6-6:10pm: Narration, greetings, update on how you’re doing.
6:10-6:25pm: What was the point of that, Lawson’s book. What was her intended lesson, and what she wants us to do now?
6:25-6:40pm: Proposals … What are you going to write, and why? And by “why” I mean what’s the idea behind your idea, YOUR intention in writing it. Remember, this is an opinion paper!! A supported opinion….
6:40-7pm: Ideas for developing your writing, your idea…. What will take you to page 5?
7:7:07pm: BREAK
7:07-7:30pm: Open mic…. Our writing. Just excerpts if you want, but if you have something typed and want to post it below, feel free!
7:30-7-50pm: Define quarantine… how you have used quarantine. And if you’re working during all this, what’s that like. But even still, what is this ‘shelter-in-place’ reality, in your words?
7:50-8pm: Close up …. The night’s page.
HW: Rough Draft of Sedaris/Lawson/Both paper
#professormikey 
Good evening everyone! I’m doing well, I feel like I am finally getting used to a stay at home schedule! Being kept in place is teaching me to take time for myself, and to read more and think more about myself. I have more time for writing, and I enjoy keeping a journal. I have been writing a lot about my days and my feelings about being physically isolated. I am also on the fourth Harry Potter book, re-reading the series is keeping me happy. I also have started to maintain a workout routine that I am motivated to keep up. I didn’t work out very often before being kept at home because I would spend a good majority of my time on my feet and walking around! Anyways I hope everyone else is staying at least somewhat happy, safe, and healthy!
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Time for the self is essential, as is I believe keeping a journal… WRITING your days. Love that you’re reading. Cheers, Olivia… good to see your words.
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Taking time for yourself is so important! I am glad you get that. I love re-reading the Harry Potters from time to time. Wishing you the best.
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I finally feel used to staying at home too! and yessss I love Harry Potter!!!
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I’m happy you’re finding happy moments during social isolation… it’s a hard thing to accomplish and stick to! Keep it up girl:)
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Hey everyone, I hope you are all well. I am doing well. I have been going on walks and spending my time doing things I love. I have tried to put my phone away as much as possible and I have been reading more. I am living life one day at a time. I am excited to talk on here and to catch up with everyone!
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One day at a time… one page at a time…
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I’m doing great right now, and really do hope everyone else is as well. Lawson’s book made me regret regretting some of my unfortunate life moments, as was advertised on the back cover I’m pretty sure. More than that though, she brought to life what it means to face those tough moments, and also any that could be considered in any way unfortunate, or just plain odd, with a healthy sense of humor. Her intended lesson was to not take yourself too seriously, and make the most out of what you were given. Maybe this is cliche, but I thing comedy, especially in her case, was, and still is, a vital sense of your, and the people around you’s, well being. After finishing the memoir, I figure she might want the reader to embrace their flaws, and make something out of them.
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Yes, facing tough moments is rich in education!!
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Hello All!
I hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy both physically and mentally.
All in all life is good here. We have been focusing a lot on our backyard and garden. I love to garden, so it’s been a real lifesaver for me. We have a wine cellar in our backyard and we are working on making it more of a bar for get togethers. Now I just need to be allowed to have people over!
Though life has been mellow and good, today was a little tough. My kids decided to fight ALL. DAY. LONG. I am ready for this class and to have a little Mama break. Wine may be in hand during this discussion.
Things have been more productive on the writing front. I realize that I have some fears to face over some topics I want and need to write about. It is definitely something I am working through. Does anyone else have that?
How is everyone else? Any other parents in this class feeling just a tad in need of their own time?
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All good on this side, Ashlyn!! And I want to come over when this is over and see that wine bar!! I’ll bring some bottles to help fill it! Cheers…
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Deal! It’s a super cool space. One of the reasons we were drawn to this house.
Glad things are good.
