Comics Theory

As an English major, I sort of surprised myself by getting really excited about a fairly non-linguistic aspect of English Studies.  In several Writing, Rhetoric, and Culture courses I have encountered Scott McCloud's comprehensive text on comic theory, Understanding Comics.  Before college, I never read comic books or graphic novels, and even scoffed a little bit at the idea of them as legitimate literature.  Since studying several in an academic setting, however, I have fallen in love with the genre, and I find myself referring back to McCloud when I encounter something new in the form.  For my presentation I'll be talking about the key points to comics theory and the specific language of the medium.  Hopefully, my excitement about the subject will be contagious and maybe even broaden the literary scope of some class members.

"Knowing What to Do"

In the fourth chapter of his book The Design of Everyday Things, Donald Norman discusses a variety of non-user-friendly devices that could be more effectively utilized if the designers had considered physical, semantic, cultural, and logical constraints rather than emphasizing aesthetics or production costs.  I found his discussion of "The Problem with Doors" particularly interesting--I hadn't considered the different visual cues intended to indicate how the door functions, but frequently fail.  As it so happens, there is a door to leading out of a walk-in freezer in the Diner at the University of Puget Sound that confuses me nearly every time I go in search of milk for Cellar milkshakes!  It wasn't until reading Norman's discussion of door mechanisms and visual cues that I realized that the problem could be solved by the addition of a panel indicating on which side the door opens.  This situation is very much like the light-switches in Norman's laboratory, where everyone had gotten used to the poor design and have to work from rote memory rather than an intuitive design.

"The Grammar of Fun"

Tom Bissel's New Yorker article is a somewhat interesting profile of Cliff Beszinski, design director for Epic Games, and the video game industry.  I found the language somewhat troubling, because I lack the expertise the comprehend much of the gaming lingo.  The profile of Beszinkski is well-cultivated, however, including multiple facets of his complex personality.

Comparative Review: SIGG and Camelbak water bottles for the busy everyday user

Do you sometimes find yourself running around without a moment to stop and think all day?  Are you so busy that you sometimes don’t have time to take breaks for basic needs like sustenance and hydration?  The truth is, there are many of us living this busy American lifestyle, and it is easy to get so caught up in the business of our own lives that our physical health and wellbeing suffers.  By carrying a water bottle during the day, however, we can keep that easily refillable source of hydration nearby and increase overall health with that little lifestyle adjustment.  Since researching different types of water bottles is not high on the list of priorities for businesswomen or well-rounded college students, I have taken the time to compare two viable options on the basis of, convenience, appearance, health benefits, and material quality.  Here are the contenders: SIGG standard one liter metal bottles and the Camelbak .75 liter plastic bottle.

For most busy Americans, convenience is the most important factor in purchasing a water bottle.  Both SIGG and Camelbak offer screw-top lids with carrying loops.  The bottles can be attached to bags with carabiners at this point.  Another consideration for carrying water bottles, however, is weight.  While Camelbak plastic is lightweight, metal SIGG water bottles can be quite heavy on their own—so the SIGG is heavier when full, but also has weight when it is empty, while the empty Camelbak is almost weightless.  Another feature of the metal SIGG to note is its ability to retain temperatures.  Because of the medium, cold water in a SIGG will stay colder longer than in a plastic Camelbak.  This feature has a flipside, however: in warm climates the SIGG can get very warm and stay so.

One must also consider the drinking opening options for both bottles.  The standard SIGG bottle has an open neck with a screw top.  Although this option is more convenient than the ubiquitous Nalgene with its gaping opening, the standard Camelbak lid is even more preferable.  The Camelbak spill-proof lid is also a screw top, but includes a straw feature so one does not need to unscrew the lid every time one takes a drink.  Although some may consider this appearance immature, as a spill-inclined individual, I value this feature above the more sophisticated look of a pure screw top.  Appearance is important to most consumers, and both brands offer personalization in the appearance of the bottle.  Both SIGG and Camelbak offer a variety of colors and patterns for their water bottles.  While Camelbak offers both solid and translucent bottles (plastic or metal), SIGG offers all solid colored bottles (metal only) but a wider variety of personalized patterns.  A consumer who values individualization more than the practical purposes of the water bottle might prefer SIGG’s multitude of options.  However, there are other factors to consider when purchasing a water bottle besides convenience and appearance—health benefits or risks are important considerations as well.

