5-5:10pm: What happened today? Narrate to us a little….. Where is the happiness, the humor? And if you don’t see any, could a reader?
For tonight’s page: PURPOSE AND INTENTION IN YOUR NARRATION!!!!!
5:10-5:30pm: Before getting into Irby, tell us about your writing style, and how perhaps its moved or re-shaped since the semester started?
5:30-5:45pm: How are you and Irby alike? Different?
For tonight’s page: What’s discouraging to others can be delightful in opportunity to others.
FOR TONIGHT’S PAGE: You create your own leads, your own opportunities and reality, realities.
5:45-5:55pm: What was the last essay from her you read? Thoughts?
5:55-6:05pm: How would you describe her style? You’ve done this before, but please provide a little more support of your opinion and assessment of her writing practice.
WRITING PROMPT: Start writing an essay about right now… where you are and what you’re doing, the room you’re in and the characters there with you.
FOR TONIGHT’S PAGE: Conversations with self, for new self. New pages and light.
FOR TONIGHT’S PAGE: Irby in many ways tells us to have conversations with ourselves, that we are always learning about our identity and that identity can change, WHICH IS OKAY!!
6:05-6:15pm: Close…. What’s in your notes, on tonight’s page?
ASSIGNMENT: Keep reading! Finish book by next class. Keep emailing me thoughts!!
ASSIGNMENT: 1-page creative – Telling us about something that happened to your recently, or whenever. KEEP IT TO A PAGE! Or try…..
Thank you guys for being here tonight! And, if you want to know your grade on Sedaris, or in the class, keep bugging me till I give you an answer! Let me write this again…. Your presence and production is what will get you the grade you want, even more than conventional assignments. Make yourself known, share ideas, connect to each other and create community even in this weird distanced and virtual life we’re all living.
As always, need anything let me know.
RESPECT.
– #professormikey
#professormikey 
Im currently decorating a pumpkin to enter a pumpkin contest at the skilled nursing facility i work at. I find it humorous that even in difficult times people will still try to find a way to celebrate holidays despite social limitations. While also putting in the effort to make these celebrations as authentic as possible. Which i think is great because of the amount of positive energy being put out in a time like this.
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Irby and I are similar opposites. I mean that as if we have stuff in common but we also are so very different. Be both like getting to the point or being our selves because who cares if someone likes you or not (but we both over analyze things a lot) People are going to judge no matter what. We also have the anxiety thing going for us lol. But we are so very different. She grew up coming differently than i did and has different feelings about life. Like she doesn’t like anything sentimental because she doesn’t want to get attached, which I completely understand why she wouldnt be, but I am very sentimental and love having things that I can remember back on.
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Develop these observations, Nina…. these are ideas and a way of going further into how you read her.. opinions you can build for the next essay!! 🙂
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THIS!!!!! You perfectly put it into words
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Cheers!! Always nice when a colleague spits those barz…
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I think a big difference for me is that I’m always up for an adventure or something new and that is clearly not her vibe. She prefers inside, no people, and really values being alone but I dont like any of that
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Good observation!
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I think Irby and I share the same humor, being blunt(some people might find offensive, sometimes I’m defensive I think she might be that way too, and anxiety we both seem to have that in common also!
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It’s definitely more enjoyable to read something you share similarities with. I feel like Irby is so universal that she can relate to everyone with her diversity in stories and personality
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For tonight’s page….. If you don’t like the word relationship, or can’t find one between you and Irby, what is your OPINION on her writing, attitude, how she communicates with readers? Note: this is not an opportunity to bash or blindly praise her. I’m inviting structured and well-meditated assessments of her writing. For me, in this regard… there is strength in her lack of concern of offending, or being seen a certain way. — YOU’RE WELCOME.
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The main qualities I relate to with Irby is the importance of honesty, looking at the bright side, and definitely her sense of humor she uses every day and in everything.
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The last essay I read was “happy birthday”. I really feel like she not writing, Her writing makes me feel like she actually talking to me. It feels like I’m actually having a conversation with her
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I finish the book today so the last one was we are never meeting in real life which I was looking forward to read to understand the title of the book. I don’t want to give any spoiler but again I LOVE her honesty about her thoughts in how she could embarrassed herself in from of other people or how she makes up so many excuses to go out and interact with people
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I love her excuses too because I find myself making so many as well and I can’t even give a real good reason other than I don’t want to talk to people and not sound like an asshole as she puts it.
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Right?
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What are some new thoughts?
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With this last essay I felt that she is very insecure and writing was a way she found to express herself FOR herself. She said more than once that people expect more from her but she is just a person who makes jokes on the internet. Even though she wants with her dark humor shows that she is a tough person, in the end I don’t think she is
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Vulnerability is a sign of strength, some could say….