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Yes. I feel the opposite about the kid thing. I share custody with my ex husband and now that my schedule has changed, I get less time with my kids. pretty bummed out, but it hopefully won’t be long. Mamas need a break! Awesome on your backyard. I need to get my garden going ASAP. ❤
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Aw. I hope this is over soon and you get your schedule to a place where you want it. Good for you for working so hard for your family. Sounds like you’re an amazing Mom! Also, congrats on starting the blog! I have it saved and will check it out this week. I love your writing.
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I too love your writing…. Looking forward to seeing that blog amplify!!!
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How cool, I actually did some cleaning in our backyard yesterday. The kids had the most fun cutting grass by hand and moving in their playhouse from the front yard to the backyard. Hoping to make our backyard a “must go to” place in our house.
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What have you learned about yourself during this period? Being quarantined….
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I have learned that I need to loosen up on myself. I am often hard on myself all of the time. I always feel that my grades are not good enough and that I am not smart enough. This time away from school has let me breathe. Having online classes lets me pace myself and to give myself a schedule. I can put as much effort into work as I want and I can feel good about it. I have also learned to have patience. I am often moody and snap at my mom over nothing, I am learning to coexist peacefully. I am also learning that walking outside is a great way to be happy and find happiness and calmness.
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Good advice!!
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Before being quarantined I was out of the house all day every day, and I spent every moment hanging out with people and being rushed around. I truly never got any time for myself, and I would always want to spend some time alone, but I never gave myself the opportunity. Now, during this time I realized that I really like to hang out with myself and have some downtime to just read, write, or do nothing, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know myself better.
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I love my solitude. Not much has changed for me. Except being able to browse stores whenever I want with out a hazmat suit
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I have learned that I don’t do “whatever” well. I thrive off of routine and so do my kids. I have us on a pretty normal routine now. Something else I have learned is how important it is to just enjoy what you have. I often get caught up ordering things online and shopping for no reason. It has been really nice to just take a step back and only get what we need. I am very grateful for the wonderful life I have.
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Hi everyone, I’ve been doing good so far and just have been keeping myself occupied throughout the day. I recently started to make a do list which I find helpful because before I would sit and think about everything I needed to do, but still continued to just sit on the couch. Seeing what I need to do, on paper, helps me get motivated. Otherwise I’ve just been doing the same old same old, cleaning, working out, watching tv, drawing, and homework. Hope everyones good and safe!
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Demand yourself be moving, creating, discovering. NO EXCUSES!!! What I demand of myself, anyway…
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Agreed. As much as I want to lay in bed all day, I force myself to get up and complete one task at least haha!
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I should possibly do a to list the night before or something. I always go to bed thinking of all the things I want to do the next day but of course always forget most of the things by the AM.
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Its actually very helpful because crossing things off a list is such a great feeling!
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Yes it is!!
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Hey everyone,
I’ve finally found a routine that’s works for my kids and I. I’ve found sanity this week, I’ve come to find that with this situation that we are all in, a lazy day that isn’t Saturday or Sunday are most needed. Today was our lazy day, it consisted of staying in PJs and a lot of laundry. But also a lot of Netflix and cuddle in bed.
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Good to have time with family!!! A necessity in the story…
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That sounds amazing! I made this week our “second spring break.” We have been pretty lazy. It’s been great.
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Hey everyone!! What a week. Ugh. That sums it up. This is week #2 of starting work at 4am. The alarm going off at 3am is ROUGH. However, I get off work earlier and get 3 days off in a row. (I also don’t have to work Saturdays, which I’ve worked for the last 11 years.) That is the positive. So I choose to focus on the positive. I started my blog last week. So that is excited/nerve wracking/vomit inducing? But so far, I’ve had positive feedback. Even from people other than my spouse who loves everything I do. *insert eye roll*.
I hope everyone is surviving these days. Lots of love and positive vibes to the Wednesday English 1B class. ❤
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What advice do you have for your colleagues in terms of being productive and not giving in to laziness, during this shelter in place…?
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I feel as though you need a schedule. I set my kids up a schedule for homework and such and they have STUCK to it. They use the same schedule at their dad’s house too. Humans are creatures of habit. Make some normalcy for yourself.
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True.
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Hello everybody!!