Both SIGG and Camelbak offer a variety of sizes of water bottles.  The volume range for SIGG is .3 liters (or approximately 10 ounces) to 1.5 liters (50 ounces).  Camelbak offers bottles from .5 liters (16 ounces) to 1 liter (34 ounces).  While SIGG offers a significantly larger range of volumes, this feature should not be a primary deciding factor unless you are looking for a particularly small or large water bottle.  Most people would prefer something in the Camelbak range anyway, and any of these bottles are easily refilled.  If you work in an office of a college campus, for example, you probably spend most of your day near enough to a drinking fountain to take a thirty second break to refill every couple hours, rather than running to the fountain every few minutes for a refreshing drink.  Hydration is important to overall health so having a water bottle easily accessible all day can be a real help!

Today’s health-savvy water bottle user understands the risk of the chemical BPA (Bisphenol A), found in the process of making certain kinds of plastic and resins used to line metal food and beverage containers.  Although the FDA has not yet determined BPA a toxic substance, concerns have been raised in terms of its link to cancerous development, thyroid dysfunction, and neurological issues, and some retailers recalled products containing BPA.  In August of 2008, SIGG offered an exchange system for anyone owning a SIGG water bottle purchased pre-August 2008, to be replaced with a newer, BPA-free version.  Camelbak has never used metals or plastics containing traces of BPA, and even boast first to market with a BPA-free hard plastic water bottle, according to their CEO letter on the Camelbak website.  Camelbak also includes a “BPA-free” label on all of their water bottles.  Currently, however, neither brand includes BPA in any of their products.

There is more to the materials of the bottles than health risks, however.  Material durability is important; as consumers, we want to make the most of out investments.  In my personal ownership experience, both SIGG and Camelbak products stand up against the test of time, exhibiting only superficial deterioration.  The SIGG may acquire dents if dropped and the Camelbak scratches, but neither is likely to crack or break unless under severe duress.  Each product is clearly of high quality and will last with every day use.

Both SIGG and Camelbak offer high-quality products that are durable and healthy options—providing daily hydration without chemical leakage.  But for the typically busy, hardworking American, the convenience of the Camelbak outweighs the personalizing options of the SIGG.  While the SIGG retains cold temperatures longer than the Camelbak, the plastic Camelbak option is more versatile and offers the ease of its lightweight and spill-proof features.  If you consider yourself one of those busy individuals struggling to make time for basic needs, the Camelbak is the best option for you, available online (http://www.camelbak.com/sports-recreation/bottles.aspx) or at outdoor recreation stores like REI.

                                                       SIGG                                 Camelbak

Convenience                                                                               

Temperature                       very affected                        little change

Drinking opening               open neck, screw top           spill-proof straw screw top

Handle/carrying                  lid loop                                lid loop

Weight                                metal weight                        lightweight plastic

Appearance

Translucent/solid                 all solid                               some solid, some translucent

Colors                                 variety                                 variety

Patterns                               many                                   few

Health                                                                                   

BPA                                    no                                       no

Volume                               .3-1.5 L/10-50oz                .5-1 L/16-34 oz

Material Quality

Durability: dents/cracks      easily dents                          scratches

Critical Mass: Everyone listens to Walter Mossberg

Ken Auletta's 2007 New Yorker article about personal technology critic and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Walter S. Mossberg provides a fascinating profile of the biggest name in technology journalism.

I am intrigued by Mossberg's idea of a class war between techies and consumers.  Decidedly in the latter category, I appreciate Mossberg's ability to combine his expertise with the perspective of a typical consumer in order to offer a review useful to both the producer and the potential consumer.

