9/10/20
7-710pm: Settle in, how are you? What’s new? Have you been writing for YOU?
7:10-7:35pm: Pieces we read… your reactions/SUPPORTED OPINIONS.
7:35-8pm: 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.
8-8:20pm: 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!
8:20-8:40pm: 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 
I think the style that I write with Sedaris is completely opposite! He based his essays with connections and experiences that he had. While I like to put scientific or solid proves in my writings.
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My favorite chapter so far was Logger Heads. For a couple of reasons, first being I think I laughed out loud more times in this chapter than any other so far. “I look over at the holocaust taking place in my aquarium” I Literally laughed out loud and that laugh carried on throughout the rest of the chapter. I find that so funny. I think that dark type of humor is really black and white, people, like me, love it and find it very comical, or the other people who find it horrible and messed up for joking about (if you’re in the middle lmk! I just have noticed that type of humor is more black and white) Also I really enjoyed the way he said things. “the words still warm from being read’ I LOVE THAT. That quote is just genuine and gives such a lovely ambiance. I will absolutely be using that quote whenever the chance presents itself.
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I absolutely loved when he said that too. It was almost if I myself felt warm reading it. Makes you see words with love.
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Sedaris is brave and creative. This is because, from the beginning of this book, he has allowed the reader know what has happened in his life whether it was positive or negative. He never fails to write truthfully, he writes how he views the world, his life lessons along the way, and everything that comes to mind.
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When he say’s “but in a way I needed the poverty, needed it as proof that I was truly creative”. To me, I took it as this was something he needed to go through to be able to really want to strive to be successful so that he could look back and use it as fuel for motivation. It also humbled him i think.
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I feel as if David Sedaris say’s what some people are thinking. Thoughts that some people would’t dare say out loud. He pay’s attention to EVERYTHING! and he remembers it all!
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i would characterize sedaris as a grear story teller and not just because he is an author. hes an author because he is a great story teller. he has the ability to really give you a picture of the story. until now no other writer has been able to tell me a story and have me picture it as if i were there myself. this keeps me very entertained while reading and its probable the first time i read a book where i dont have to constantly reread what i just read. so i would say a great story teller
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I would characterize Sedaris as creative, risqué, confident, and open minded. Through out the book, what I feel the most, is as if he is saying “Its okay, can write whatever I want” by his tone and style. and not in a negative kind of way. More like in a “Oh wow he really went there, and it was funny”
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I totally agree with you on this. I enjoy it because you dont really see that very often in writers
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I think Davids a rebel. He does what he wants when he wants. On p.95-98 David taught his sister Amy a song he had learned that day in school called “Kookaburra,” if I remember correctly, they both spent the whole evening signing this particular song and it didn’t matter to him how many times his father had to tell him to quit it and head to bed, David continued to sneak back up to Amy’s room to continue singing.
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Yes, it is his way to get attention from his father
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On page 32 of memory laps he says “Even if I wound up getting punished, it was still a way of changing the channel from The Greg show to the David show.” His mother accuses him of “stirring the turd”. { Memory laps pg 33} Whether it is flinging barbie dolls out of the car on the end of a beach towel talking about his sister being “chunky”. He is trying to draw attention to himself
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sedaris is a writer who uses very approachable English language to explore, relate, share deep and painful past experiences. Perhaps hoping to jog similar emotions and memories with the reader. His use of humor lightens the load
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That is an interesting point of view, i haven’t thought of it like that. I agree with you, it is a very ‘easy’ read in the sense he doesn’t use excessively large or complex vocabulary.
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Yes it also flows swiftly
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how would you guys describe Sedaris? All I have on his writing is he’s satirical
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Sedaris is able to connect with his readers which makes us feel more connected to him. When he uses humor it makes the writing even better, allowing us to laugh as we read his life story
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i agree completely. maybe its because i havent read many books but. but ive never been able to relate to an author as much as sedaris
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“Sedaris is sense of humor.”
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Agree!!!
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What kind of humor would you identify it as? Satirical, Ironical, comedic
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I would characterize david as a person who has two sides. One he lets us see, read and one that is very private
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Agree, it feels like he has two sides!
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True, but he is sharing his very private pain in a humorous manner
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His internal struggle is mostly to do with his relationship with his father which he finds unsatisfactory and painful. David Sedaris is a writer on a journey to review and come to terms with this, he takes us on this journey
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Sedaris is Strong. You see all the the things that could be traumatizing for most people in his stories. Such as his relationship with his dad, the time when his sister was attacked, and being secretly gay for so many years. But he is able to make these moments in his past humorous and I believe that takes strength and is somewhat therapeutic.
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Sedaris is a positive character, and by character I mean he’s different and showed people to kind of be themselves and reflect yourself in different ways.
