I Attended The ' Fathering Word : The Making Of An African American Writer `` Lecture By E.

Writers have the magic power. By using a pen, they can transfer their readers to any place they would like, such as, from a comfortable chair in a warm room to a cold cell in a prison. This is done by both great and influential authors, Malcolm X and Stephen King. Malcolm X’s narrative is taken from his Autobiography of Malcolm X where he is describing the years when he is serving a prison sentence. Malcolm X was an African American Muslim minister who worked worldwide for African-American unity and equality. In contrast, Stephen King is a well-known horror novelist. Moreover, he writes movie scripts, nonfiction stories, autobiographies, and children stories. On Writings, which is a combination memoir and guidebook to writers, is from his recent work. In this passage, the author is discussing the fundamentals of the writing

Memoirs, and writing in general, reveal a truth about the author. Oftentimes, said truth is revealed intentionally. Universal truths such as struggle, endurance, and agony help authors influence their audiences. These truths cause the readers to become cognizant of and appreciate the authors. It is a writer’s duty to write from the heart—to write about the good and bad sides of a story. Annie Dillard’s An American Childhood fails to use universal truths and instead presents a very superficial presentation of its author’s life. J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis display the unconventional upbringing of Vance in order to give the audience a better understanding of the writer. Pure honesty

For example, in document A: the joy of reading and writing: superman and me by Sherman Alexie the author shares his past experience with audience to advise them of how important literacy is in life. He states that he “was trying to save” his life by books and education (Alexie 2). He emphasizes that it was the reason he succeed in life. It also shaped his brain and how it shaped him as person today by visiting schools, and becoming a writer. He also said “’Books’ I say to them ‘Books’ I say” (Alexie 2). He is trying to save others’ lives by highlighting the significance of books. Alexie discusses his path to life and persuading his reason to be more engaged in books because it saved his life and it lead him to become a writer

What provokes a person to write about his or her life? What motivates us to read it? Moreover, do men and women tell their life story in the same way? The answers may vary depending on the person who answers the questions. However, one may suggest a reader elects to read an autobiography because there is an interest. This interest allows the reader to draw from the narrator's experience and to gain understanding from the experience. When the reader involves him/herself in the experience, the reader encounters what is known and felt by the narrator. The encounter may provide the reader an opportunity to explore a

In his article “Tracing Process: How Texts Come into Being” Prior mentions how our influences and experiences are the things that helps us construct text. Prior explains how “all writing draws on writers’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices, build up through experiences of socially and historically situated life events” (Prior 497). For example: watching something on TV can lead us into forming an idea, having a conversation with a friend can have an influence on us, and even going through a hard experience like a car accident can end up influencing us in many

In Stephen King's autobiography, On Writing: A Memoir of The Craft, he draws the reader into his world by giving them a taste of his upbringing and outside influences to explain exactly how he became a successful author. He has published dozens of top selling fictional novels throughout his career, and because of this it is safe to assume he has adapted a well polished, reader friendly technique that any fan of his novels or aspiring fictional author would find interesting. King believes any good writer must always be honest when putting their inner thoughts to paper, and this memoir is no exception. On Writing is an attempt by King to let others know how he came to the craft, what he’s learned, and how to execute

Zinsser and Kunkel want a memoir to be designed for the reader, something that gives a clear cut message. The purpose of memoir should not be to write a guide book to life for the reader, it should be to lift up the author first and if that story connects to the reader it can lift up the reader too. Lars Eighner, Russell Baker, Virginia Woolf, and Joan Didion all gained something from reflecting on their past in their memoirs. However, they do not all offer a simple message to the reader, just their interpretation of events and how it affects them, and that is enough to make a good

What Makes a Great Memoir? Imagine that once again, you are a child. A child running around until your mother calls you in for supper. Recall that feeling of innocence and youth.

Telling stories can help people separate tragic events and occurrences like war from themselves. “I did not look on my work as therapy, and still don’t. Yet when I received. . . memories that might have otherwise have ended in paralysis or worse (Page 152).” To Tim O’brien writing was not a therapy, but it actually was. He says if he didn’t write, his memories might have caused him to end in paralysis

Memoirs provide insight into a person’s life that can be used as a learning experience and show a great deal about the character of the writer. A whole story told from the perspective of the author, gives the reader an impression of the writer, whether intentional or not, with the use of the author’s tone, writing style, and his or her unique voice. While no two memoirs are the same, each gives off a certain feel to the reader, drawing them into the life of the author. Tina Fey’s Bossypants and Adeline Yen Mah’s Falling Leaves are two vastly different stories with one concerning the transition of life from a young girl to a woman living in America and the other the story of a truly unwanted girl in China. Though

Why is this event important to the author? This narrative follows a girl, growing into a woman, wishing to be an author. More than this, she wishes to be accepted by her father as an author. It follows her struggle to validate her education to her family, and overcome the stigma attached to her non-married lifestyle. In the end, she brought a story she had written to her ailing father, who was not only delighted to read it, but also wanted to share her work with the whole family.

The story begins with a "You must not tell anyone" words that will shape the course of history, life and silence. She uses the written word to illustrate the ability to heal the stories of the generations before her which is important in order find and understand her own identity.

Though I can say I have written countless essays after reading a book in English class, I don’t think that I’ve ever written one that told about my experience while reading the book. It’s interesting when your teacher tells you that you will be writing a paper on your experience with the book; my initial reaction was, “Oh no, what am I going to write about?” I was wondering to myself how I was going to complete the assignment when I didn’t really like the book. Then I thought of the positive things I took out of the book because I realized that I grew as a reader and a writer. I learned how to push myself to connect with a character that at first I didn’t have anything in common with. I also learned how to better understand a book by connecting it to other books I have read. Finally, my blogging experience helped me to make the book relevant to the time I’m living in.

I am greatly interested in participating in First Generation Scholars because of the mentor-mentee relationship the program offers. I am currently the first in my family to go through the application process and I don’t have anyone to refer to for advice other than my class advisor. I think I will largely benefit from having a mentor who went through the process because of the advice they will be able to offer from their experience. However, I think that having someone I can turn to for help will help me feel confident during the process. Additionally, First Generation Scholars offers the writing support I was eager to find. Although I do consider myself a talented academic writer, writing personal narratives, especially important ones like

According to Julia Alvarez in a magazine article Writing Matters, “... it’s by what people have written … that we understand who we are.” Through literature, people understand themselves and the world around them, and they can better prepare to face the world. Specifically through memoirs, or an author’s written life story, one can have a first hand look at the world around them and as a result can better understand the people discussed and their struggles. An American can benefit by reading literature from and about different cultures as it can lead to an understanding of others and an acceptance of different groups of people. Azar Nafisi’s memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran describes how she lived through the Iranian Cultural Revolution