do it properly. There is a style of literary journalism, but I still have yet to master the techniques of smaller articles in reporting.

Journalism was irritating at first, I wasn’t accustomed to the way unnecessary detail was unwelcomed and therefore kept me from doing well early in my first two-hundred-level JMC class. Despite the frustration, I had learned to overcome the differences in writing styles and was able to control the way I wrote. The flashy adjectives were replaced by facts and organized from the most important to additional information rather than different subjects allotted to throughout the piece. This new style of writing has, and still, is attractive to me and I am hoping to continue blogging freely again soon.

Writing is still the method I use remove myself from and emotions on particular issues or situations; I am a writing minor because I want to be a better writer not just from a journalistic style, but from a buffet of different writing styles and originality. I now enjoy the ability to write more in the higher level classes since I have completed most of my supplementary and introductory courses; however, it takes more time and effort to become a better writer. This year I have been taught in the most challenging writing classes that I have ever taken. Specific rules are so important and sometimes ambiguous or common that I overlook them unintentionally or so that they don’t ruin the way I’ve intended the piece to come out. Even thought writing has become stressful at times, it’s still very relaxing just to sit down and write.  

It is the continuing study that keeps my interest in writing. I enjoy talking to different people in interviews and I am becoming more confident in my writing. I realize that I still have a lot of work ahead of me before I can consider a career, but I believe that I am taking the necessary steps and have the passion to achieve, as well as enjoy, in writing.  This is how I intend to build my future, looking back at how much I’ve learned from my classes and my own writing education I feel it is amazing how much influence the written language can have on someone.           

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

October 18, 2008

Paper 2, Group 1

Word Count:  1,329

They will ask “What did he say?” Not “How did he say it?”

When conveying a message in writing, there is always the sense of different voice within the content of that message. Writing is a silent form of speaking. Therefore, we agree upon certain images to convey that message; the mental process of reading. Languages constructed of pictograms confirm that as humans we interpret language through content; ideogram languages force us to change the irrelevant symbols to content. Style, on the other hand, is simply the compilation of a voice. Style is not dependent of content, but simply different. Voice is the personal selection of content that conveys the message. Style accompanies voice by the use of words in the appropriate sections of the piece.

            Every writer has a distinctive voice intertwined with content. After reading a piece it’s as if the author’s spoken voice comes through what they write and not necessarily the way the write it, whether they intend on implementing dramatics or humor or other tactics of writing. Content is what defines writers from one another’s voice. This is not to be confused with quality of a work; instead, content is the representative of the author’s persona as a writer.

            There is, evidently, a difference between the written voice and the spoken. Naturally we all have the ability to speak formally and informally, but there are always differences between the two. Writing can never fully convey the author’s spoken voice; however, the content chosen in writing is also similar content in the spoken voice. “The greatest differences between speaking and writing are those between formal written texts and very informal conversation. Because it is permanent, writing provides opportunities for more careful organization and more complex structures (Learning Media Limited 1996).”

Style comes naturally after speaking a certain way repeatedly. For example: this very paper. While some would argue that there is more power to building up an argument then explaining the other side in a later paragraph, I believe it is necessary to explain the differences immediately in comparative writing. This does not have any significance on the writer’s voice due to the content not changing with specific arrangement.      

            If voice is content based, then is it ethical or logical to write based on point of view in academic discourse? How else would persuasive writing exist? Persuasion is fed by content that unmasks voice to what the author is passionate about. In its most elementary form persuasive writing is evidently fuelled by the content in a compelling sentence.  This example was taken from a personal website for guidance in basic writing[1].   

“Wrong:
Our computers have 14-gigabyte snufflewhupters.

Right:
With 14-gigabyte snufflewhupters, you'll finish your work in time to eat dinner with your family (Creed 2006).”

            It is evident here the style of the writer has not changed, but the persuasive content has give the author’s argument a better stance. Making sentences with “finishing your work” and “dinner with your family” causes the reader’s attention to be drawn to the specific argument.

            It is with content that we can form the sentences to our benefit of intended voice. Style cannot be the voice of an author, for if the choice of words did not matter to people then style would be the only way to convey a voice – an indiscriminant equation would be the end result of every paper leaving readers indifferent to the position of the author. Let’s not forget the popular example of persuasive writing, Reverend Jonathan Swift uses eating babies to draw the attention and severity of English oppression to his Irish audience instead of typical and practical methods of survival. 

