9/10/20
5-510pm: Settle in, how are you? What’s new? Have you been writing for YOU?
5:10-5:35pm: Pieces we read… your reactions/SUPPORTED OPINIONS.
5:35-6pm: If you had to characterize or identify Sedaris as anything, what would it be?
For example, “Sedaris is ___________.”
That is a position. That is a thesis, stemming from an opinion.
6-6:20pm: Let’s practice supporting these opinions now….. Please post and share some evidence/quotes from Sedaris’ essays to support your opinions. Please engage each other, ask each other questions, support each other’s arguments!
6:20-6:40pm: OPEN MIC!!!!!!!! What have you been writing for YOU?? Please post and share and react to each other….
ASSIGNMENT: Please have Diabetes With Owls finished by 9/23/20. Start developing an opinion on the book, and Sedaris. This will be the prompt for your first longer essay. Don’t worry about the essay right now… just start developing an opinion. Text me with any questions.
#professormikey 
Hello Everyone,
hope you all are doing good, beside our orange sky. how’s the reading so far?
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isn’t this orange sky so crazy? I haven’t been out of my house since Saturday. Just left today to go to work.
I am really enjoying reading this book. It is so funny and a light reading, it kinda become a relax thing for me to do in the end of the day. How is your reading so far?
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yes, very crazy. But I have to say that’s something to admire, we don’t usually get this kinds of views. my reading so far is going, I can say that I can see a connection to most of the things that have happen to him.
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Im good! how about you? The reading is going great. Really enjoying the reading
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I am doing my best on trying to adjust to all this weather changes. I love this book a lot to learn from it
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Hello! How you all are doing? The past few days have been really crazy for me with work, all the things I have to do for school and so ”family challenge” that btw I could relate to some of Sedaris essays haha but I am glad I am here this evening
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I am doing good how about you?
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Hi everyone I’m good , even though it was smokey today, I did go fishing. It was a weird experience when the sky is orange but still had a good time. And yes I have been writing everyday at least half a page just going over my day.
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Hi everyone
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Is professor mike is gonna present in this session?
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hello, i’m not doing my best and i have been writing for myself.
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hello everyone
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Hi everyone. I hate waking up and the sky is all orange. Prince talked about a purple sky- not an orange one! 😦
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My day has been okay, not much has been happening with the smoke all around. Right now im with my grandmother helping her with house work since its hard to breath with all the smoke. I’ve been writing mostly for myself however ill have to change the way i write to pass the class.
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Hello, last week I received a new lifting bench so that was pretty cool but I’ve been chilling for the most part and just doing homework since I’ve found myself with more time than usual.
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hey how’s everyone doing today, I’ve been having some wifi issues today but hopefully I’ll be fine
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to be honest I haven’t really been writing that much lately, somehow I am feeling more introspective which I know would be a great moment to write but I am not really feeling like it. And I just don’t want to force myself and see writing as a obligation. So I am just writing some notes during the day about things or some thoughts that I think it is important
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I feel that
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hi everyone.
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Writing for me have been getting easier and easier with all the practice. This weeks assignment wasn’t hard to write about because I felt very passionate about it
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Hey everyone I haven’t been doing much other than homework and flying my drone outside.
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It’s so weird without Professor Mike responding back to us 😦
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ikr 😭
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Laugh, Kookaburra was one of my favorite due to the passage about how you must sacrifice either family, work, health , or friends just to be successful . When reading this chapter I kept thinking “ Man, what do I have to sacrifice to be successful ? Do I need to cut off my family or friends? “ overall dope chapter made me think a lot.
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I found myself realizing I have been cutting off friends and well stuff has been getting better.
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yeah this chapter made me think a lot. But then I realized that I can be successful in so many ways. What does being success mean to you? I think that the most important question. I liked when he wrote ”I didn’t have the analogy of the stovetop back then, but what I’d done was turn off the burner marked ”family”. Then I’d locked my door and sat there simmering, knowing that without them, I was nothing. Not a son, or a bother but just a boy – and how could that ever be enough?”
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Hey Y’all! today has been a great day had some challenges! I had bought a cooler two months ago but I was noticing that its not cool and it gives me allergies at night sometimes or actually most of the time it makes my room humid! so I called Home Depot and they said I bought a humidifier not a cooler! They told me I could return it so I tried to get it down stairs and all the water fell onto my stairs! pretty funny so I picked it up and took it back! got my $300 back! ANYWAYS. I have been writing in my journal and its cool to see that weeks ago my mindset has changed! I guess with my last break up and my self confidence has!
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Before reading this, did anyone know what a kookaburra was? I had to look it up and was surprised it wasn’t made up!
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Omg no idea!! I thought it might have been like that big blue bird with the deep voice in the ‘Muppets’ !! I was so worry lol I guess that’s a bald eagle
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My opinion on the novel so far hasn’t changed much. It is hard to read since i never know when to take something seriously since in the chapter “Standing Still” Sedaris sister almost gets raped and the chapter continues about how Sedaris and his dad go looking for the guy and then in the next chapter its a parody email titled “Just A Quick Email” where a Girl steals her siblings boyfriend and how they’re living the dream feels off and gives me whiplash reading it.