As far as form goes, I appreciated Auletta's introduction of Mossberg's reputation and anecdote before jumping into his personal and professional history.  By the time I got to the third section of the article, I was really curious about how Mossberg came to be!  Additionally, I found the section about Mossberg's biases and writing flaws crucial to the balance of the article.  Bascially, Auletta followed the business profile article formula smoothly--keeping me engaged and anticipating what I, as a reader, wanted to know next.

With Luddite parents of my own, I am impressed that Mossberg has made a career of critiquing and even shaping the personal technology curve.  I was pleased to read that in addition to weekly columns, Mossberg keeps a video blog in which he responds to user/reader questions.  I suppose I appreciate the technology connoisseur contrast to my own relations who hark back to writing dissertations on typewriters whenever I complain of technology woes.

Comparative Product Review DRAFT: Sigg and Camelbak water bottles

What do people look for in a water bottle?

Fundamental concerns in purchasing a water bottle are convenience, health (hydration, no chemical leaks), sustainability/quality of investment, ability to personalize/accessorize.

CRITERIA

Health

-BPA

-Volume

Convenience

-Temperature

-Straw/open neck

-Handle/carrying

-Weight

Material Quality

-Durability: dents/cracks

-Sustainability

-Taste?

Appearance

-Translucent/solid

-Colors

-Patterns

-Stickers

The Dumbing Down

Emily White's article works on the same understanding as the articles we worked last week about the gradual fazing out of printed news.  White is not subtle in her opinion about the dangers of this trend, citing the "Blogosphere Fear" as a legitimate "terror that the blogs will get the story before the newspaper gets it" brought on by the increasing value of breaking news over anything else as well as the increased accessibility of news published on the web.

White's anecdote about Sheila Farr's "voluntary layoff"as a Seattle Times arts critic conflicts with my own understanding of the writing market.  Teri Ellison describes Farr as possessing a "gift for putting visual experience into language"--a skill many have explained to me as crucial in contemporary writing.  If even a well-established regular contributer with such refined writing tools cannot make it due to the circumstances and opinions White describes, there is little hope for my own future.

Town Crier Speaks in a Variety of Tones

This past weekend, the University of Puget Sound Student Theatre Productions ran the ninth annual production of Town Crier Speaks in Rausch Auditorium.  As the name suggests, this festival of one-act plays is entirely produced by students of the University: this year, six plays were selected, each written, directed, and acted by students (some members of the Theatre department, others non-major enthusiasts) with a production team of experienced upperclassmen Theatre Arts Majors.  Considering the variety of students participating in the project, this production is far from amateur.  Although some scripts, directors, and actors are more sophisticated than others, the production as a whole makes for a successfully entertaining evening.

The show opens with the challenging “Coroner Elections,” written by Hayley Hilmes and directed by Lizzy Burton.  Miss Burton directs her actors magnificently in navigating the balance between discomfort and humor.  Grace Libby, acting the part of Johanna Crawford, exhibits outstanding command of her own facial expressions, completely engaging the audience in an otherwise off-putting treatment of the duties of a County Coroner.  As an opener, “Coroner Elections” is particularly successful in setting up the audience for an evening of discomfort-based humor.

Nolan Frame’s directing debut, “The Race,” similarly ruffles the audiences’ feathers as seven sperm race toward an egg—but writer Georgina Cohen’s characters are so distinct as to complement the context, granting it an audience of more than teenage boys.  Although most of the actors playing sperm demonstrate a stiff amateurism in the delivery of their lines, senior Jarek Sarnacki throws caution to the wind and engages his whole body in his part as a double-headed sperm.  Sarnacki carries the show, filling gaps in pacing with lines as well as succinct physical reactions.  Despite the overall comparative lack of sophistication in the performance of “The Race,” the Cohen-Frame creative team entertains audiences in their spin on the characterization of the human reproductive process.