Hope everyone is staying sane and all is well with you and your people! I have been really focusing on my fitness this week. I have also been painting madly for the past few days, and am super excited with the art work I am creating. I’m finding a lot of things to do to keep my self occupied. I really have came to terms with this whole quarantine thing and realized I actually don’t mind staying at home. I’ve been doing all of the things I enjoy which is keeping me sane, but I’m still procrastinating like CRAZY. Ugh I don’t know why I can’t just get that damned math homework done! Anyways, looking forward to class tonight!
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What are you learning about yourself, and your production?
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I’m not the most fit person but I’ve cleaned off my treadmill and actually started using it. I have built a schedule that with this crazy schedule I already stay up till midnight, might as well get a midnight walk in.
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Good for you!! Enjoy!!
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I can relate about procrastinating on math homework!!
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Yeah… cuz Math is so fun.
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Hey everyone! Checking in to see how everyone is doing. I’ve been spending most of my time working out, I’ve been running bike routes around my house for the past couple of days to stay in soccer shape. When I’m done with my morning workout is a healthy breakfast, then homework until late afternoon. Since we are all quarantined I’ve been trying really hard to make sure I am eating healthy, drinking enough water, working out, getting enough sunlight, and spending time with family. Mentally, I think I’m good, I think I might be a little better if we could have our social lives back soon, I miss seeing and hanging out with extended family and friends past a screen.
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Hey everyone, I hope you all are safe and doing well during these strange times. I miss our discussions in class, over the screen just isn’t the same. I spent the last 6 days hospitalized in the icu with a blood infection and gut inflammation. I thought I’d share what it’s like in the icu before your covid19 test comes back negative. The process is incredibly dehumanizing; doctors only come in if it is necessary, and when they do you can only see their eyes through a pair of goggles. So in conclusion, this shit is so much realer than some people are treating it!!! Another thing I’ve come to learn over the last week is to never take my body for granted. All of our bodies are a powerhouse and they deserve to be treated like royalty. Anyways, I’m back home and doing so much better thankfully. Stay safe folks:)
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Glad you’re well, and welcome back!!
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Harmony, I am so sorry that you had to go through that. I am so glad that you are doing better. That sounds scary and I agree that people are not treating COVID-19 seriously. I am glad that you are home and feeling better.
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I hope you’re doing well Harmony, wishing you a speedy full recovery.
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So much love coming your way girl! So sorry to hear that!
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Hi Harmony! I’m glad you are healthy and back home, that sounds like a rough past couple of weeks for you.
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hey everyone I’m doing pretty ok. Though it could be better I’m a little sick but that’s only from going through some withdrawals right now but I’m happy I’m doing it finally. Lawson helped me want to become a better person for myself so yay maybe some better writing will come from it! also been busy with work as well. I am very glad to be here tonight it’ll keep me distracted for a little bit.
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Hope you feel better!! What else is there in your connection with Lawson?
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I also connect with her on the dysfunctional childhood though mine was more violent as a kid then hers but still not having a perfect childhood is something I connect with.
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Something to build on, Skyler. And, you understand her in a way others cannot! Something to use for your writing!!
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My childhood trauma has given me a lot of material to work with in writing. I am glad you are doing well. Hang in there!! ❤
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These are kind words for your colleague, and all of us. Thank you.
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Hey class! I’m doing well! I’ve started a lot of fun projects this last week and I think it has made me feel better just because it gives me something to look forward to. Although I resent online chemistry and algebra, I’ve been keeping up with all my work, so that feels good too. I’m really just hoping this ends some time soonish so we can have a summer.
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You got this! I’m with you, I’m looking forward to our anual camping trip, let’s hope we can have a summer since spring has been a horror.
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ugh my comments aren’t posting… testing
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Yes they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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You’re on!
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Glitches, but we see you. That was me last week.
