"I" essays

The essay "Picking Plums" by Bernard Cooper tells the story, rather briefly, of the relationship between a father and son.  It is very heartfelt in the sense that, by the end of the essay, the two men bond after many years of thinking that they were both so different from one another.  Only after Cooper's father takes a fall while picking plums in his yard, are they finally able to somewhat understand eachother.  

 Cooper developed his ideas through story telling, which caused the readers to feel that they could relate to him and his family.  When he describes his father's temper, and writes about the time that he became so angry that all of his mother's clothes ended up on the lawn, the reader is brought into his childhood.  Cooper is revealing very personal stories that may be traumatic to some children, but he ironically uses these stories as a way to describe his dad.  I can't speak for other readers, but the way that Cooper described his dad did not paint a negative picture of him in my mind.  Instead, I used it as a base into their relationship as father and son.  Though he states that they were somewhat distance, especially after the death of his mother, Cooper displays a level of respect and a yearning to make his father proud.

Bernard Cooper was able to grasp the attention of his readers through telling stories about his father.  Though some were pretty unflattering, they were stories that seemed down to earth, that seemed like any other ordinary family might have experienced.  Cooper is struggling with the fact that he is gay and keeping this secret from his father, while at the same time, revealing that his dad is also hiding his personal life from him. This provides the essay with a sense of irony, and eventually, causes the father and son to tighten their relationship.

Another "I" essay that I read is "Field Trips" by Stuart Dybek.  This essay is a recollection of trips taken as a young boy on the brink of puberty.  Dybeck describes visiting county jails and correction houses.  He recalls his most memorable moments through descriptions involving prostitutes and nuns.  The most descriptive of the trips though was at the packing plant, where the kids witness a pig being slaughtered. Dybeck was sure to include the slight comedy relief of a classmate, Joey B., who seemed to relate everything to sex.  

I felt a slight connection to this essay, because it brought me back to when I was much younger, and the excitement I felt to get out of school.  Everyone had an excited energy, because, though it was just for a few hours, we were leaving the constraints of school, and felt like we were 'escaping'.  Dybeck portrays this kind of energy through his writing, by stating, "Filing from school at midmorning felt like jailbreak" (92).  I believe that every young kid who has gone on a field trip has felt like this, even if the destination is going to be boring.  Dybeck also displays a kind of innocence as well.  When he tells the story of Sylvie Perez, the young girl who 'developed' quite suddenly, it brought back a feeling of awkwardness, and often accompanied by the onsets of puberty.  I felt it, and I'm sure everyone else has too.  

Meaning and form

What is the point of writing anything if it doesn't have meaning behind it?  In other words, what is the point of the narrative?  Does it cause the reader to feel any kind of connection or emotion?  

If someone writes with no kind of feeling, then the reader is going to be able to sense it, and will not be able to connect with the writing.  A reader wants to relate to what is in front of them, whether it's negative or positive.  If a person's writing is considered 'sloppy' and all over the place, the harder it will be for someone to enjoy it or feel anything towards it.  

Form is extremely important when writing.  If there is no trace of form or order, then the reader will just get bored and eventually stop reading.  What exactly is meant by form?  I feel as though form has to deal with the organization of main ideas and proper thoughts in order to carry out the significance of whatever the writer is trying to portray.  In John McPhee's "The Patch", his form is unique in the sense that he goes back and forth between writing about being in the hospital with his father, to memories of fishing in different places.  This is unique story telling, because it brings the reader to two different places all at once, while still feeling the significance of McPhee's father being in the hospital.  He correlates a hobby to the death of his father through memories and a rare sense of form.  Without these constant flashbacks, the story may be considered dull and ordinary.  Instead, McPhee causes the reader to feel a sentimental connection with him, that may not have occurred without the proper form.  

Developing our thoughts on creative nonfiction

In class, we did an assignment that surprisingly really exercised my mind.  The readings that were assigned all had to deal with creating and developing characters, and how to turn yourself into an actual character.  I'll be completely honest-I found it very difficult to make a list about myself, pointing out my likes and dislikes, my quirks and flaws.  The actual facts themselves-i.e. my age, sex, ethnicity, etc-were obviously not difficult to list.  However, when I had to look deeper into myself, I realized that I need to learn more about who am I.  I suppose these were things that I never really had to actually sit and ponder about.

Kidder and Lopate place a strong emphasis on the fact that the writer's persona has a strong hold on their creative nonfiction writing.  It is much easier for a writer to create characters when they know themselves, and are able to identify their flaws, as well as other aspects of their personalities.

Lott also discusses the importance of knowing oneself, and claims, "The self as continent, and you its first explorer: another definition of creative nonfiction" (196).  This quote really stands out to me, because one would think it would be easy to get to know and explore the self.  But, like I stated, the in class journal writing really proved to me how difficult it actually is to pin point every aspect of your personality.

All in all, I do not think that there is just one perfect definition to what creative nonfiction is.  There are so many realms to it.  So many important ideas and creativity go into writing.  However, I do find it extremely important to get to know who you are and to create a character in and of yourself before the writer in you takes over.

The difference between "Eye" and "I"

I had never really noticed before that there are two dominant types of writing-the "Eye" and the "I".  To some, this may be a bit confusing and hard to distinguish the two.  Maybe other readers interpret them differently. An "I" writing differs in the sense that the author is telling a story that involves them directly, almost as if it is an autobiography.  One of the first essays that we were assigned to read, Lucy Grealy's Mirrorings, is solely based upon her personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings.  She is not writing about anything that was portrayed in the media. She is simply writing from her heart and mind.

 From my readings, I gathered that an "Eye" writing often involves another person, the story behind them, or something involving outside sources, such as the media.   The stories that were assigned for us to read last week by Lowry, Vowell, and Bellow, are all different examples of "Eye" writings.  For instance, Beverly Lowry's essay, Secret Ceremonies of Love and Death, is a narrative story about Karla Faye Brown.  While Lowry does discuss herself and her involvement with Brown, the essay focuses mainly on Brown and her effect that she holds on Lowry.  "Eye" writings usually involve a recount of a significant event that has happened, and usually involves other people other than the writer themselves.  Bellow's essay, Graven Images, is the result of his perceptions and ideas gathered from the media.  He is basing his thoughts on facts, and stresses the idea of "modern image making" (176).  Vowell's essay, What He Said There, also is based on actual events and images that she personally visually encountered.  

Every essay that I have read so far have made me realize that creative non fiction writing has no boundaries.  Every writer is different, and every reader interprets things in a different way.   

  

What is creative nonfiction?

The answer to this question will most likely vary based upon a person's thoughts and feelings.  For many, creative non fiction is a way of expressing themselves in a way that they may not be able to do so in normal, everyday life.  This type of writing allows a person the freedom to write whatever is on their mind, whatever emotions they are feeling, and so on.  Creative non fiction can pretty much be about anything.  Everyone's idea of creativity is different, and people are inspired by so many things.  Some may base their creative writing on actual dialogue, facts and events, while others may decide to 'stretch' the truth and create an outrageous, yet believable story.  I feel that when it all comes down to it, creative writing is all about letting go and writing whatever comes to your mind.  Writing is a form of expression, and everyone should be allowed to release whatever pent up thoughts and ideas they may have.