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Paige yes my folks loved it!
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The last story I read was “Im in love and it’s boring” I can see that she is hesitant on gaining emotional support from other people and often most of the time she let her guard down they took advantage of that weakness of hers and it makes her feel like she doesn’t deserve love because she feels as if no one ever wanted her. This really resinated with me and I think it is a way that me and her really connect in the way we share feelings as well as our way of always trying to find the good in the the most fucked up of situations.
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I really relate to this wow!! I am the same way, hesitant to open up to others in fear of them seeing me vulnerable and I completely agree with you that there is signs of this in her writing.
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And…..?
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and I think it shows me (the reader) how to accept your flaws and insecurities and how talking about memories you never wanted to is the only way to get past those flaws and progress on your path of finding yourself and really knowing who you are and what you allow to affect you or not.
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Well, I think that she uses those past painful experiences as something for her readers to relate to. Often times I find myself thinking that I am completely alone while I am going through a difficult time, but in fact I’m obviously not in the sense that other people all over the world have been through a tough breakup, or a car accident or what not too. Irby uses the knowledge gained from her mess ups or what not and turns it into a a sarcastic humored story that is super relatable.
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The last essay I read was yo, I need a job. The opening was instantly funny just like the rest. I find it interesting that she has so many interesting experiences.
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Yes Finn! perfectly stated!!
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Her style is confident and very free. She write like she is venting to you. She writes like she doesn’t care what anybody has to say.
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Last chapter I’ve read was “I’m in love and it’s boring” and it’s really cute. Mavis makes her super happy and treats her the way she’s supposed to be treated. She teaches us the lesson she learned about love, that love isn’t supposed to hurt or be “exciting” but boring and happy. This chapter just showed us a little bit of her soft side which I liked
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Yes! This theme of love and being in love, and other people in your life is a world she deals with in a very interesting way!
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Her style is what she makes it. It’s not ‘formal’ because formal is whatever you see it as. As far as we know this is her form of formal writing. Her writing stands out from most authors because it’s not always boring chapter after chapter. Irby switches it up by using bullet points or caps and many other things
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The last essay I read was we are never meeting in real life and honestly the books ending was a bit of a disappointment it sort of shoe horned in the title and i felt like i got suckered out of a good ending.
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Can you elaborate for us? Give us some specifics that left you hanging as a reader? Or, that did not deliver nor meet your expectations?
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For tonight’s page….. How do you see yourself changing as a human being? Forget about reading, writing for a second. How is YOUR character developing?
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Another prompt for your journal, for writing, for YOU….. Sketch a portrait of you. Pretend you’re not . How do you see this character?
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What’s on tonight’s page y’all???
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Great activity tonight, and liveliness!!! LOVE IT!!
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I would describe her writing style as honest and undeterred. She has an idea of what she wants to express, and she does it without worrying about the effects
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her writing style feels a lot like a twitter post. no organization and CAPITALIZATION of words that generally don’t need to be. that fits in line with the fact that she writes a blog. she’s also very blunt and dry and awkward adding details we didn’t need to know. For example in the first couple pages we find out she saw a handy mans penis and he asked her if she wanted to touch it when she was a kid. awkward stuff like that is all over twitter and in her book.
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I was savoring this book and just realize you guys read more than me. Im going to open my book right now and catch up!!
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Cheers Victor. Love the urgency.
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I love her descriptive style. She gives us so many details that you can literary can picture everything she is talking about or even image an conversation with her. For me what makes me connected with her is her casual/informal writing style. Also the fact that she writes about her vulnerable moments in life, thoughts and taboos.
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on tonights page i have, communication brews community and you create your own opportunities.
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Love that!!
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On my notes for tonight’s page is to remember to do my homework and to go to work tomorrow. besides that get ready to write another essay for this class.
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just to keep reading and get used to my own writing style. Thank you
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Tonight’s page! Has notes from Irby and some thoughts on our relationship. Enjoy your evening!!
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You as well!!
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I want to do a creative page about how Quarantine has made me a more selfish person, as well as how I have changed over the past 3 months of school. I think being isolated from others is what has made me realize the importance of interaction with fellow humans and how I have started to just stop giving a shit more and more and became what I wanted to become not what I needed to
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I want to share a note I wrote to myself the other day, and have it here in my home office, displayed loudly — ATTITUDE IS YOUR ARCHITECTURE.
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love that! You are gonna be remembered by your attitude and who you really are!
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TRUE!!
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on tonights page: you create your own reality and it all depends on how you see things!
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thank you all!
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Thank you!! Go enjoy your night!!
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Tonights Page: Creating a lack of concern from your affects is a strength that requires courage
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That’s awesome!!
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