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Hello everyone, I hope we are all being safe out there. Today I came home to a very nice surprise from my brother, he hand sewed me a mask. And not just any mask but a Olaf mask. Thats right I’m going to be walking around with tiny prints of Olaf on my face and I never thought the day would come that I would be this excited to own a mask… yay me
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I’m jealous of your Olaf mask!! Staying safe in fashion if you ask me…
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I want an Olaf mask ;(
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That’s so cool! Does he make any to sell? Opposite from you, I dint like wearing a mask while wearing my glasses. They fog up so much.
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That is so cute!! My little sister loves both Frozen movies, very impressive to hand sew. Gifts from the heart are the best.
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Another thing that helps during this time is music, I have noticed that music is the one thing in my life that I can 100% rely on. I love hearing new songs. I definitely recommend James Blake’s album “assume form”, it has helped me stay sane!
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I agree Maddie! James Blake is amazing, and I could never live without music!
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So with you on that. Music is and always will be an alleviating constant in our chaotic lives!
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yes, agreed! music has really been a life saver
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I am doing just about the same, but the weather has been nice and is definitely helping me feel better.
Lawson wants us to know how she grew, what she faced, how she coped, and how she came through at the end triumphing with her lighthearted outlook and ability to be funny and connective.
My proposal is something I feel very strongly about. Sedaris and Lawson have this knack for expressing their past so vividly . Through humor they decide for us what we know about how they grew up and how they went about the world. It really shows their perspective.
I am definitely going to write about both the way Lawson and Sedaris show their perspective to us and how humor in general is so complicated and complex if used in great ways. I wrote about how it is like a door that opens up and walks through who a person is and who they were and what they will be. I am also going to write how these attributes apply to my life and life for people in general. Humor is a way of expressing life. Expressing is a way to connect and strengthen the bonds of the community of humans we belong to and the many communities and connections within.
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Love this response, and love that you have such a connection with Ms. Lawson. Love the focus on humor and its complicated nature.
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For Lawson’s intended lesson, I think she wants us to understand ourselves and where we came from, and to embrace that part of ourselves so we can heal and learn from our experiences.
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SO WHAT WAS THE POINT OF LAWSON’S BOOK???
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I think it was Lawson’s own self expression and her therapy. She didn’t give a damn about what others thought about her writing.
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True. And, she showed the value of truth in a way Sedaris didn’t. I think…
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In short I think Lawson’s intention was to prove that a small change of perspective can change everything. She uses humor to describe traumatizing times throughout her childhood. She chose to laugh rather than complain and I think that’s the beauty of her memoir. Why complain about moments that are uncontrollable?
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Yep!!
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The point of Lawson’s book to me was to get us to learn from what we have lived through, and to recognize that our experiences are what have made us into who we are. She mentions several times that she keeps a journal, and that’s why her stories are so detailed and real. So I think she wants her readers to be able to write about their pasts and futures so they can understand who they are and why they are that way, and to accept and love themselves through all of the craziness or flaws or differences.
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Identity and realization!!!
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I think the intention of Jenny Lawson’s book was to share her story and make light of the things she has been through and is going through in her life. I think her message to readers is to tell their story with a positive and light heart. The things we may think are bad or weird usually have some good in them. I think the message she gave a lot is that the grass is always greener where ever you water it. She wants us to write our stories even if we don’t think they’re important and have no regrets with our life. Everything we go through leads us to the next part.
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I believe that Lawson’s intended lesson for us readers to learn and understand that it’s ok to feel vulnerable. By writing about our flaws, our insecurities and our fears, we can become better writers. This allows us to open up and accept our differences rather than push them away and hide them from view. Lawson shows us how to embrace our past. How to cherish not only the good moments but also the bad… even the bad moments that people want to forget. She accomplishes this simply by writing with humor. Humor is a powerful tool and something I would like to introduce more in my writing.
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Yes to all of this!!!!
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I absolutely love her ability to laugh at herself and with others about herself. She does a great job at not making fun of herself to dig on her character but laughs and finds joy in each moment of who she was and is. That’s pretty admirable.
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Yes, and a trait worthy of study!!!
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Yes! This is something that I’ve overlooked, will definitely address this concept when I write my paper!
