5-5:10pm: Introduction – What are you writing? What are you thinking as this unusual year comes to its concluding set of pages?
5:10-5:20: On Essays, Essay Writing: Use paragraphs!! 7-9 sentences per paragraph is what I suggest. What is a paragraph to you? How do you know when to end one? Feel free to share a paragraph you’ve written on Irby, possibly for your essay due in a week…
5:20-5:40pm: What direction are you taking the Irby essay? Are you writing about your relationship with her, or taking it in your own direction. Remember, complaining is NOT composition.
5:40-6pm: Talk about you, and your life as Literature. For me, this year has taught me containment. Not so much focus, but made my life more consistent and characterized in terms of narrative?
6-6:15pm: When was the last time you were challenged, really tested… like something that almost totally made you lose your shit? What did you learn?
6:15-6:25pm: Close….
ASSIGNMENT: DUE ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, YOUR ESSAY ON IRBY. YOU KNOW THE PROMPT I RECOMMENDED, BUT TAKE IT IN ANY DIRECTION YOU WANT…. 3-5 pages, and include one outside source as support of your opinion. I suggest finding an interview with Irby and quoting her directly.
If you need ANOTHER idea for this paper, how about this….. Irby urges self-love. — Three words, one thesis. It’s that easy. You’re welcome. 🙂
ASSIGNMENT: Write me an email on journaling, keeping a journal, what it does for you. I’m only accepting submissions that encourage and delight in journal practice. I will only be awarding credit in that stride….
ASSIGNMENT: Write about your life, not as you. In third-person. Don’t know what that means, look it up! Have fun writing about you, but not as you. It’s enlightening, safer I feel as the narrator, and more communicative with audience. Give it a try….
#professormikey 
I think for my essay I want to go in the directions of my relationship with Samantha. Specifically how as a reader I can relate to her on many aspects but at the same time how we a few distinct differences that make us completely different.
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Write it! What aspects?
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For one, how we have a sense of humor but more importantly how we use it in times of need. For differences, I was thinking of talking about our childhoods and how completely different they were.
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Keep the focus on Irby, though… Good to use that comparative, just stay set in Irby’s book.
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ok will do
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As of now I am going to take my own route on the essay because the relationship part I was over thinking and I can’t seem to not over think it haha. With that being said I think it is best that I take my own route with it.
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what route is it you want
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Hey Y’all! Got done washing the dishes. How are you guys?
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hey Victory, Im good how are you doing with the essay?
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Victor*
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I bought another leather journal and I write things I need to work on. like patience. or not to make any decisions or comments when angry.. better to wait until you’ve cooled down. Im still reading the Irby book Im more behind than I thought.
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It’s all on you. All results are the extension of selection.
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Those are really good things to be mindful about. Figuring out the parts of us we don’t like is the best way to be the best version of yourself. Your view of you is the most important thing. Hope you’re doing well. Enjoy the rest of the book, I really enjoyed it!
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I didn’t like Irby book so much because I think she lacks objectivity.Her book is like a movie in which there are very few characters other than Samantha and characters which are present don’t make us feel there presence expect in chapter of Hellen Keller which I enjoyed.Her book is like one of those French movies which are really into themselves.
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Her book “lacks objectivity” because it’s reflective in nature… That’s where we as readers can benefit!
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I can totally see this too, I try to see around the narcissism too though and see if there is anything I can get out of it. just a thought
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Exactly, were not supposed to expect objectivity from a journal lol thats the whole point, its her life
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Your life as Literature…. Where do you start?
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I would say the beginning, but that would be boring. I’d like to start at the most interesting part to grab the attention of readers and then give the background as needed
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life is so long, it depends what the story would be about. For me I would start from the very beginning because I would want the reader to try to get the best understanding of why I am who I am
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So long?
