-
Some Highlights & Appreciation
This past week began with a bang as viewers were treated to another outstanding episode of Downton Abbey. With Robert’s bloody collapse at the dinner table, we were left wondering if all will be okay in the great house in England. If you are like my family and me and are becoming sadder and sadder with each passing episode because there are only a few episodes left of this A+ show, you can become even more filled with grief because when it is over, you will no longer be able to read the wonderfully entertaining recaps written by Joe Heim at The Washington Post. Each Monday, my father, mother, and…
-
Do You Stop to Appreciate Beauty? This Writer’s Confession.
*** I’m kind of obsessed with Gene Weingarten, and after you read this you’ll understand why. Ever since last week when I had this semester’s group of feature writing students read his Pulitzer Prize winning article, “Pearls Before Breakfast,” I haven’t stopped thinking about the very question he poses to his readers. I’m hoping my students are still doing the same. It’s a question worth pondering and one that we should continue to consider as we move through life. For those of you unfamiliar with the piece, I’ve linked to it here, but I can offer a quick summation so you’ll stay with me. Weingarten, along with The Washington Post,…
-
Encouraging the Longer Reads: An Educator’s Dilemma
Here’s a typical day in either my magazine writing or feature writing class. It usually goes something like this: Me: “So, today your assignment is to read a classic and masterful example of profile writing as we prepare to write our own profile pieces. The article is called “Frank Sinatra Has A Cold” and was written by Gay Talese in 1966. The article ran in Esquire magazine and is still regarded as one of the finest profile pieces ever written.” http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ1003-OCT_SINATRA_rev_ Then, the students usually look at the length of the piece and say things like… “Wow. This is a L-O-N-G piece.” “How many pages is this? It’s kinda long,…
