Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Herren was a professional Basketball player in the United States, and he played in several leagues overseas. Chris Herren grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts. He attended Durfee High School, and he won a lot of awards because of his skills in basketball. He was in shape on the court, but he had a lot of problems off the court with drugs and alcohol. He got offers to play on the best college basketball teams in the nation. He ended up choosing Boston College because it was close to home. He then played professional basketball in the US, but after a while his addiction to drugs was a part of him and he couldn’t perform on the basketball court without them. He family starting falling apart, and after a while he wasn't able to play basketball

The more I observe, the more I understand who I am. I come from a small town in a very cold part of the world, where very few exciting events occur. This means, I have to work extra hard to become an artist. I remember having my neighbor say, “You aren’t an artist until I buy a painting from you,” and she did. I never wanted the money, but I did enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that what I create makes others happy. So many people in town encourage me and support me with my dreams, and all I do in return is help them back in return. When people need a little sunshine on gray, winter days, I am there to lend them my happiness. That is why I am able to succeed. When failure strikes his wrath upon me, I learn from the mistakes rather be held back –being optimistic allows me to grow much quicker than if I were to be

What is a writer? Many may picture those with a great love of books and literature, those who can find deeper symbolism and meaning behind stories that others write. However, this mold does not fit everyone. There are those, such as Linda Barry, who don't fit in with their fellow writers but still find success. In her comic Lost and Found, Barry uses her own life as an example to argue that one can find success as a writer despite not fitting in the box or possessing the skills typical of one.

“As a young bot Theodor began drawing many pictures. He was always drawing strange-looking people and animals on his school books.” (Wheeler 6) His father would take him to the local park and zoo, where he loved to go and sketch pictures of all the animals. His mother would sing and read stories to him and his older sister Marnie. As he grew older his imagination continued to grow and he continued to draw and create stories.

Stephen King’s “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft” is a marvelous and unusual text. Within the first part of his book, also called C.V., he explains his life experience up to the day he finishes the book. King expresses his life with multiple literary elements that assist the readers on imagining his life of adventures, catastrophes, fears, and loves. Following are three of my favorite passages that caught my attention.

Chris went through the burdens of everyday life while hoping for a more peaceful alternative. He refused the cognizant about the world around him and refused to involve himself with what he finds trivial. Instead he created his fantasy world in order to empower

His big break as a children’s book writer came as a result of his wife. She was a producer of a television show and invited one of the show’s guests home for dinner on night. After dinner she and Chris Van Allsburg showed him some of his illustrations as part of a casual after-dinner conversation. He was immediately impressed and gave the number of Walter Lorraine, an editor with Houghton Mifflin Company, to him and asked him to call him. When he finally contacted Mr. Lorraine, the man was so impressed with his drawings that he convinced Chris Van Allsburg that he should venture into children’s book writing.

He always wanted to do things his own way ever since he was young; he had his own way of approaching things and never wanted to be taught or coached to get better or change his technique. In high school Chris failed Physics solely because of his independent way of thinking, he disregarded the teacher’s method of recording labs and went about it his own way which resulting in Chris receiving a failing grade. His father claims, “‘Chris had so much natural talent,’ Walt continues, ‘but if you tried to coach him to polish his skills, to bring out that final ten percent, a wall went up. He resisted instruction of any kind’” (Krakauer 111). This quote shows Chris’ independence, and that he believed he was only as good as he could be without any kind of help or coaching. He is constantly trying to push himself more and more to prove to himself that he can in fact be independent and do everything for himself. Chris’ journey through America and his odyssey into the wild show his final attempts to prove that he can face and overcome challenges alone and that he can survive the extremes of the world by

Although some may not have the mind that other do, imagination is a wild thing. King states “sometimes the most basic skills can create things far beyond our expectations?” I take this as if that basic skills building up can create or make an imagination grow to its full potential. The better you get at something and the more it is practiced the better you become at it. With building stronger skills comes a stronger imagination and put those skills to the test. Imagination allows us to create things unimaginable.

Much of Walker’s art takes the form of visual narrative, telling stories with images and words. The artist has said that the genre of narrative allows her room to blend fact with fiction, creating new ways to negotiate past experience and imagine the future. Walker takes ownership of the

"To write to be a writer, I have to trust and believe in myself as a speaker, as a voice for the images. I have to believe that can communicate with images and words that I can do it well. A lack of belief in my creative self is a lack of belief in my total self and vice versa- I cannot separate my writing from any part of my life. It is all one" (95).

Writers come in all shapes and forms, portraying their own life lessons and view of the world to influence a greater audience. Keith Lesmeister, the author of various short story works and his new book, “We Could Have Been Happy Here” never considered himself a writer. Through his own development of writing style, writing process, and desire to address the issues of today he shares his passion and heart of writing.

He didn’t have the idea of becoming an author until he reached college. An English professor he had, said that his grammar skills were the same as an average fifth grader’s. Ben asked if he should quit the class and the professor told him, “I just finished reading three hundred stories, and only one made me laugh and cry. That was yours. You’re a storyteller. That’s writing.” When people ask him, “Is it realistic for a bad student to grow up and become an author?” he says, “You bet it is!”

Once there was a woman who told a story. However, she had more than just an entertaining tale to tell. She chose common images that everyone would understand, and she wrapped her story around them, and in this way she was able to teach the people . . .

They way stories are told may morph, but never will storytelling cease. From their people skills to their memories, there is no argument that storytellers possess boundless talent and intelligence. They were the first educators. And now, storytelling is a large part of everyday life. The news in the morning, the gossip throughout the day, the casual response to the casual “What’s up?” – It’s all a form of storytelling. Our lives are steeped in it. In almost every conversation a story is told. At every turn a story is born. So we all are storytellers, and the world is our audience, just waiting to hear the gospel leave our