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David Sedaris is an excellent story teller! The way he can remember every detail and event that happened, in a way where he can continue to draw the reader in is amazing.
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Agreed! The detail he puts into his essays are incredible. As if I’m seeing it live. Excellent writer and story teller.
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Yes! This makes me visualize what he is saying and that pulls me in more.
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Yes, it’s very amazing how he could remember everything. Wish I was like him.
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Sedaris is a writer that I do not find all that enjoyable. Even beginning with his first writings such as Think differenter. When he casually talks about laving his family because his kid threw his ipod in the toilet. He seems to have taken how bad his dad treated him and decided that he should be worse.
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I feel he is an open book. His readers are getting every sense of how he is and how no matter what he has gone through he always sees all sides of his experiences and makes sure his readers can too.
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I am just not seeing it can you please give me an example?
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I can definitely see why he may not seem like the most pleasant, but just like he says some risqué things, he gets emotional and vulnerable too. In “standing still”, he talks about how much having his sister living in same apartment building as him was something he enjoyed because having someone look at him the way she did helped him feel better about himself. In a “guy walks into a bar car”, he talks about how he was too shy to kiss the Lebanese guy he met on his way to Italy, and now every time he hears anything about Lebanon he thinks of him and wonders if the Lebanese guy thinks about him too. He shows a lot of different sides of him making it relatable to many different kinds of people.
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When in Easy, Tiger when he tries to communicate but his words get messed up, its just like me when I sometimes try to communicate with my mom and I really don’t know how to translate a word right. And in Standing Still when he is trying to protect his sister when she gets assaulted, I am the same way with my siblings when someone messes with them I try to protect them in any way possible.
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If one of two younger sisters were to be assaulted, I’d stop at nothing to find the person accountable
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Yes! Also when he says that in his book tours he didn’t really like taking pictures with people because, why would someone want a picture with him? He was simply just embarrassed so he had made a rule to say no pictures but made it seem like it wasn’t his rule he came up with, he was just following the rules lol
When he says he randomly chooses different things to make people get “priority signing” like smokers because they had a shorter life to live. LOL
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“People get older, and you’d be surprised by what they forget. Like for example a few weeks back I called my mother to wish her a happy birthday, her eightieth. “I bet you wish that Dad was still alive,” I said,” That way the two of you could celebrate together,” But he is still alive,” she told me,”
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“It was one a clock in the morning, and you let your sister wonder the streets by herself?”
I couldn’t help but to feel bad for him when his dad said this to him. I feel like this is very relatable though, because my dad would have said the same thing to my brother if it would have happen to me or to one of my sisters. The male is perceived to be the “MAN” the “PROTECTOR”
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That true we all think that “men should always protect”
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How will he forget his Dad is still alive! He is just trying to be funny and have a sense of humour.
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That confused me too. lol I honestly thought he was just trying to be funny.
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Yes, it was confusing at first but I had a feeling he was just trying to be funny too.
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it could be true… if he has gone crazy… hahaha
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I forget that my dad is around because he doesn’t make an effort to talk to me or my siblings.
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Yes, I get that part but why will you say he is died?
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The reason I say he has two sides is because, as a person who shares so mush of his life through essays, in an interview he said that his own diary will never see the light of day. Now everyone has the right to their privacy, but hes not as open as he makes it out to be. He only shares what he wants to and makes you think you know him like an old friend.
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Yes that is very insightful he is not telling all the story he is only sharing what he wants to share with the reader with the desire to amuse and have empathy
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Very well said!
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P38 “Everything you touch turns to crap….You know what you are a big fat zero”
This is an example from chapter Memory Laps where we see the root of DS’s feelings and lack of self worth. His father tries reverse psychology on his and this just demoralizes him more and more. Later on when he is talking about being number 1 on the Times list he says ” It “doesnt mean that your book is good…Just that alot of people bought it in that week, people who ere tricked, maybe, or were never to bright to begin with.” He also goes on to say that in the book he writes about how he is a “buffoon”. He recognizes his lack of self worth in his eyes as an adult. It was interesting because if he saw a glimpse of approval from his father it was so unusual that it troubled him. Its not my fathers approval that troubles me but my child like hope that maybe this time it will last.
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This made me feel so sad for him because he was always looking for his fathers approval. That though doesn’t seem to stop him or hold him back from being his true self.
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I feel like it made him tougher though and may have even turned him to writing because that’s where he feels he can truly express himself.
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i agree with Noah and feel that the tough love so to speak from his dad made him tougher. its how i grew up and i dont really like people taking pitty on me because i feel that this made me a stronger person and not so sensitive to the way people feel about me and if anyone ever has something to say about me i don’t let it get to me because i know who i am
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I can see that. I guess the momma in me just gets all in her feelings with things like this.
