5-5:10pm: End of semester… How are you?
5:10-5:30pm: Update on your final essay… What are the outside sources on your Works Cited Page?
5:30-5:50pm: Help each other with supporting opinions/arguments.
5:50-6pm: Close…. Final thoughts.
***LAST DAY TO SUBMIT FINAL ESSAY IS 12-26-20, 11:59PM. AFTER THAT IT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, FOR ANY REASON.
#professormikey 
Hey everyone!!!! How’s it going??
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hey I’m alright. Finishing up my finals how about you
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Hi everyone, I’m doing great, just little stressed with finals but luckily I have everything under control so I should be fine
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that’s great. I’m glad finals are going well
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Doing well!! Be super busy with school, work, and holiday things so haven’t had much of a break in a minute. How are you and the family?
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im good, gettibg through this last week push to finish strong.
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Heck yeah! you got this 🙂
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good sorry had a hard time accessing the site today also at a location with
bad service
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Talk to us about how your argument is shaping up…
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At first I wanted to write about how I connect with the 3 authors, but I feel like something more interesting and honest to write would be what do these icons do and have that I need to improve on myself.
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I’ve been taking notes and writing about their dedication. I feel like it is such a driving force and that’s what made them influential
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hello classmates and professor mikey ! all is well, excited for our little break and to spend time w the fam ! i’m big on using youtube and visuals so my outside sources besides the book will include video links. cnn has an okay one
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can I use the interview we had with Tom as a reference and quote. I have an audio recording but I’m not sure how to cite it properly since it wasn’t a formal interview
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Hello everyone. This week has been a crazy week with all the finals and a lot has been going on besides that. Trying to keep focus and finish this semester in the best way I can. I hope everybody is doing well
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I feel for you. finals have been rough. Way to keep a positive outlook
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just got to pick yourself up and get back in the race…
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im in it to win it man. start to finish
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Great attitude!!
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love that guys, thanks for the support. WE ARE ALMOST DONE! Same here Nianna, I am here to win. Start to end
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I’m excited that I have my first semester down and a feeling as to how my second semester will be with online learning. I also learned how to properly build my schedule with what time I have in the day to use it to the fullest. Overall I feel confident about my finals and happy Christmas is so close.
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With Sedaris I saw so many interviews so I am trying to get the best quotes that can also fit on my theme on my last essay. I feel the same way with Tom, also I am using mostly all from his book and the interview we did with him. But with Irby I am still working on it. I think I should watch some more of her interviews and read some of my notes from her book
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I’m in the same boat with my references. I want to use quotes from the interview, and I have lots of Sedaris quotes to dwindle to a better focus, but I’m having a harder time finding outside sources for Irby. All my references for her on my argument are just from her writing
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Sorry guys… I’m here. Had to be with Henry the 3-month old for a bit… Loving the energy I’m seeing here..
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YouTube videos, they honestly helped me because you kind of get more of an answer plus there’s always more information to be used
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Can you recommend and Irby videos. I have watched some of her interviews but they are usually about her books. Have you found any good ones?
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What are you looking for? Sometimes you have to use what you find..
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I think I’m going to use an interview where she talks about being determined to be a comedic writer. She never gave up and created her own process. But the tab closed when my computer died so I haven’t found it again.
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Perfect!
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Update us on your paper!!!
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one thing that I have to think a little bit more on my last essay is a way to do the conclusion. I don’t want to be repetitive, but I don’t really know how I want to finish it
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Just reword.. give us a final understanding.
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How do you feel about the writing process of it..
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Who’s on page 5?
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almost there. I couldn’t turn in right now because I still feel I can do a little bit better and have to finish it. Every time I read it, I am editing and adding some details
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Who’s done, and just needs to edit?
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does anyone have any good youtube links they’re using for their paper?
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What have you found so far?
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Who could turn in their essay right now, and be done?
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Not me, the interview with Foreman changed my whole essay
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Search “Sedaris reading his writing”…
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My essays coming along, I’m making sure I get everything I want to say in there since it’s MY essay and my last one for the class. I’m super proud of it so far and I keep editing the parts I have to make sure I’m not missing anything. Other than that, nothing new, still the same three sources I found last time we talked. (But if anyone has a great source about Foreman I would love to know! Still not completely sent with the one I have now)
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On YouTube, btw..
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I would say that I have started my essay. I haven’t finished yet or even out of my first couple of pages but I have started a basic argument about the three books. My argument was such, that all three books share a push for fear and failure. I also have started explaining how I think they emulate other similar qualities from these two, such as perseverence, or determination. They share all the bad and all the good, yin and yang sort of… That is my idea but its not quite where I want it to be yet. other than that I have some outside sources so far as a npr interview for samantha irby, a cnn interview of Tom Foreman and im still trying to find a good outside source for David.
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what is the word you are using for you essay to connect the three authors?
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failure and fear
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Many different directions for both!
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yeah im having a hard time finding just that perfect direction for it
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There is no “perfect” direction. Just follow through with what you want to say.