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Even though I have been reading Sedaris for a few weeks, each essays it surprises me in how Sedaris can talk so openly and make me laugh and at the same time think about some society problems that have been going on for so long and we are still dealing with it. For example, on the Standing still, his sisters was almost raped and his parents were trying to blame everyone else, or all the sexual harassment that his sisters have been through. It makes me so upset that we women still, COME ON we are in 2020, have to go through.
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I couldn’t agree with you more! It is just so sad. I never know what to expect now when I go to the next essay!
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It makes me so sad when the parents literally blaimed her. Sure it wasn’t the best idea but it’s not like she wanted it to happen or knew! It was a different time back then. It just makes me sad that people STILL give men excuses for acting like that and say “Thats just how some men think” NO stop giving them a way out its gross and horrible!
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right?! I love that he wrote ”is it that hard to distinguish a prostitute from a college student? Whores don’t wear glasses. And what about me? I WALK TO THE STORE ALL THE TIME.” Caps because that is what everyone should think and act like. It is not because I am a woman I have a right time to go to the store or do whatever I want.
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The essay ‘Just a Quick E’mail’ just kept getting better and better! The lady was a total b!tch and kept bragging about everything she has to this girl. Sure, pizza coupons isn’t the greatest wedding gift by what do you get someone who has everything! The poor girl who she was e-mailing lost the use of her legs from a accident they had together!! The lady literally mentioned she could have sued the girl for it but didn’t! She also stole her husband and one-upped her one everything she did just to find out they’re SISTERS!!! Wow I was so shocked
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I feel like the whole essay really brought to light the dangers of drunk driving through a funny satirical delivery.
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Omg that’s how they got in the car accident? I totally read over that part but could be true. I really just thought Sedaris thought it was funny so he put it in lol
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I didn’t see it my first read but my second one I did.
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Best plot twist!!
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AGREED!! My mouth literally fell open
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I missed over that as well! thank you for saying that tonight.
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Righ?? I read this essay three times just to make sure I was getting right. I know that every single family has their ”drama” but this one I was what the f??
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Hello Everyone, I had a great day working this morning then finished up my last class two minutes ago and now i’m on here for English!
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I liked most of the passages I read but my favorite has to be Laugh, Kookaburra. The one line that stuck out to me was comparing Australia to Canada but in a thong, I thought it was pretty funny. As for my overall opinion I would have to say Sedaris is pretty laid back but can be annoyed by things out his control from time to time. which is reflected I his attitude. For the most part his humor lands most of the time and being able to sense sarcasm is fairly easy making him witty and enjoyable.
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In “Standing Still” where Sedaris is sharing about when he was so poor and how he used it to be creative. It is sad how him being poor was a way for people to see him and his creative side.
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My favourite essay was standing still especially first few pages in which he told us that how he used to to do part time Job instead of full time to concentrate more on his art which I can relate to and I have seen it in so many people who are so focused on their artistic vision that money almost seems like a barrier to them rather than positive thing.
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Laugh Kookaburra had me wanting to hop on a plane with my girlfriend to go hear that whap of the goose strips against the pole. The real bush sounds even more awesome yet dangerous.
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When David’s mom called the dog a sh*tty motherf*cker that was funny! I added that to my vocabulary now! I enjoyed almost the whole book there was like 1 or 2 chapters I didn’t care for.
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To me, Sedaris is very open and courageous . I say this because this whole book he has let us, the reader, know what happened in his life, even if he looked bad he still told the story truthfully just for us to learn from it
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Sedaris is very creative and talented. I say this because he said it himself that “he was poor to prove he was creative” he has a talent of writing in a way to catch my attention.
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Sedaris is truthful. He writes about the world as he views it and tells stories of his life and lessons he’s learned. He’s also very commanding over what he says because he never sugar coats anything he writes.
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If I had to classify Sedaris as anything I would probably put him in the category comedic writer. It’s apparent he uses humor to his advantage to make his storytelling more lively but also seems to revolve around who he is as a person making the translation into a story setting much easier.
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For me, Sedaris is spontaneous, talented and positive. He talks so openly about everything that comes to his mind, about his family. I kinda feel that his whole point is just to tell what he thinks and don’t care what people will say about it.
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To me, Sedaris uses his experiences as a form of art and uses it to his advantage. He knows that if he is more open, more people feel connected with him and they feel like they can tell him things that he can use later! Most comidians have to be open and honest so they’re relatable to their audience.
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I would Identify Sedaris as being inconsistent. To support this i need only to look at the structure of the novel how he goes from incredibly serious issues and being serious to then joking and making fun of things feels disingenuous
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I can see where you are getting that from.
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I think because he takes essays from his dairy in which he writes everyday maybe that why book is inconsistent, because Life is inconsistent.
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For me, Sedaris is both brave and funny. Sharing personal information as he does is something you don’t see often. To just write a book about your family, thoughts, and secrets is just amazing. Especially when you find the humor out of it and get readers to let out a little chuckle as they read your life story.