*          *         *

Section XIII Imitation

            The point that Rich makes is sound and valid; but it is not the only part of interpersonal relationships. William Shakespeare, one of the greatest poets of all time, examines a contrast to complete honesty. [Shakespeare’s Poem Follows]. Most would agree that in order to keep relationships working full honesty is not always the best solution. Men and women are different, people are different, but that doesn’t mean they cannot continue to love each other through petty fallacies.

            If you can’t trust the person through the clear and basic lies, then the relationship will ultimately fail. As humans we lie to each other almost to gain trust. If a woman asks a man if she looks fat in a dress, the man, assuming he loves her, will tell her what she wants to hear; not necessarily the truth. The lies that build upon a relationship are almost welcomed as the sense of trust will build through understanding each other’s specific lies.

            Lying will typically end in an unfortunate disaster eventually. Though lying is not something I enjoy or expect you to practice, if Shakespeare’s sonnet strikes a chord with your own relationship…you’re a very lucky man or woman!

*          *          *

            When writing a paper I first go through the words that will make my point stand out, style is simply the arrangement. Imagine a music composer, he thinks of the notes first because they relate to sound and then the speed and tempo that they should be played. The same can go for writing a paper whether on fiction, nonfiction, academic discourse, and any other form of writing.

            I think it’s interesting that content is referred to as “substance.” When I think of substance it’s always a very general term that doesn’t give much meaning to anything at all except something in existence. To me, content IS the definition of voice. The option to choose which words can replicate the very sound of my thoughts; I suppose that’s why great writers take down every idea, word, and for some image representing later writing – it is a record of their original voice.  Even when the original voice is altered through revision the choice of word usage doesn’t end. Although it may not be the original thought, anyone who has ever taken pride in their work will review their original copy.  

            Study of voice in the depiction of either content or style has shed light on a few aspects of writing. I always knew that I chose the words carefully for my writing but never truly thought about the implications of style and how it is important to content. While, as I stated earlier, style does not represent voice, but enhances it. I’ve learned to recognize the different styles of writing and how the different voices of authors have impacted their own as well as other styles.

            How could romanticism essays and poems be distinctive without alliteration and stanzas to proliferate the nineteenth century style? Without the ability to recognize the correct words, not only for relevance to the poem, but for the aesthetics that have historically drawn respect to this day – from Wordsworth to Frost, these were the artists of lyrical enrichment (of the time).     “Sweet is the lore which nature brings; / Our meddling intellect / Misshapes the beauteous forms of things; /  --We murder to dissect (William Wordsworth, The Tables Turned.” The content is so closely related to Wordsworth’s voice, it almost as if the sound of the original voice comes through the piece.

            The practice of identifying my own voice through this study has also showed me how much different my writing can be. I have only begun to see what different types of writing are out there and I intend to read more to expand my view on the differences between writing. Hopefully this will lead to more inspiring work that I can be pleased with – that is where the original voice comes from, I believe, from what makes us content with ourselves. Not too excited, angry or emotional in anyway.  A simple acceptance of a perfection that we continue to struggle with in writing, but it’s just enough to know we have the privilege of writing.  Thank you for reading.     

Works Cited

Learning Media Limited. “Exploring Language.” Ministry of Education (New Zealand). Crown  Publishing. 1996. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2008. http://english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/resources/exp_lang/speaking_writing.html

Creed, Anne. “Persuasive Writing.” 2006. Retrieved Oct. 18, 2008. 

Eric Heinz

ENG 319

Dr. Allen

Paper 1

September 23, 2008

Word Count: 1,006   

The Separated Whole

            There’s one way of learning that has always appealed to me, in the class room: “Socratic seminars” or group discussion always embraces the practice of open-minded and controlled, tolerant argument. When all members of a group discuss certain issues, works or anything that may require a broad input, it brings the topic at hand to a central focus by individual thoughts.

 While this may, in theory, start a constricted, interdependent thought process of conformity (‘groupthink’ as it is known in communication studies) the continuation of different points of perspective (we’ll call them P.O.V for point of view) allows for better vision and new unfound ideas to be woven into the main objective – it is exactly the foundational thought process of democracy and fair representation.

. I know as a journalism major, and writing minor, that group discussion and other ways of collaborative thought process, especially workshops, have helped me become a better writer through criticism and advice. When a voice is dim, Socratic discussion raises it. Commonly over looked are the people who are unwilling or afraid to state their opinion and give their own materials to the process. My experiences in this kind of discussion have been always supportive and reasonable. Tension and uncomfortable feelings can arise during discussion, but when the group comes together it relieves those feelings from all members. “Socratic seminar teaches students to identify the component questions so they do not follow tangents or fail to address the question that is asked.  (Coke, Pamela K.)”.