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Like in duration, I only have 18 years but other peoples tales may be condensed or only partially written because they are 60years old
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18 years is more than enough to write. Don’t discount YOU! 🙂
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In my essay I plan to incorporate certain parts of author relationship but my claim for this essay is going to making a case as to how sedaris and her are similar and what sets them apart. My main goal being that you don’t have to be an established author to write an impactful book.
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organization, my life seems so straight foward or inevidable and at the same time a path with all this plainess and randomness that makes literature of my life seem pointless…
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That’s deep.
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no way, you probably have something far more deep to talk about than that what do you think about your life as literature
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I honestly have no idea. I mean I guess it would be something like a constant adventure.
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This year has definitely taught me how to be patient ,humble, and should be grateful for every day I am living.
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This year has taught me to not over do my expectations since I thought my senior year would’ve been fun and interesting but instead a global pandemic struck and i was stuck at home for months and graduated by getting my diploma through the mail.
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You’re not alone, that’s for sure.
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I can definitely relate with that even though we couldn’t have the proper graduation ceremony I took the drive through graduation into my own hands and used a family friends antique trolly to drive through the graduation with all of my family in it including some friends! it was a blast.
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Yeah same, It has show once again to be greatful for it anyway because there are people less fortunate than I and also dying, but it makes ma=e so sad thinking about the things I missed out on. I know its not essential but I still wish we had the chance. This has also taught me that even if it is small scale, its okay to be sad or disappointed because my feelings are valid either way
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My life as literature would be all over the map! For example today a turkey crashed into my bathroom wall! I think the turkey had quite the head ache.
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That’s awesome!!
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But she is putting her journal in the world for all of us to read and we all are trying to extract objective truths from her writing.I think every writer must have objectivity in their art because that what make art timeless.
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Interesting.
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when comparing my life in literature i think about the bible. nothing in life is guaranteed but i do see it as somewhat of a guide in my life
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I really like how you compared literature to the bible Gwen, very creative
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thank you jake 🙂
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Looking at my life through a literature lens its difficult for me to really pull out a lot of detail. I know it’s there but trying to pinpoint interesting parts of my life seems kind of monotonous sometimes. Or if I’ve used I in past papers it doesn’t feel like I’m exploring something new I try and combat this by doing things I wouldn’t normally do. I figured at this point there is more reason than ever to live while being careful and try activities that I didn’t think I could do.
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As for paragraphs I like to do 4-7 sentences of what I can relate to or what I think is important to me and the reader.
I close a paragraph once I feel content with what ive wrote.
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This year has taught me to look more inside and to not distract myself from things that used to passed by without me noticing it. I and feel like I am not the only one here after talking to some of my friends. We used to spend so much time distracting ourselves and this year made us get into yourselves and into our mind. The realization of fear, happiness in small things. T
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The realization of happiness in some moments that back in time I took for granted. It also has teaching us how we react in a frustration situation which is one of the most common feeling with this world pandemic.
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I have found myself getting increasingly self absorved during quarantine, and I personally hate it.
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You’re alive, you have a story. It can be written, it can be read. Stop challenging the prompt or analyzing it excessively. A story is literature, literary.. it can be put to a page. Actually, it doesn’t have to. You’re alive, you’re a story. There are readers/observers, there are reactions.
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literature can be any action in your mind then, a narration is only confined by what you think it is governed in?
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Is that a question? Not sure I understand. Please revise..
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sorry I am asking if you think that literature is any kind of action in any life?
and can you create the specific rules that govern that literature? or is there pre-existing rules that you have to use when creating literature
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Everything is literary. This coffee cup still on the desk from this morning… there are no “rules”, there is only actuality. And take away the word ‘literature’. LIFE, that can be written. No rules, only reality.
