Considering about the options for books to go on my personal reading list, there are some that I’ve already read in some that I’ve been meaning to get around to reading for some time, some of a more academic style and some much more mainstream and easily absorbed style. My list of books to emulate and be inspired by contains a broad range of books as my life has contained a broad range of experiences. I have called myself a jack of all trades and follow that statement by describing it as the curse of the inquisitive.
For many years I’ve said “when I grow up, I want to write just like Dr. Seuss” so it seems as though it would be disingenuous of me to not include him on this reading list. He never wrote any books on writing but he wrote some very powerful books about being true to one’s self and working hard to achieve one’s dreams so I’m putting the “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” on my list. When asked to create this reading list it was obvious to me that Creative Nonfiction Magazine should be on it. When I was looking for a book to read I found myself flipping through nonfiction books but always being disappointed by list of facts and research. I wanted to learn something and I wanted
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Elizabeth Kolbert wrote the 2015 Pulitzer prize-winning book in the creative nonfiction genre, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History. Ms. Kolbert’s book used the resources she has accumulated through years working in journalism to produce a well researched book about the science of the environmental change we are currently experiencing. I want this on my reading list because it serves as an inspiration. The book I want to write is less backed up by personal hands on research but more a collection of persuasive essay’s guiding readers to wiser, more conscious behavior choices. Nonetheless her writing is tight, journalistic and persuasive without
The antagonist of “Where are you going, Where have you been” written by Joyce Carol Oates, is no ordinary guy. Arnold Friends,a dynamic, round character with a charming but controlling personality, seems to be the embodiment of Atropos. A greek deity known as the moirai who is said to be the controller of fate, or specifically, one’s death. He talks a lot but reveal nothing about himself, a sign of emotionally manipulative person, someone who is able to zero in on one’s weakness, like Connie’s romantic fantasies.) Like the typical bad boy archetype he offered to take her away from the dull drone of her suburban life. But that explain how it links to arnold being atropos lmao/how death takes you away. With the quality of a calm and deep, sing-song
As The World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do To Stay In Denial, by Derrick Jensen and Stephanie McMillan, is a graphic novel about the state of our environment. They use cartoons and abundant sarcasm to convey the message that the attempts people are making to save the environment are not enough to do any real good. Their message challenges both those of Edward O. Wilson and the University of Connecticut in that Jensen and McMillan’s ideas are much more radical and suggest that the ideas posed by Wilson and UConn, such as the importance of recycling and sustainability efforts, are ineffective at saving the environment. We must resolve the challenges posed by Jensen and McMillan so that all of the ideas put forth in the sources may work together rather than against each other. In order to do this we must accept that some of the ideas given by Jensen and McMillan may be too extreme to do any real good and that the ideas suggested by Wilson and UConn, though slightly ineffective, are nonetheless important steps in saving the environment. Taken alone, none of their ideas will save the environment; instead it is necessary to combine the ideas of Wilson, UConn, and Jensen and McMillan in order to create a more realistic plan to save the planet.
We all have been there. After a long days work, all we are thinking about is getting home. As you head towards your car, you notice the darkness around you and suddenly feel that you are not alone. Your pace increases and you begin to sweat mildly. If you could just get there, you’d be safe. Suddenly, you hear a noise and decide the best thing for you to do is ignore it. As you approach you car and unlock it, you sigh with relief that you’ve finally have made it. For many, our minds play tricks on us when we feel a moment of fear, however for others it may turn out to be their worst nightmare. In the story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates, a young girl is forced to make a decision
In her essay “The Obligation to Endure”, Rachel Carson alerts the public to the dangers of modern industrial pollution. She writes about the harmful consequences of lethal materials being released into the environment. She uses horrifying evidence, a passionate tone, audience, and the overall structure of her essay to express to her readers that the pollution created by man wounds the earth. There are many different ways that pollution can harm the environment, from the nuclear explosions discharging toxic chemicals into the air, to the venomous pesticides sprayed on plants that kills vegetation and sickens cattle. The adjustments to these chemicals would take generations. Rachel
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, is perhaps one of the most beloved children’s authors of the twentieth century. Although he is most famous as an author of children’s books, Geisel was also a political cartoonist, advertisement designer, and film director (Kaplan). He used the power of imagination to produce unforgettable children’s books and helped solve the problem of illiteracy among America’s children. By using his experiences in life as a foundation for most of his books, Theodor Geisel created a unique writing style that incorporated various elements and techniques, enabling his books to appeal to people of all ages.