            Teachers can also benefit from the seminar by giving the autonomy to the classroom to lead the discussion as it goes and not under a predisposed curriculum. This enables the teacher to connect on the same wavelength as the student instead of pouring one train of thought into the student’s memory bank.

 “The training [Socratic seminar training] made me comfortable with giving up the authoritarian control of the classroom, becoming a facilitator of dialogue, and allowing the students to determine the context of the discussion around texts. In high school, my juniors would communicate honestly with each other and willingly explore issues with each other and ideas in depth unachieved before. (Quatroke, Rosanne et. al.)”.

At Denver East high school my teachers introduced me to the idea of Socratic seminars; the issues were always filled with the stock exchange of idea and thought over anything that came into our minds at the time or day. My first seminar was with Mr. Hernandez, a middle aged and passionate history and psychology teacher, he would gave the classroom more than a sleepless night of thinking over the simple “atrocities” and “propagandizing” of the corporations sponsoring the Super Bowl commercials. Although his P.O.V. was typically farfetched, the discussions went far beyond the alleged debauchery of the CEO’s. The conversation would take rollercoaster rides up and down through contemporary issues of racism, sexism, target markets, politics and further.

The conversations from East high will always stay in my mind. Teenagers, coming from a variety of backgrounds, would give shocking and interesting testimonies to the open forum that enriched my sense of “what else” was going on in the world. Workshops built my writing to a better structure and depth, from peer revisions I could get the Lehman version of editing instead of piles of red chicken-scratch littered on the page.  It was also helpful for building my voice before coming to college; I would practice answering different types of questions and understanding to open to other’s P.O.V. on my work – to appreciate the grind.

It is also a way to bridge people, with the freedom to speak up and be heard as an equal is a very powerful desire for basic, communicating people. Even for those new to the concept or new to public speaking, it can still spark interest and voice which makes the Socratic seminar method one of the most powerful methods conceived. The method was formed from Socrates (470 B.C.E-399 A.D) in his lessons of pedagogy. Pedagogy was the class of walking and speaking.

Socrates understood that with having all members of a discussion combining each of their perspectives, the end would be an understanding of a dilemma. “If the human mind was incapable of knowing something, Socrates wanted to demonstrate that, too.  Some dialogues, therefore, end inconclusively (William County, TN. Schools)”.

The prospect of adding the Socratic seminar in more classes would be ideal. Giving students the time to reorganize their thoughts about a subject, after hours of textbook reading, would solidify the information that we all try relentlessly to retain. Professors in the departments unfamiliar with the Socratic process may be unsure about it at first, but if they tried it on their classes and saw how much more it helped students understand the material perhaps we will see more Socratic criteria in the future.

 The idea of separate voices and perspectives is beyond what we can comprehend; no one knows exactly another’s experiences, let alone everyone’s, perfectly. We only know our own and what shaped us. Therefore; Socratic seminaries should be studied further to try to grasp how much this aged education aides the student’s need for constructive conversation. ” They [the high school students] say they hear each other’s beliefs and opinions for the first time. They notice the new civility in the classroom: their willingness to talk, their willingness to listen, they honor everyone’s viewpoint without debating every idea” (Quatroke). The style’s efficiency is in its inclusiveness and nonjudgmental practice.  

Works Cited

 Pamela K Coke (2008). “Uniting the Disparate: Connecting Best Practices and Educational Mandates”. English Journal, 97(5), 28-33.  Retrieved September 15, 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1490353981).

Johnson et. al. “The English Journal”.  Vol. 90, No. 5, The School and the Community (May, 2001), pp. 28-31. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2008.

Williamson County Schools Information website. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2008.  2008.http://www.wcs.edu/fhs/StaffDevelopment/socraticseminars.htm