Closing the first half, however, Joey Fechtel’s “Thermometer” fails in any attempt at theatrical integrity or humor.  Fechtel’s script lacks any semblance of a dramatic arc, with interchangeable characters and an abrupt and ambiguous shift in the last thirty seconds of the show.  The writing is weak to begin with, but Courtney Weller’s direction provides nothing less than ten minutes of exaggerated fit-throwing verging on annoying whines.  Weller seems to have selectively embraced the persona of a noisy elementary school-age child and instructs her actors to stomp around and yell incomprehensibly to their hearts’ content.  The sheer noise of the three-actor show combined with Weller’s extensive floor work in a performance space with severely limited floor visibility for seats beyond the first two rows makes audiences anxious for a break.

After a brief intermission, the second half of Town Crier  compensates for the slow start, as the sophistication of both the writing and the acting drastically increase.  Caitie Auld’s “Did Someone Order A Chicken Wrap?” showcases senior Theatre Arts Major Jesse Baldridge in the lead role of an office receptionist in a trying first day on the job.  No stranger to comedic acting, Baldridge employs his entire being in the character Mike, from his frustrated ticks to his hesitating speech.  The pinnacle of Baldridge’s performance, however, is of course, his slow-motion cell phone retrieval and destruction.  This fifteen-second sequence not only demonstrates his command for physical comedy, but also keeps the audience in stitches and earns him a round of applause mid-show.

While “Did Someone Order a Chicken Wrap?” is completely carried by the exemplary main actor, the next piece, “The Surprise Party” relies more on situational humor in the writing and a cohesive ensemble to captivate audiences in laughter without an opportunity to die down completely before starting up again.  Writer Taylor Griffin never shies away from the discomfort of the misguided surprise party, and under Abi Dehner’s direction, the actors relish each agonizing moment of misunderstanding.  If any actor in this show can be commended above others, it is Joshua Willis in his understated stage presence, earning the audience’s sympathy and completing the hilarious irony of “The Surprise Party.”

The highlight of the entire production, however, is rightfully placed at the finale: Rollie Williams’ delightful frolic into history, “Independence,” is performed with precise characterization intended for an educated audience.  Director Hayley Hilmes had her work cut out for her with Williams’ clever script incorporating the challenges our forefathers faced when composing the Declaration of Independence.  Hilmes deliberate staging only aids the distinct characterization by each actor.  Matt Hudgins, for example, spares no opportunity for sexual ambiguity in his over-the-top portrayal of George Washington, lingering just long enough in his gazes at the other gentlemen to keep the audience in stitches.  Sophomore Theatre Arts Major Michael Armstrong conveys a comprehensive approach to his characterization of Thomas Jefferson, bridging the gap between realism and comedy with grace as he jeeringly provokes John Adams’ (played by Reeves Richards) proposal for the substance of the document.  Most commendable of all, however, is performance of senior Reeves Richards in his acting debut.  In his portrayal of John Adams, Richards demonstrates an unbelievable stage presence in one so inexperienced.  Richards thoroughly entertains in his unwavering persistence that the Declaration of Independence should consist of the phrase, “Suck on it, Redcoats” as well as his commitment to the belief in Washington’s heterosexuality.  The amalgamation of Williams’ brilliant script, Hilmes’ precise direction and a stellar cast foreground “Independence” as the crown jewel of this year’s Town Crier production.

As a product of University of Puget Sound’s Student Theatre Productions, it is only appropriate that a wide variety of student experience and talent is represented in this year’s Town Crier Speaks.  Producers Ella Wrenn, Taylor Griffin, and Daniel Smith expertly integrate each student contributor in the festival.  And although some students lack expertise in the theatrical realm, the student-produced outlet provides just the opportunity to develop those skills.  The ninth annual Town Crier offers such a spectrum of entertainment for an unbeatable price—no Puget Sound Theatre fan should miss this festival. 