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Kind of off topic, but I feel like what your saying is very similar to that song from the 2000’s called unwritten. Anyone remember that song? She was basically talking about how you are the one to write your own story and take the negative things and see them from a more positive point of view to benefit you and your life
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I have no idea where to begin about me, I guess if my literature would actually be something I think life is full of small but exciting turns that make you laugh or reassess what just happened. I mean I can’t describe just how many times people have turned out in front of me while I have been driving on gurneville road to santa rosa, I have started to see just how dangerous and precious life really is throughout this semester of college oddly enough
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Yes!!!
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if I have to write about something from my life it would be more about people around me and less about me.its like old Hindi dialogue “hum hi hum hain to kya hum hain, tum hi tum ho to kya tum ho”? which means “what am I just being me, what are you just being you?”
In more implied way, it means why should you and I be just ourselves, why can’t we be United. United for the nation (and in a bigger sense as well).
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Challenges and hardships are gifts.
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In many respects Covid has been one of the most instruction “challenges” I’ve ever accepted.
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I think it has been a huge challenge for me as well. School when quarantine first hit me at highschool left me to feel uneasy at the fact of the complete new change that we had. I think Irby is able to show how hard change is in her life. It is hard in my life, and I think this change (covid) has been hard to cope with as well and is what made me feel so unmotivated and unsatisfied or dissapointed of my life
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I would say this year (and this class) have taught me freedom in literature. To include things that make me feel a broad range of emotions. It has taught be that life does not have to be black and white, always business. Just like life, it is okay to feel and express anger, humor, happiness and many more emotions and that doesn’t make your piece any less valid. I was always taught that the only way to write was based off of facts and that emotion confused things and made them seem messy or inconsistent.
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Lots to explore here!!
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well put it!! It is exactly it! This year has shown that you are not in control as we used to think we were. Actually we are not in control at all. Ans we should appreciate every single phase of life. And principally all our emotions
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I agree, emotions has been a thing of writing I have pioneered in my writing this semester as well
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I think this year has taught me that I am my worst critic and to try to stay out of my head as much as I can. Go out and live and have fun spend time with the people that love me and vice versa because life is too short. But also be cautious and sensitive to others because of the covid in the air.
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THAT, is literary.
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I love this. Also I think if something makes you happy then it doesn’t have to make sense to others !
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I love this. I also think that if something makes you happy then it doesn’t have to make sense to others ! (my posts keep deleting so sorry if this gets duplicated)
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Thanks Gwen! I agree.
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The last time I was really tested was when I was working with one of my co-workers recently when things were very crazy at work and I was being treated very poorly and was being pulled very thin. I stopped myself and made sure I pulled it together so I could finish the day, but I just had to tell myself to breathe and everything will be just fine in the next however many hours I had left.
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I learned that sometimes in stressful situations it doesn’t need to result in anger or frustration. At the end of the day we are all in this together.
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Very true.
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I think quarantine was one of the most challenging times for all of us. We all lost our shit. For me I feel like it literally change the whole path in life. I started a business with a friend during my junior year in HS. It started going good on my senior year so I decided not to go to college and instead focus 100% on our business. Corona happened, we tried not to but had to shut down. I did all my paper work for college in record time since my friend and I totally gave up. I don’t know if the change was for bad of for good, but what I do know is that college is the place I wanna be right now.
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I’m sorry to hear you had to shut down your business, but on the bright side at least you know where you want to be.
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The last time I was tested was three weeks before I was graduating my mental health was an all time low I was having a lot of panic attacks and I was in danger of not graduating but I pushed through all the hard path that were given to me and I graduated
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The last time I felt challenged was earlier today. I had a test any subject that is difficult for me. It was the second day with this teacher and he administered a test that was overly difficult for the poor instruction and lack of repetition in and practice. I’m glad that Jim zoom has mute because I was yelling at my screen. It was very frustrating, but I was able to complete the test. And keep my attitude to myself. It reinforced the lesson that just because it’s hard for me doesn’t mean its someone elses fault
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Sorry. I used voice text and there’s a lot of errors
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Y’all, I’m constantly being tested everyday lol. But I’d say the most recent is when I was really disrespected by my supervisor. I learned at the end of the day, if someone is angry and takes it out on you. Avoid the situation and let them figure themselves out. Believe me, showing you don’t care only makes them more angry and makes you less stressed.