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Being vulnerable is a whole lot easier when you have a funny and lighthearted way to discuss it. Because humor is relatable and vulnerability is too!
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Yes, and the ease of it is what makes the story one of life and believably.
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Lawson’s book is all about herself, it is a memoir. But her unique way of writing allows the book to invite the reader into the story. It is a journey that the reader takes with Lawson. She grabs your hand in the beginning and walks you through it. She makes you feel like you are a part of her life. She is real and relatable and she always aims to be authentic. She is fearless and shares everything.
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INVITE. That is my singular word for my proposal:) She invites us to listen and laugh!
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YES!!
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Hi everyone I am still working from home just getting a little busier as time passes I’m getting assigned new projects. I’ve been also walking my dog everyday, I’m sure he’s wondering why I’m home everyday now.
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I bet your dog is really happy though!
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The purpose of Lawson’s book is to give people peace of mind that their life isn’t the only one that’s crazy. She writes so truthfully about everything that happens to her to showing that life isn’t perfect. People need this reminder that sometimes things don’t go as planned. And sometimes that’s okay. Lawsons writing about her struggles of getting pregnant and the shots she had to give herself first of all shows how amazingly transparent she is with us. It also shows that Lawson is capable of recovering when things didn’t the way she planned.
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Everything you wrote is exactly how her memoir made me feel. I think it’s important, especially watching media and looking at people’s “perfect” lives throughout instagram, to remember that everyone goes through bizarre and unexpected times. That’s what being human is all about!
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Yes!! And Ms. Lawson, one could argue, is a very distinct embodiment of HUMANNESS!!!
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Dang this is good hahaha. But yeah I completely agree, she’s a great writer and lets us know that its okay if some things are rocky.
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Rocky is useful….
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Yes, so true! Anybody who lives a life where nothing unexpected or strange or bizarre or unpleasant, is probably reduced a shell of a human being. Absolutely nobody lives this kind of life though. The unsavory things in life are a common struggle that makes us all the same and all different at the same time. The way Lawson describes her personal unpleasant life experiences simply reminds us that’s it is okay and it has meaning to how we live and who we are.
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Unpleasant makes it worth writing!! And, something for us as readers to more richly experience.
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The point of Lawsons book was for you to feel like its okay to be yourself and reflect on your past maybe even with a laugh. Also to connect with the readers so that we can remember what kind of person we are and to remind us to not be afraid to show people you’re true personality.
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Nice Shanti! I totally think Lawson wants us all to reflect… Great thought!!!
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Yes! And one that we should all consider for our writing!!
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Humor is a great way to show others who you are and what your intentions are and it’s is a great way to show them this really fast and get straight to the point, even at the first impression! I felt this way reading Lawson. I instantly knew what her general purpose was and got a feel for who she was and how her life works and was like in her past and how she felt about about it.
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Lawson’s book I think was a story, meant to tell others to be them fully. Her writing style is very unique, her personality seems to be on every page, a dash of Lawson, some more than others. She follows the storyline of what a “book” should have, but puts her own twist on it. Lawson writes what she feels, without holding back, she grabs your attention, and expects the reader to be on their toes.
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Explain a little further, please…
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She is very outgoing in her writing. She always is talking to the reader, reminding them to keep reading, saying things like “in case you wanted to skip this chapter don’t “, she rambles on to explain herself, and her life like a diary. She isn’t afraid to talk about personal things like her careers, her health, her marriage, and will do it openly with no care in her book. She cusses and uses pictures and gets into emotion which pulls the reader in to relate. Her style of writing changes through the book. Sometimes she writes in lists, italicization, word convos like script. She writes very personally and free!!! My topic for my writing is free.
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Give us an example of this “outgoing” personality..
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For tonight’s page….. Telling your story is convincing yourself of your story and its value.
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Love this Mikey! So damn true. We are our own obstacle.
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Just a thought…. ❤
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WOW. This is so true. This is something that’s easier said than done.
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It should never be easy. No one should want it to be.
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Absolutely!!!
