Monday, June 8, 2015

Gloucester Project (part five): Personal Essay, Something Else, & The Exam Day Challenge [That's it!]


The last step is to write a personal narrative/personal essay (650 words or fewer) about an aspect of Gloucester and to make "something else" small but awesome in response to an aspect of Gloucester (a couple poems, a series of photographs, a sculpture, a very short film, a drawing, a painting, a loaf of nisu bread, etc.). (For those curious about such things 40% of your exam grade will be based on your "real world" rhetoric, 30% of your exam grade will be based on your personal narrative/personal essay, 15% of your exam grade will be based on "something else" (small but awesome), and 15% will be based on the challenge you complete from 8:00 - 9:30 in the library on Monday, June 22. You will get a zero on the exam if you do not show up at all on Monday.)

Directions for the personal essay/personal narrative are below followed by an example.

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Directions for Personal Narrative 

Due Monday, June 22 at the final exam

* [Minimum requirement] Prewriting: Go somewhere or do something (have an experience) related to an aspect of Gloucester and a question. Or, think of an experience (or experiences) you have had in the past related to an aspect of Gloucester and a question.
* [Minimum requirement] Write a personal narrative by telling the story of an experience in an engaging, organized manner; by vividly and suggestively describing the characters,setting, and events involved in the experience; and by reflecting on the meaning of the experiences).
* [Minimum requirement] The essay must be 650 words or fewer in length (twelve-point font, double-spaced.) You must have paragraphs.
* [Minimum requirement] Give your personal narrative an appropriate and suggestive title.

·        Narration: Narrate a specific experience (and along the way describe and reflect). Bring the experience alive and bring your thoughts & feelings alive for the reader. 

·        DescriptionDescribe the experience by presenting engaging, suggestive, and vividsensory imagery (sight, sounds, textures, smells, and/or tastes). The descriptions should create a tone and mood. The descriptions should complement your reflective thoughts and feelings about the experience.

·        Reflection (insights & beliefs)Reflect on the meaning of the experience. What did the experience suggest or reveal? Or, how did it challenge or solidify your beliefs or understandings? Reflect on what you experienced, saw, and felt. Develop these thoughts and feelings. You might also think about prior experiences, memories. You might also think about your research. Reflect on it all. Make meaning. Understand the difference between insight and cliché.

·        Organization:  As the story of the experience progresses in a well-paced, logical manner, the reflections on the meaning of the experience should be woven in—not just tacked on at the end. Make sure there are transitions between sentences and paragraphs.

·        Command of writing conventions: Proofread. Write properly punctuated and complete sentences. Choose words carefully; use them correctly; spell them correctly. There should be no run-on sentences and no homophone errors. If your essay contains dialogue, remember that each utterance should be given its own paragraph.

·        Command of personal stylePhilip Lopate says, “the hallmark of the personal essay is its intimacy.   The writer seems to be speaking directly into your ear, confiding everything from gossip to wisdom....”  I want to hear you—the thoughtful, observant, reflective you—on the page. The style of this essay should convey intimacy with the reader and care with language, including vivid, suggestive word choices and varied sentence structures.

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Directions for Personal Essay

Due Monday, June 22 at the final exam

* [Minimum requirement] Prewriting: What belief or insight about Gloucester (or an aspect of Gloucester) is most important to you?
* [Minimum requirement] Write a personal essay by exploring a belief or insight about Gloucester or an aspect of Gloucester; use vivid and suggestive description of narrative elements (such as characters, setting, and events) to explore and develop the belief or insight.
* [Minimum requirement] The essay must be 650 words or fewer in length (twelve-point font, double-spaced.) You must have paragraphs.
* [Minimum requirement] Give your personal essay an appropriate and suggestive title.

·        Reflection (insight and/or belief)Explore and develop the belief or insight about Gloucester. Reflect on what you have seen and felt. Develop these thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. (Think about prior experiences, memories. Think about your research. Reflect on it all. Make meaning. Understand the difference between insight and cliché.)

·        NarrationExplore and develop your belief or insight by including narrative elements like characterization, setting, and events. Bring the experience alive and bring your thoughts & feelings alive for the reader. 

·        DescriptionUse engaging, suggestive, and vivid sensory imagery (sight, sounds, textures, smells, and/or tastes) to explore and develop your belief or insight. The descriptions should be woven together with thoughts and feelings about the images.

·        Organization:  As the essay progress the belief or insight should grow, evolve and flow with description and narration woven in to help the growth, evolution, and flow. Make sure there are transitions between sentences and paragraphs. The writer should seem to be exploring the thought and belief not just stating and supporting it. Edward Hoagland suggests, “A personal essay is like the human voice talking, its order the mind's natural flow, instead of a systematized outline of ideas” Douglas Hunt writes that personal essays are "not reports of objective truth but explorations of...attitudes and thoughts." A “five paragraph”-style essay will not work.

·        Command of writing conventions: Proofread. Write properly punctuated and complete sentences. Choose words carefully; use them correctly; spell them correctly. There should be no run-on sentences and no homophone errors. If your essay contains dialogue, remember that each utterance should be given its own paragraph.

·        Command of personal & exploratory style and voicePhilip Lopate says, “the hallmark of the personal essay is its intimacy.   The writer seems to be speaking directly into your ear, confiding everything from gossip to wisdom....”  I want to hear you—the thoughtful, observant, reflective you—on the page. The style of this essay should convey intimacy with the reader and care with language, including vivid, suggestive word choices and varied sentence structures.

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