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agree!! It is kind of making fun of your dark side, in his case, his family and also society dark side
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Sedaris is very open to talking to people which we rarely see in people who have reached celebrity status.Also, he is much more interested in talking to people who have very different background than him like he said in one of his chapters”Friend from ghetto”I hoped we could move on to other things, and that listening to him would be like reading the type of book I most enjoy, one about people whose lives are fundamentally different from my own. By this I mean, different in a bad way. Someone who lives in a mansion spun of golden floss, forget it, but someone who lives in an old refrigerator beside a drainage ditch—by all means, call me! Collect, even.
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I also enjoy how Sedaris talks about people of different or lower income then he was growing up and i wish he spoke more on it as it was truly interesting to listen to what he had to say about it.
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Im juiced for our Zoom meeting coming up!!
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when was that again?
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Tuesday I think
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“it’s different for everyone, but at that age, though I could’t say that I was gay” pg 59. Even though this wasn’t’ from the four chapters we read this week but I still think its take some courage to really say that out loud especially such a vulnerable moment.
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Yea im not too sure but I think its @5 next Tuesday!!
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To support my thesis i need only to look at chapters “Laugh Kookaburra” and “Standing Still” Where in these two chapter Sedaris talks on how his dad used to beat help with a paddle and then how his sister almost gets raped and how him and his dad go searching for the guy who tried to rape her. both of these are very serious subjects which shouldn’t be downplayed the way it is when in the chapter after “Standing Still” titled “Just a Quick Email” then mockingly talks about how a girl steals her siblings lover and how they’re living the life and remodeling their house which seems so disconnected from what i read only a few pages before.
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So I know those two subjects are very serious subjects but he tries to make it light heartened you know? He doesn’t want to spend the time on the negative and wants to continue to build up on positive things because everyone already knows how bad those subjects are so bad so why spend the time
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I agree with not trying to dwell on the negative but the problem is that i feel there is no preparation for the reader when something is gonna be sad and serious or funny and wacky. Tone shifts in books should happen naturally and coherently in this book i feel like i get whiplash from hearing about an attempted rape to “haha i stole your boyfriend what are you gonna do about it?” dont fit together and quite honestly makes the comedy fail to impact entirely.
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Make an argument out of this.
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Not a direct quote but when he was in Australia he was telling us all about what his friend was saying and things about her life. He used that and then built off of it for his writings.
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All what his friend was saying really spoke to me and helped develop my thesis he’s a amazing dude who brings to light a lot and helps me at least feel comfortable with where I’m going.
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No, yeah. It really made me think about that and wonder, “wow Do I really have to give some up to be successful?”
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I think in a sense it’s more of time we are giving them up for.
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”I I shouId have gone inside right then, but I needed another minute to take it all in and acknowledge, if only to myself, that I really did have it made. A storybook town on the far side of the world, enough in my pocket to shout a fancy lunch, and the sound of that bird in the distant trees, laughing. Laughing” (p99) this once again showed me Sedaris positivity.
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Sedaris makes his writing interesting by engaging the writers in making his stories personal. I have been engaged in his essays because I can relate and think of times I have experienced what he is talking about in the part of the book. There are many examples in his essays, but when he was talking about sheering sheep this is one I can relate to because I have helped many of my friends get ready for the local fairs sheering their sheep.
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The personal aspect of his stories add an element of being able to peer into the life of Sedaris from child to adulthood. One of my favorite essays is Memory Laps for the reason that the inner dialogue is so prevalent throughout. His thoughts on why his dad seems to idolize every child but his own give insight to his actions later on as to not make them seem vengeful but humorous. His consistency with the style of looking back into his own memory provides a unique perspective especially when he starts going at his sister to prevent his father from talking about Greg.
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I just been writing plans for the future and also what am I going to do to make me successful. I also have come up with ideas where I see my self in the next two years. Thank you for a wonderful class and I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
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What kind of things do you plan on doing to make yourself successful?
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One thing I have been writing is about being vulnerable. I watched Brenne Brown documentary on Netflix that really inspired me. For me, vulnerability is one of the most beautiful things, even though some people are so afraid of. I think most of it is because they have a misconception with this emotion. But it is when you are showing the most of yourself.
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September 9th 2020 22:45
Today I did nothing, I visited my girlfriend and i went for a short run. I played with her dogs during my visit and i got a tongue bath from her rat dog. Besides that i finished my homework for the week and now i can relax. Im excited for the weekend since my girlfriend is free and we can hang out. end of entry
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I have be writing a daily journal about my life and what I was doing during that day. I am not on for creative writing so I have been trying to expand my writing my journal. My journal has come very useful to me because it is a time of express my feeling and to finish the day.
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One the three day weekend I had so much fun! It my friends birthday so we went out to eat
BJ’s then the next night I had a senior vs junior game called fugitive that we played which was really fun and the juniors won! Then the next time just us juniors planned a water ballon fight because it was so hot and it was so fun!
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oh very cool! Who do you play for?
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I’m a junior so I played with the juniors. We killed the seniors lol
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I’ve been write every other day just because I dont do much and when I skip a couple days It’s easier to write more
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