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That’s right, because otherwise telling the story would have no meaning and no audience. Telling a story to an audience doesnt need a crowd or another person to tell it to. You can tell the story to yourself and prove to yourself that the story has a purpose for yourself and your impact on the world.
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I believe Lawson‘s theory behind her writing was for her audience to realize that finding what works best for you may seem roughly weird to other, but who cares. As long as what you do for your mental health works for you, you should keep at it and don’t give a rats-behind if someone’s opinion is different from yours.
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A lot of education in her pages… possibly something to incorporate into your essay!
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To be honest I think Lawson’s message for the book is to love yourself even for all your bad quirky sides, and also to love ourselves and each other more. she wants us to leave with a higher self-appreciation and appreciation for others and that all lives have different stories as well is was makes us well us. I think that is what Lawson would want us to take away from her book.
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Self-love is NEVER a sin!!!
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But is having a quirky side “bad”?
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Quirky is HUMAN!!!
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I didn’t even think of that! There is so much self-love inherently in telling a story with unpleasant experiences and struggles and being vulnerable without punishing yourself .
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Agreed.
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For my proposal I am writing about how Jenny Lawson is an authentic, gruesomely honest, hilarious writer. My intention is to express the way Jenny’s writing made me feel. My idea is to write out what Jenny and her style of writing means to me. I am going to support this with things that she wrote that made me change the way I have thought about something.
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never heard truer word’s than those.
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I think Lawson’s intention with her book is to just be herself and even though she might have been an outcast, she still moved forward with her life. She teaches us strength and self determination. She is a voice for people that might also be feeling left out or not quit in tune with society. She makes us embrace ourselves as we are.
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Again, the value of identity and the desire to have one that’s TRUE!!! And completely our own!!!
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In how Ms. Lawson relays her memories, does she come off as credible? And if so, how credible? How did she get you to trust her?
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I think her honesty/vulnerability is what makes her credible. Her hilarious and wonderfully inappropriate details create a sense of trust with readers.
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Yes I completely agree, I addressed this concept in my proposal. We know she is being honest and so we are at peace with her and her story. So we trust that what she is writing is true.
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Trust is HUGE in narration.
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Honestly, her memories were so bat shit crazy that it was hard to believe anyone could make that up! I know a lot of people with amazing imaginations, however she just pulled you in. She was able to make you feel like a part of her family/memories and I think making someone feel welcome/or that they belong too is how you earn someone’s trust.
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I never doubted Lawson once in her book. I know the title is “mostly true memoir” but she is someone who I trust. Maybe I want to believe her, so I do. She is real with the audience and is telling stories, some of which are cringy and weird, and why would she lie? I mean they are stories that make her Jenny. I trust her because she breaks the fourth wall and speaks to you. she jokes with you and calls you out while you are reading. She is herself.
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Yes she is!!!
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She comes off as credible to me. Even if she does exaggerate, I mean how can you make all of that up? She just comes off as so real and authentic and funny. Funny people is social situations are viewed as more trustworthy… Maybe that’s why?
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If that’s your read, then great!!
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Makes them feel more human and credible.
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While Lawson may exaggerate BRIEFLY in her memories, she gained my trust because she always comes back and clears it up. A lot of times the exaggerations were in the memory as a conversation with someone else, and a lot of times they were in the spur of the moment exaggerations which aid her story. These exaggerations showed her true visions and lets us know how she was feeling. If she exaggerated a dog to be a vicious bear, we knew she was scared etc. And she definitely is credible because she always clears it up after.
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At first I found it hard to believe her but the pictures made everything she was saying credible. I then started to think about the rural place she lived in and thought well “at this point anything is possible”. I also thought about googling the place she grew up in to get a sense of her environment.
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And the environment’s character and how that shapes HER character. And, her writing.
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For tonight’s page….. I feel Ms. Lawson reminds us, ‘One day at a time, one page at a time’.
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I like this. I added this as a reminder for myself.