"How to make money writing for the web"

Matthew Stibbe's article is refreshingly ordered and concise.  I appreciate how he takes his own advice and breaks topics up with headings, short paragraphs, bullet points, and bolded phrases--in doing so, he proves his argument about the importance of readability.  Perhaps because of the specific nature of his topic and expertise, but Stibbe seems to have a stronger grasp of the medium than other writers whose articles we have read about the differences in writing for the web versus writing for print.

I have mixed feelings about the prevalence of links Stibbe provides.  On the one hand, I find them pretty distracting.  In some cases he uses five in one sentence!  I realize that they are intended to be helpful bridges to additional information, but the visual abberations interrupt flow and make the entire document a bit more difficult to read.  On the other hand, the secondary pages themselves are fascinating and helpful.  The link for The Economist Style Guide conveniently lead me to the Amazon page, so I already ordered it. Way to go, Stibbe, I hope The Economist is compensating you for your advertising!

Stibbe's tips themselves are incredibly helpful as well.  He takes fairly obvious concepts (like "It's a business, stupid"and "Learn to market yourself") and elaborates in a real, useful manner.  It is fascinating to me how prevalent blogging has become as a viable writing outlet.  In addition to the three or four college classes I have taken that require me to blog in order to get used to the medium and get myself published, Stibbe's is the most recent in a handful of articles about writing that I have read urging me to get blogging for practice, but also for the real world.

"News You Can Lose"

James Surowiecki's New Yorker article on the current financial struggles of American press is quick to acknowledge the circumstances that have contributed to sinking industry.  Surowieki argues that it is not the internet that has made printed news obsolete, but rather, the mindset of the consumer, now used to fast, free information.  The trouble here is that newspapers rely heavily on advertising and sales revenue to keep them afloat, but online news sources have caused printed readership to decline drastically in the last couple of decades.  I appreciated Surowieki's application of Theodore Levitt's theory about "Marketing Myopia" to the sphere of journalism.  If newspaper companies thought of themselves as in the information industry, rather than the print industry, they might be better prepared to adjust to new technology.  However, I think Surowieki is right to conclude with some possibilities for shifting news revenue sources, although none seem as immediately lucrative as the former practices.

"Good Money and Good Causes"

Karina Stokes' article advising beginning grant writers is of particular interest to me, as a career possibility I have been considering seriously lately.  Stokes segments the article into basic strategies for writing and effective grant proposal, but the bulk of her writing involves rhetorical techniques to persuade the funding agency that this particular cause is worthwhile.  She identifies the ultimate persuasive strategy as the ability to explain why the problem is meaningful to the funding agency, including "why this problem must be solved, who will benefit from a solution, and what will happen if the problem is allowed to persist."  I appreciated Stokes explicitly stating the skills necessary in a successful grant writer: creative thinking, critical reading, and strategic analysis.  Stokes also concedes that grant writing cannot rely entirely on the rhetorical skill of the writer, but the proposed plan itself "must be realistic, and the methods must be practical."

According to Stokes, presentation can be a huge influence on decisions about which proposal to fund.  She emphasizes conforming to deadlines and formal requirements and provides examples of situations where perfectly valid proposals have been rejected because of the writers' failure to adhere to directions stated in the requests for proposals.  Stokes also highlights the necessity of justifying costs explicitly as part of establishing credibility and convincing funding organizations to grant large sums of money to organizations they know nothing of besides information provided in the proposal.  I hadn't thought of the collaborative nature of grant writing, but Stokes clarifies the multiple individuals working on a given proposal and the necessity of communication among all involved in order to compose a coherent and complete grant proposal.

Most of all, I was pleased to read of the rewarding nature of grant writing.  Stokes explains that by following her suggestions for successful grant writing, one can actually make a living in this profession.  But even more importantly, she affirms the humanistic reward of knowing that you have played a part in improving the lives of others.

The Freshest Professional Writer Yet

Lauren Foster is not just your typical twenty-something.  A trim, stylish Pacific Northwester, Lauren is in her first year out of college and already a published professional writer.  With the recent ongoing economic crisis and the financial burden of a private liberal arts degree that includes few “job skills,” Lauren agrees that her situation is remarkable, to say the least.