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Here is the thing until I finish the book I am reticent to judge him entirely. In the last four stories I did find myself chuckling from time to time. So maybe I am getting use to his style of writing, where he uses his and other peoples errors as a story telling technique.
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I feel like to understand him, you have to understand his humor, which is dark at times
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“In the other it’s “Kommen.” English “to give” is German “geben.” Boston’s “That is good” is Berlin’s “Das ist gut.” It’s an excellent way to start and leaves the listener thinking, Hey Ich kann do dis.” That whole line in the Easy, Tiger chapter is what I found the most funny. Definitely got a good laugh out of me.
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That one did remind me of when I had a roommate who learned German. She had a poster on her wall that she swears said “I love you” but I think it said something different. I will leave that up to you. The poster said “Ich Leben Dich”.
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P45 “The fact was that I’d enjoyed our conversation. The sales part was tiresome, but with that behind us, 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” I really liked when he said this on A Friend from the Ghetto, because I found it very interesting how he even compared people to books and even came up with like a sort of genre for them. I feel like that goes to show how his brain works and how he is constantly seeing everything as a story and what kind of story someone would have based on a simple conversation.
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Lately what I have been writing about me is whatever I’m thinking about in my freetime.
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Something I have been writing for me is plans for my future and the things that will lead me to be a successful student and individual. Writing it down helps me come up with ideas. I have also been writing about the things I am blessed for. We sometimes get caught up with the negative aspects of life and forget what truly is important. When I get anxious about things and having written the things I am blessed for brings me at ease, and also allows me to see that things happen for a reason.
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I have been writing about my frustrations a lot. I find them silly once I write them down and helps me with my day.
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Same here!
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yes! sometimes working at a winery can be frustrating but at the end i write it down, and it kinda goes away.
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It does help a lot!
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As for me, writing has been foggy, I have had so many things going on, I feel as if i would have been able to write for me though it would be a very good 3-4 chapters of everything that has been going on with me. I enjoy clearing my head by writing my thoughts down. Now that I am able to write it all down freely I can just let myself get carried away deep in my thoughts.
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I have been able to keep up with the reading but I have had trouble writing in my free time. I do enjoy it but I just don’t think about doing it until its too late at night and I have to sleep so I can got to work the next day.
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I haven’t been writing a lot but I wrote just everything that has happened to me this past week. We were without light and water for two days. Now I am in the hospital and the baby doesn’t want to come out and meet us.
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For me I do not have much time to write since I am currently writing a big report about Music history for my school
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I have been behind in reading but I need to get to it and finish the book,
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I am halfway through the book, still wondering what it has to do with diabetes and owls
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What have I have been writing about myself? When I am sitting there kind of stressed out trying to get all my school work done, trying to be good at my work, and trying to be part of my family conversations, I just sit there writing/ thinking that this me taking a chance on getting to a point of my life where I am doing something that I love.
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I am so glad is something you like to do because writing is hard. Everything is worth it in the end.
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I have been writing about how difficult writing has been for me lately, which is ironic considering that I’m writing about having a hard time writing lol. Does anyone ever experience writers block? Like with literally anything, journal or essay, the inspiration and motivation to write just hides as soon as I pick up the pen and paper.
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Yes! I feel like I have so much to say, so many thoughts but nothing gets on paper. Kinda frustrating lol
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Exactly! Like I know it’s there, but it feels like it’s stuck lol
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When I have writers block I focus on how I am reacting to the book, How does it make me feel? DO I find it easy to read? Do I like the book? Do I like the main character do I like the narrator do I want to pick it up and finish it or do I find myself longing to getting back to reading it. Professor Mikey said, “Dont just write abou what the books about write about how it makes you feel. I think thats the answer to writers block
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i havent really written anything in the past week since i was on vacation. but tomorrow is my last day at my job and you can almost say i wrote it into existence. i wrote down that i would make a change and i told people that i would make a change, and now Monday is the first day of having my own business and not working for someone else
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Must be scary but so exciting! Congrats! Wish you all the success!
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That is huge! Super cool that your are taking a chance on yourself. You got it, Congrats, wishing you success!
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Wow, thats amazing what is your business good luck Alex
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I am out! Goodnight hope everyone has a nice weekend!
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Goodnight!
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Goodnight, nice comments
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Goodnight everyone!
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Have good night everyone!
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Goodnight!
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Good night
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Good Night!
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Night!
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signing out…. have a nice weekend and hoping for clearer skies
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Great job tonight, to all those who consistently and with elevated interest and genuine passion contributed to the conversation. Have a wonderful night and weekend ahead, and we’ll be in touch. -Mike
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Sedaris in my opinion is overly sensitive and dramatic about himself and other’s which is what makes him a good author but I just don’t like his type of writing.
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