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I proposed to write about both Sedaris, and Lawson. I want to show that although they have different personalities, and different styles of writing, the ultimate affect that they have on the reader should more-or-less be the same. I said that they were both humanists, who wrote for themselves, by writing for others. By this I mean they wrote knowing that their stories were going to help the reader in whatever way that that reader wants to be helped. My overall intention is just to show that they both, I think at least, have made it their mission to help people, in the best way that they know how(which that way is going to differ between the two – but it doesn’t matter, same desire either way).
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Hey Jacob! I chose to write about both of them as well! I love the similarities they share. I think they have similar writing styles.
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So what would call their collective style?
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Unconventional
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Love it!!
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They are both deeply personal in the topics and memories they write about and also deeply personal in the way they write and open up to who they are and the factors in their life that make them who they are. Their humor combined with the things they write about is very telling of who they are.
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Excellent!
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I am writing about Jenny Lawson, and how she is a humanist. Humanism affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. Lawson uses her writing to reflect on her past and accept herself. She wants us to understand ourselves and where we came from, and to embrace that part of ourselves so we can heal and learn from our experiences. My intention in writing about this is that I believe that she is indeed a humanist, and that she is teaching her readers how to live their own lives as themselves, and that they can do that by writing and embracing all of what makes them themselves. As mikey just said, “telling your story is convincing yourself of your story and its value.” I believe this fits in really well with what Lawson is trying to say.
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For my proposal, I plan on writing about how I grew to respect both Sedaris and Lawson through their brutal honesty. They both tell their truths with candidness and they tell it exactly how it is. This not only made me trust their authority, but RESPECT it. The amount of vulnerability they both had while writing takes courage to produce, but also provides content which is relatable… so ultimately honesty is respect!
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I like that you said brutal honesty. That is a good way to describe both of them. I am curious what other authors are like them in this way.
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The brutality is kindness toward the reader.
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The theme of my paper is going to be “Jenny Lawson: The Master of Manic Hilarity.” I am writing this because not only do I believe one of Lawson’s centralized themes in her books is to get others to be themselves and tell their stories with a light heart, it’s also her coping mechanism of facing the things she’s been through. A great soother for anxiety (being someone who suffers pretty severely myself) is writing it out. She is able to write for therapy with humor and love for herself and those who have crossed her path. She also does this unapologetically and lacking a filter. This is why I used the terms “manic hilarity.”
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Great title!! And a soother she is!!
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My proposal is David Sedaris and Jenny Lawson are inviting. My paragraphs/themes are things like: they invite us to, listen, to laugh, to rest, etc.
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Love it!
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I love the way you worded that. And they invite us to know who they are through it all!
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I proposed to write about Lawson’s fearlessness. She is unafraid to show the world her life. She embraces her way of living and her childhood. She uses mental health and her struggles with it to reach out to her audience. Her being honest and open allows another side of Lawson to emerge. Her openness is a quality many authors do not have. Lawson lays everything out for everyone to read. She is not ashamed. Lawson is inspiring and is the mental health advocate the world needs. The world in general just needs more of her humor.
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I really like the word fearless to describe Lawson. I had never thought of her with that in mind, but you’re right, being vulnerable is being fearless!
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Where’d y’all go?
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Lawson got me to trust her with her honestly of who she is as a person, especially her flaws. She doesn’t try and hide things to make it seem like she has the perfect life or is the perfect person, she lets her readers know that she makes mistakes and has flaws too just like everyone else instead of trying to make her life seem like its some perfect love movie. This also makes people want to be themselves more, because she put her insecurities inside a book for anyone and everyone to see. She has very much so gained my trust.
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that’s how I feel too! It feels genuine because she’s not trying to make it sound perfect, she let’s us see her flaws and all the weirdness!
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yesss, one of the realest writers I’ve read. Not only real but funny at the same time
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Im doing well. Staying busy with work and trying new hobbies, I started painting again. Quarantine means staying isolated, at least that’s my definition of it. Im not trying to be too extreme about it but im also trying not to make the issue at hand worst. I have made a weekly running schedule to stay sane. Im not sure if I have to wear a mask while running but im definitely going to hate that. My long runs are at 5 am and my short runs are around 2 pm. Long runs can be anywhere from 4-6 mile and my short runs are usually two miles. It’s important for me to go outside every day but I try my best to avoid people.