As Staff Writer for Premier Media Group, which publishes two local bimonthly magazines, Lauren contributes to both 425 and South Sound magazines.  It is not until nearly halfway through our interview, however, that Lauren reveals that she is one of three members of PMG’s editorial staff –the other two being the Lisa Patterson, Editor In Chief and Ethan Chung, Assistant Editor (PMG also employs a handful of freelance writers for feature stories in both magazines).  Lauren admits that this small arrangement is unusual for such a demanding output, but it also means that even as a green member of the PMG staff, Lauren’s voice counts.

But how did she, as they say, ‘land such a sweet deal?’  Lauren is an encouraging real-life example of the results of networking and building professional relationships.  The path to her current position began with the Writing Internship course offered at the University of Puget Sound last spring, Lauren’s final semester of college.  Through the course, Lauren obtained an internship with Jeff Burlingame—a local writer of nonfiction for young adults—conducting research and interviews as well as editing for his current work in progress, Lost Boys of Sudan.  At the end of this internship, Burlingame recommended Lauren to apply for another writing internship with Premier Media Group, where his wife works as Editor In Chief.  Over the summer, Lauren worked as an Editorial Intern for PMG, blogging, writing blurbs for both 425 and South Sound magazines, as well as writing a story with another intern, published later in the summer. 

Lauren shared an insightful anecdote with me about how the internship turned into a fulltime position:  Lisa Patterson, Editor in Chief for PMG celebrated her birthday during Lauren’s internship with an office potluck and Lauren baked cupcakes to share with the company for the occasion.  Lauren elaborated that she loves to bake and this seemed a very natural action to her, as even a temporary member of staff.  Later, when Lisa spoke with the publisher about hiring a new staff writer, he immediately asked if she was considering Lauren, citing the cupcakes as evidence that she fits in well with the company.  Lauren concluded the story with the maxim, “part of being good at your job is working with the people you work with.”

But Lauren is quick to clarify that she did not arrive at this point in her career so quickly because of some fluke of luck and timing.  Although she doesn’t admit it outright, Lauren is an incredibly driven young woman, gregarious and enterprising.  Of course, her experience writing for both her high school and college newspapers hasn’t hurt.  Lauren asserts that her experience and published writing samples have been the most effective aspects of her resume.  At a recent convention for professional journalists, a seasoned writer informed Lauren on no uncertain terms that in order to succeed in this field, experience and publication are far more advantageous than a Masters in Journalism.

Despite her experience with journalistic writing, Lauren has found plenty of challenges in transitioning to writing professionally.  In fact, she has worked incredibly hard over the last several months, as her responsibilities and recognition have increased.  In adapting to this particular media, Lauren has learned the specific voice of each magazine and adjusted her writing style to fit each.  She explains that within each issue there are additional nuances of style, from the brief informational blurbs in the “Finds” section in South Sound to the feature articles she imbues with more of her personal voice in conjunction with the voice of the magazine.

Another feat the recent college graduate faces as a Staff Writer is the responsibility of writing professionally itself.  Although she took writing as a student seriously, Lauren explains, “It’s different when you’re writing for [publication] than when your writing only affects you and the professor.”  In the professional setting, Lauren continues, a longer chain of individuals is affected by her writing.  If Lauren makes typo, for example (which she openly admits to be one of her faults as an academic writer, just as many of us also fail to reread our works thoroughly), multiple editors have to take the time to fix the error and return it to her before it can be passed on to publication and shared with the world of readers.  Lauren has found an amusing solution to this problem, however, using what she calls a “creepy man voice” application on her computer, which reads her articles aloud to her so that she can locate those errors before passing them on to her superiors.   Odd though it may be, Lauren asserts that this tool has become invaluable in timesaving for her as well as her editors.