“Oh, the places you’ll go,” this famous Dr. Seuss quote tells us how each and every one of us will go out and go to the places where we are to be. It shows the strong opinion that we all have a purpose and a plan for our lives and we are where we need to be; there is no time superior to the present to pursue my future. Despite all the possibilities, here we all are, in this school, to take the succeed in first step to being an adult, plausibly due to the high expectations of friends, family and ourselves to be advanced. Against the stress of all these things, do we succeed?
The first book that most definitely deserves a spot on this list would be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. This was the first of two books
Dr. Seuss is trying to tell us in “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” that even if we get knocked down we can still be brilliant. He’s telling us that even if we are defeated by our competition, we can still become the better opponent later on. We aren’t supposed to join the bandwagon either, we are supposed to move on past the common folk. Dr. Seuss is trying to get us to not wait for our opportunity, he wants us to meet it.
“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” was published in 1966 by Joyce Carol Oates. The story follows a girl, Connie, who encounters a mysterious man. She catches him watching her walk away with another boy, but doesn’t bother to think of him. As the days pass, she is stuck home alone to do whatever she wants; she enjoys her day relaxing—daydreaming about boys—until a car drives up to her house. Who might it be? The man… the man we soon call as Arnold Friend. Connie’s failure to look beyond her fantasies makes her prone to manipulation and deception; so one of her major character flaws is naiveté.
“The End of Nature,” by Bill McKibben is a startling book of non-fiction depicting the future in store for the environment and humans. His somber yet hopeful approach allows readers to sense the real intensity of this situation of mass environmental changes whilst remaining expectant of the advancements in the
When I first saw we had to read a book for this class, I was not that happy about it. However, this book was so fascinating to read, and I learned more than I thought I would. The beginning of the book freaked me out because Kolbert mentions that we’re in the middle of a mass extinction. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the thought of the human race becoming extinct. Every time I think about that, I always remember that documentary/movie called Life without People we watched in eighth grade. For her to talk about how the human race isn’t as superior as we think is eye opening. Also, it was surprising to learn that Kolbert was a journalist, and that she wasn’t some scientist. It showed me that you don’t have to limit yourself to just one thing. She took her field of journalism and paired it with a journey to find out what is happening to the Earth.
“Where Have You Been? Where Are You Going?” by Joyce Carol Oates is a realistic allegory short story, written in inspiration of a 1960’s feature in Life magazine on the “Pied Piper of Tucson”. The story opens with an introduction of Connie and the many dilemmas she faces at home. With her home being a battlefield, Connie loves going out with her girl friend to the mall in town and running across the highway to the drive-in. One night Connie spots a boy who sends frightening chills down her spine, but she brushes him off to enjoy her new-found date for the night. Days later while her family is at a family barbeque, a gold Jalopy pulls into the driveway. When she goes to the door, she’s greeted by Arnold Friend, the mysterious boy from the drive-in. Their conversation starts as casual chit chat until it escalates when Arnold starts losing his cool. He’s trying to
Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, is perhaps one of the most beloved children's authors of the twentieth century. Although he is most famous as an author of children's books, Geisel was also a political cartoonist, advertisement designer, and film director (Kaplan). He used the power of imagination to produce unforgettable children's books and helped solve the problem of illiteracy among America's children. By using his experiences in life as a foundation for most of his books, Theodor Geisel created a unique writing style that incorporated various elements and techniques, enabling his books to appeal to people of all ages.
“A Small Place” by Elaine Potter Richardson depicts different versions of Antigua viewed through four separate narratives. During her tour she sees the beauty of the island through a tourist’s eyes as well as the misery in the island’s history. Then she recounts her personal memories of when she lived in Antigua while it was occupied by the British, detailing the racism introduced into the society and how the constant years of colonial repression led the country into the impoverished state it is in. She also mentions how language is an important symbol in recognizing the obligation by their enslaver to assimilate. This is a statement I agreed with because when I visited the Caribbean it was interesting to me that they had taken English and
Buell, Lawrence. The future of environmental criticism: environmental crisis and literary imagination. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2005. Print.