There’s one way of learning that has always appealed to me, in the class room: “Socratic seminars” or group discussion always embraces the practice of open-minded and tolerant argument. When all members of a group discussing certain issues, works or anything that may require an broad input it brings the topic at hand to a central focus dissected by individual thoughts. While this may, in theory, start a constricted, interdependent thought process of conformity (‘groupthink’ as it is known in communication studies) the continuation of different points of perspective (we’ll call them P.O.V for point of view) allows for better vision and new unfound ideas to be woven into the main objective – it is exactly the foundational thought process of democracy and fair representation.
Having the power, I would institute the Socratic process into every classroom; this would include science rooms, mathematics and the rest of the school’s curriculum. It is understood that the process would be difficult in some areas of study, but it may help in small doses. I know from being a journalism major and writing minor that group discussion and other ways of collaborative thought process, especially workshops, have helped me become a better writer through criticism and advice.
When a voice is dim, Socratic discussion raises it. Commonly over looked are the people who are unwilling or afraid to state their opinion and give their own materials to the process. My experiences in this kind of discussion have been always supportive and reasonable. Tension and uncomfortable feelings can arise during discussion, but when the group comes together it usually relieves those feelings from all members. “Socratic seminar teaches students to identify the component questions so they do not follow tangents or fail to address the question that is asked. (Coke, Pamela K.)”.
Teachers can also benefit from the seminar by give the autonomy to the classroom to lead the discussion as it goes and not under a predisposed curriculum. This enables the teacher to connect on the same wavelength as the student instead of pouring one train of thought into the student’s memory bank. “The training [Socratic seminar training] made me comfortable with giving up the authoritarian control of the classroom, becoming a facilitator of dialogue, and allowing the students to determine the context of the discussion around texts. In high school, my juniors would communicate honestly with each other and willingly explore issues with each other and ideas in depth unachieved before. They say they hear each other’s beliefs and opinions for the first time. They notice the new civility in the classroom: their willingness to talk, their willingness to listen, they honor everyone’s viewpoint without debating every idea (Quatroke, Rosanne et. al.)”.
At Denver East high school my teachers introduced me to the idea of Socratic seminars; the issues were always filled with the stock exchange of idea and thought over anything that would come in our minds at the time or day. My first seminar was with Mr. Hernandez, a middle aged and passionate history and psychology teacher, he would gave the classroom more than a sleepless night of thinking over the simple “atrocities” and “propagandizing” of the corporations sponsoring the Super Bowl commercials. Although his P.O.V. was typically farfetched, the discussions went far beyond the alleged debauchery of the CEO’s. The conversation would take rollercoaster rides up and down through contemporary issues of racism, sexism, target markets, politics and further.
The conversations from East high will always stay in my mind. Teenagers, coming from a variety of backgrounds, would give shocking and interesting testimonies to the open forum that enriched my sense of “what else” was going on in the world. Workshops built my writing to a better structure and depth, from peer revisions I could get the Lehman version of editing instead of piles of red chicken-scratch littered on the page. It was also helpful for building my voice before coming to college; I would practice answering different types of questions and understanding to open to other’s P.O.V. on my work – to appreciate the grind.
It is also a way to bridge people, with the freedom to speak up and be heard as an equal is a very powerful desire for basic, communicating people. Even for those new to the concept or new to public speaking, it can still spark interest and voice which makes the Socratic seminar method one of the most powerful methods conceived. The method was formed from Socrates (470 B.C.E-399 A.D) in his lessons of pedagogy. Pedagogy was the class of walking and speaking, Socrates understood that with having all members of a discussion combining each of their perspectives, the end would be an understanding of a dilemma. “If the human mind was incapable of knowing something, Socrates wanted to demonstrate that, too. Some dialogues, therefore, end inconclusively (William County, TN. Schools)”.
The prospect of adding the Socratic seminar in more classes would be ideal, giving students time to relax and let their brains get rid of all the thoughts packed inside from hours of textbook reading would solidify the information that we all try relentlessly to retain. Professors in the departments unfamiliar with the Socratic process may be unsure about it at first, but if they tried it on their classes and saw how much more it helped students understand the material perhaps we will see more Socratic criteria in the future. The idea of united voices is powerful ideation beyond what we can comprehend; no one knows exactly another’s experiences perfectly, let alone everyone’s, we only know our own and what shaped us. Therefore, the studies around Socratic study should be studied further to try to grasp how much this aged education aides the student’s need for constructive conversation. The style’s power is in its ability to be inclusive and nonjudgmental.

Works Cited
Pamela K Coke (2008). “Uniting the Disparate: Connecting Best Practices and Educational Mandates”. English Journal, 97(5), 28-33. Retrieved September 15, 2008, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 1490353981).
Johnson et. al. “The English Journal”. Vol. 90, No. 5, The School and the Community (May, 2001), pp. 28-31. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2008.
Williamson County Schools Information website. Retrieved Sept. 15, 2008. 2008.http://www.wcs.edu/fhs/StaffDevelopment/socraticseminars.htm