Lauren is finding even more applications of the writing skills she developed in academia to her new position in the working world.  With a fresh Bachelor of Arts in English, Lauren is thrilled with the extent to which she uses her unusual emphasis in Writing, Rhetoric, and Culture in her daily professional life.  This specialization offered by the University of Puget Sound offers a degree emphasis studying the ways in which various types of writing respond to and shape rhetorical and cultural contexts—an interdisciplinary approach to the study of writing that has equipped Lauren with critical thinking skills actually applicable to the professional world.  Lauren explained that the Premier Media Group interviewers emphasized that in order to succeed in writing for them, she would need to visualize her articles—a WRC skill Lauren “didn’t necessarily think I would use and [now] I use on a daily basis.”

 “I think our generation has a sophisticated eye for visual and text,” she continues, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the PMG editorial and design staff, and the intellectual tools she developed in WRC courses as essential to work on both magazines.  Working on a magazine editorial staff is as much about understanding visual rhetoric as it is about researching and writing the articles themselves, Lauren explains.  This modern way of thinking about rhetoric in the world of journalism extends to the prevalence of technology in Lauren’s work.  She mentions blogging and tweeting as facets of both her internship and permanent position with PMG, as well as contributing to the upkeep of the websites for both South Sound and 425 magazines, recognizing the niche available to a young generation of writers participating in the sphere of professional journalism.

Lauren fully acknowledges the challenge of locating that niche for young members of the working world.  She considers herself lucky to have found herself in a job for which she is both skilled and passionate.  Lauren lives with two close friends from college who work for Target and Boeing corporations, and she identifies a distinct difference in the attitudes they adopt regarding their current professions.  When her friends physically leave work for the day, they also check out mentally, compartmentalizing so that work life does not interfere with their personal lives.  Lauren, however, cannot seem to stop thinking about work-related issues.  Rather than expressing frustration at the constant presence of her professional life, Lauren’s eyes light up and she leans a little closer as she explains how she cannot help but jot down ideas when story ideas strike, or when a new resource occurs to her.  “When you’re a writer,” Lauren notes,” you never really stop thinking about it.”

However demanding her work may be, Lauren seems not to care.  “It’s kind of amazing,” Lauren admits, that the pieces have come together so successfully this early in her professional life.  The combination of her experience both from writing for educational newspapers as and from internship opportunities as well as her specialized skill set have truly catapulted her into a professional writing career staggeringly early in life.  When I asked Lauren if she had any future career plans, she just laughed at her inability to even fathom what might come next. Too thrilled with her current work with Premier Media Group to consider what could be greater in life than doing what she loves, Lauren exclaims, “My life is just blowing my mind right now!”

"For Hire: Fine Art Appraiser"

Cate Lineberry's Smithsonian article about Nan Chrisholm's career is interesting enough, but weakly formulated.  The finished product is, for all intents and purposes, a transcript of their interview.  The article reads very much like an interview with a celebrity in a style magazine of some sort--connoting a lack of substance and also lacking in the interviewer's personal interpretation.  Chrisholm's responses to the questions are thorough and informative but the article really suffers for the absence of the writer.  Although I didn't appreciate the article from a format-reader's perspective, as a fellow business writer I picked up some tips on the types of questions I should be asking in my profile interview.

I'm not sure what's going on with the title of this article.  It seems rather disconnected to the actual content of the article.  It almost feels like the title is trying to imitate a personal advertisement for Chisholm, but if so, the joke falls flat.  Again, more presence of the writer's perspective would have provided the opportunity to connect the title more closely to the content.

"Profile Article of Delancey Street's Director, Dr. Mimi Silbert"

Halle Stockton's profile of Dr. Silbert and her work at Delancey Street is quite admirable.  Stockton's heavy use of quotes indicates that she was very thorough in her research as she was able to quote multiple subjects.  I found it interesting, however, that she never actually quotes Dr. Silbert herself.  While the article is fascinating and Silbert is portrayed as an incredibly dynamic individual, I almost feel like Stockton did not actually talk to the Director at all--and I imagine that it would be rather difficult to write a profile article on someone one had never met.  Stockton vaguely follows Brow's formula for writing a business profile article in structuring the article mainly around the individual within the workspace but including bits of her personal history to create a rounded understanding of Dr. Silbert.  However, I think the blatant absence of direct quotations from Silbert weakens Stockton's article significantly enough that the praise of the other members of Delancey Street cannot compensate.