Im and aid and today my student refused to put in clean underwear and attend school. If that isn’t a mood I don’t know what it. In a nutshell that’s how distant teaching is going. I hope you all are healthy and safe. 🙂
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Tell us about your thoughts on Lawson..
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Hi guys, I’m not gonna lie this week kinda sucked for me. There are now six people in my house and I’m sharing my room with two of them. The new people in our home don’t appreciate my dog and they think he is annoying. Right now, I’m sitting outside with my pup because he won’t stop barking and the new roomies are complaining. I’m also sitting outside because the house is so loud and I am so anxious that I can’t get anything done. I am normally not a “sharer” and I don’t think I would normally type this but I think that this is the best way for me to prove that I was inspired by Lawson. I’m not sure if anyone read my comment last week, but I think I enjoy her writing so much because I admire her, and I bet some of you do to. I’m inspired to write because of her and because of Sedaris. They make me think that my story is worth telling, even if I don’t think I’m funny enough or interesting enough. So I’m sharing, from my backyard, cold and annoyed by my current situation. Although today is rough, I am thankful that my family is healthy, I am thankful that our new housemates are in a safer situation, and I am thankful for my crazy dog. Next week will be better, and I will keep writing.
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Stay strong. You can do this. All of this.
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❤
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I am writing about both Sedaris and Lawson as unconventional writers. They are refreshing and realistic. Tangible people of sorts. “Normal” people can relate to them, growing up with middle class families. Not the wealthy elite and families with high social standings.
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I wrote a lot of similar things in my proposal paper… the fact that both of them are so relatable makes their work so much more enjoyable. I kept feeling like I was having a conversation with them. I think the diction that they choose changes their title of “author” to “human who is very good at describing their life stories”
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I wrote my Sedaris paper on his relatability! I just relate to the both of them with their sarcasm, profanity and the REALNESS! LOL
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I love your topic. I agree with you that Sedaris and Lawson are unconventional writers. Did you prefer Lawson’s writing style over Sedaris’ writing style? Sedaris is such a clean writer as appose to Lawson.
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I am team Sedaris! I like Lawson, but I found Sedaris’s dry? sense of humor so much better!
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Go further into your proposals… WHY you chose the topic and direction you did.
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The word Invite came to my writing very naturally. I think I spit it out in my journal somewhere and decided that it had a lot of potential and a lot of depth. Once I started to contemplate it the ideas just kept flowing. I feel like now all my opinions on Lawson connect back to that word.
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I agree!
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I think that if ideas start coming naturally to you, you’ll write not only a strong, but passionate essay… yay Avery:)
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I enjoyed both of these authors and felt very inspired by them. I really liked the similarities that they shared as writers and wanted to dive a little deeper in to what I like so much about the both of them to help me become a better writer and find my “voice”.
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I chose my topic after looking through my scrambled notes in both of my copies of the books. I kept scribbling things like “wow this is relatable”, or “oh my god I would never have the courage to say this out loud”. I then tried to figure out why I was feeling like that and thought it was because I respected their honesty. It takes a close friend for me to really open up, so the thought of them sharing their stories, candidly, to the whole world made me feel so much respect for their humanness.
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I plan to write about how Sedaris and Lawson both brought humor in yet another dark situation. (the pandemic) These books serve as a distraction from what is going, and they are also entertaining. I plan to explore how Lawson manages to engage readers with her writing style as well as Sedaris. I want to express how my reading has changed since reading the first book up until now. I also feel more engaged with this book than I did with the first one and I want to talk about why I feel this way.
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Like the idea of distraction. Maybe they were trying to distract themselves as well!!
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For my two page proposal that was due today, I was more broad with what I am planning on saying for the completed essay. To get to page 5 I will spend time expanding my ideas and adding more details or examples to strengthen my opinions! Lawson gives her readers so much in her writing, I am not so worried about finding things to write about her!
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Awesome!!!
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