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Let’s start to close it up y’all…. What’s on tonight’s page? For me… “The moment you’re in is a spinning and gracious gift.” You?
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When writing make sure to keep your intention intact and to use the fire and passion for the topic as your fuel to just write and adjust later
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I have a short temper sometimes. I’m usually really patient and able to keep my cool but some things just get under my skin. My hair and people really are two of those things that just itch me the wrong way. People can be so rude sometimes at work and i have no choice to be calm and nice but JEEZ!!
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The last time I was challenged was today during my math class. For the first time I had asynchronous class which I know I have some difficulty. The class’ topic was extremely hard and I didn’t understand a thing. I got really frustrated principally with myself because I knew I just had to be patient with myself but someone I wasn’t really about to do so. That made me realize that most of the time I put a lot of pressure on me, more than I would do with anyone or anything. So why am I doing this to me? So once I noticed that my first response was to take a deep breath and look at myself as a way I look at someone I love. (F$%@$ this is so cliche but so hard to put in practice sometimes, at least for me)
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The last time i was challenged and almost lost my shit was when my 9 year old brother decided to cut his hair and i had to fix it when the barber shops were closed during quarantine. For being an idiot he got a mullet
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Tonights page is going to be a reflection of my crazy day. I definitely will be going to town on this page. I am also planning on starting my assignments.
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The last time I can really remember being tested is taking my philosophy midterm. I know its pretty generic that a test was hard but something about the way the questions are worded made me really have to focus and try to concentrate. The funny part is that it wasn’t the test that was making me mad but the fact my dog would not stop incessantly barking and I almost blew a head gasket trying to calmly tell me dad to make her stay quiet. It really wasn’t all that big of a deal but in the moment I thought I would throw my monitor out thea window if I couldn’t concentrate.
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Challenges for me are a competition. Life is throwing these hardships at you in order to stregthen you. I also think that many of the tests in life from educational, personal, and my sports career, failure has always been the best teacher in learning how to overcome those hardships and turn more of those negative experiences into a positivity in my life. The week of midterms was a completely new test for me. I had to deal with massive amounts of stress, with all these overarching responsibilities I had to just think about one thing at a time and keep moving to finish all of my work. It taught me a-lot about how unorganized I am and how much I have to improve in my higher education. It was enlightening but also frightening.
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Today when I find out that 70% is minimum percentage to pass math class and I have no idea how will I able to score passing marks and all because limited zoom office hours where I wasn’t getting my doubts clear.its very embarrassing for me to not get passing marks in math which I am really good at and had worked to most to my ability.
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Difficult time for sure.
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on my page tonight: “Keep looking. Doesn’t have to be for something singular. Just look and explore for the sick of doing so” – Madigan M.
I love being a observer and I think that is a bless. It brings you curiosity and makes you expand your mind and your perspective.
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what is going to be on my page is Irby as a advocate of freedom, how we can always find interesting points in anything that we do and that you are the only one that limits your writing and your life.
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On my page tonight is how I really want to set and achieve goals to finish 2020 off in a positive way
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Have a great evening you all!
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You as well!!
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For my page tonight is some new ideas about Samantha Irby I would like to use in my essay, some other stuff includes how I feel 2020 is going to wrap up and what I hope to get done by the end of the ear. I enjoyed class today thank you Professor Mikey!
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Thanks to your 1A colleagues!!
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Hello! Im having a productive day. Its raining and I like the thought of everything being washed away. I also like the smell when it rains I dont know if its the wet cement or what but its cool.
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Whatup Victor…. agreed. The rain introduces new ideas and washes away the unnecessary… cleansing yes, but as well new architecture and possibilities.
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