"A Formula for Writing the Business Profile Article"

Gerald Grow's highly prescriptive article on the format of a business profile article will be incredibly helpful later this week, when I tackle the raw material of my personal interview.  Having perused the different requirements according to Grow's article, I now how a strong sense of what content to look for in my interview.  Grow's emphasis on paying attention during the interview for a potential closing quote was particularly helpful.  Additionally, I found Grow's breakdown of the article structure very helpful in terms of pacing and the expectations of business readers.  The 'Personal History Loop' and 'Subject in a Home Environment' caused me a little trouble in terms of their appropriateness within the article--I reconciled the personal history with the relative proportion to the 'Subject in a Business Environment' section, but the home-life section seems a bit overly ambitious for the type of article we are preparing for class.

"How to Conduct an Interview"

The article describing how to conduct an interview is helpful, if a bit overly prescriptive.  I found it a little unnecessary to require that the interviewer bring two pencils and a stenographer's notebook or legal pad.  Many of the preparatory recommendations seemed common-sense to me, but I suppose the writer is assuming the reader has never conducted an interview before, so it is necessary to be thorough.  I did appreciate the arrangement of the article--specifically the distinctions between the four stages that precede writing.  Additionally, the separation between arrangements and preparation is useful in illuminating the different steps required in before conducting an interview.  I found the suggestions for reconstruction were most helpful to me, since they gave specific tips about how to process the interview (as) immediately (as possible) and make sense of notes in order to utilize them best in the actual writing process.

"An Alphabet that Thinks"

Richard A. Lanham's discussion of electronic text in The Economics of Attention: Style and Substance in the Age of Information begins effectively enough, illuminating the gap between the ability of the new media to "make complex arguments easier and quicker to understand" and the limited extent to which textual expression in the digital realm has been realized (130).  However, the critical flaw in Lanham's argument is his failure to define "an alphabet that thinks," the term around which he shapes his argument (130).  While his commentary on the talismanic properties of physical books versus the non-visually informative electronic books is interesting, it lacks insight because of his unclear framing thesis.  Furthermore, Lanham describes a series of barriers to the progress and innovation of electronic text but fails to engage readers in the import of the technology itself.

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

Nicholas Carr's substantial article in The Atlantic ironically addresses the difficulty readers face in tackling and processing lengthy text either in print or online.  Actually, I switched over to Carr's article after a few pages of our other assigned reading for this week's class for that very same reason: I, too, have been struggling lately to focus my attention long enough to consume lengthy texts with any sort of intellectual depth.  My challenges may be slightly more complex than Carr's and those anecdotal examples he uses.  For instance, Carr mentions the convenience of the internet as a factor in changing the way he thinks over the last decade or so.  As a member of a generation thirty years younger than Carr, I have experienced the influence of the internet in nearly all of my academic research and writing--perhaps this influence has been even more potent on my impressionable intellect?  Certainly I have grown up among the generations who take the internet for granted.  And as a result I have encountered the challenge of vacillating between printed text and the pervasive resource of the web--the latter of which undoubtably caters to the short attention span of today's American youth (or perhaps it reflects its needs?).  Moreover, having recently spent a semester on a study abroad program that was much more like taking a semester off and living in a metropolitan city while reading some novels and going to the theatre--in addition to a semi-relaxing summer at home with very little responsibility--I have found this fall's return to academia painfully challenging.

While I value Carr's exploration of Nietzsche's experience switching over to a writing via typewriting--I share the notion that writing through type is a wholly different experience from handwriting text--and each method produces a distinct writing style--I criticize his inability to comment on what to do with these changes in ways of thinking.  After battling through that lengthy web article, the least Carr could do is offer readers some tips on extracting information from dense texts!


http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/6868/