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I think with Sedaris you could use one of his essays from the book. Hold on let me find which one I am talking about
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Thanks for being so willing to help!!
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can I use a book source?
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Yes… but only the part you read.
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oh man I can’t really find the book right now, I moved last week and I didn’t have a chance to put my books in order. But if I have good memory it is the essay that he says he has a part time job because he wants to focus on things he likes to do and I think his sister moved in with him and when he realizes that she had a goal and she was working towards it, he says something like “if you have nowhere to go you don’t have to worry to get there.” and he also said something about being insecure
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Whatever your topic is, don’t forget to include your reading experience. That is, if your theme is “goals” explain how reading these books impacted how you try to satisfy goals… AND, just what it was like to read their work and how it made you realize what goals are… or, whatever your topic is. DO NOT FORGET ABOUT YOU.
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Don’t get too daunted by finding sources…. Sometimes you can just play with words and find GEMS.
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Re-read your notes on the authors…. and parts of the books you either highlighted or marked…. Seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many students come to me saying “I don’t know what else to write…” EXPAND ON WHAT YOU HAVE, BUILD FROM WHAT YOU KNOW!!
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an I use the interview we had with Tom as a reference and quote. I have an audio recording but I’m not sure how to cite it properly since it wasn’t a formal interview
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Yes, but wouldn’t go on the works cited page.
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Okay thank you. So I could still use an additional one as a source too
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Can*
also if you want the audio recording of most of the interview I can send it to you. there is a little background noise and a few random comments
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The zoom we had with Tom is not an outside source..
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okay
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Who has a question for the group? Help us help you with your opinion/argument…
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My first resource is a David Sedaris interview with Jonathan conducted roughly six years ago spanning almost an hour. I skimmed through it for important questions that would give me greater insight into who Sedaris views himself as. For Tom Foreman I will definitely use the Zoom call as a reference but written articles by him. Irby was a little more difficult but I think her conversation with Megan Sielstra is a good point of reference to where Irby goes a bit deeper than usual into her thinking process and style.
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Thank you for sharing that. I agree that Irby was a little more difficult and I will def check this conversation you mentioned
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I have a question…. how do I start my essay? And I mean, the first sentence. I wanted to start with a quote… is that a good idea?
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To start with a quote probably not but you could use it in your intro
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Why?
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I think you should start your essay with words of your own…
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I would advise ANY student start with your singular word or idea…. talk about it, introduce it. “Writers write to not just share ideas and reality, but free themselves from something.”
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well I think it depends…. if your essay will be directly related to that quote and you can connected all of the authors based on that quote, I don’t think it would be a problem. But I may be wrong lol you tell us professor Mike haha
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Save quotes for the body paragraphs..
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yeah I think that could be hard to find a quote that simulates all three of those authors but i’d love to see someone find one
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You can start an essay with a quote. It’s a good way to capture the reader’s attention, especially if it’s interesting and Fits your topic well. It can be a good way to give a little idea of what the essay is about.
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Hmmmmm…..
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or not. my bad
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I don’t know if having a quote is a good or bad idea, I’ve been taught that it is because it “grabs” the readers attention which is what you want to do.
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You should be able to “grab” the reader with your own words and passion.. not someone else’s..
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HELOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO???????????????????????
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looooool
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Pose a question to the group, about your essay.
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I think I finally got what you said about being passionate about my writing. Sometimes I feel I am preaching through my writing like a religious person who believes on what they are saying so blindly that no one or anything could change my mind
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I good way to also put it is I feel secure about what I am writing on my essay because is something I love it
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Just write with honesty and kindness… don’t be concerned with “preaching”. That’s a judgement word..
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hmm you are right. Thank you
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No so much right, as sharing an idea. Thanks though, friend.
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Is it okay to have my argument talk about two overall main ideas of my essay?
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Have one be dominant, and the other secondary…
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Roger
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I think that if both of them are related somehow or at least with the message you want your readers to receive, I think it is ok
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thank you for the feedback debora! going to have to tweak my argument for sure though.
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do you already have a title for you essay? do you generally start with it or just decided it in the end of your essay?
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Save title for the very end… stress more about the title than the writing of the essay.
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I tend to decide it at the end, usually I can’t think of a good one until I create my actual composition. The title is the entire content in just one phrase in my opinion so I wouldn’t know until i finished writing most of the time…
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Well said.
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That is a great point! Thankssss
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I usually decide my title last, even though the idea of the paper doesn’t change
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I think starting an essay with a ques can capture a readers attention but starting with a quote is not the best idea at least from my perspective. Quotes usually need context before and after to have any strong impact, starting with a quote only leaves explaining to do and risks not giving well explained context or meaning.
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As long as the question is answered and it strengthens the writing..
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what
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What do you mean ‘what’?
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Okay… last thoughts… before we adjourn for the term. Thank you all for being here tonight, and your work this semester.
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Thank you Professor Mikey for staying with us this semester. I’ve never had an English class like this and I really enjoyed the discussions you fostered
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Cheers!
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everyone that has stayed this whole semester I just want to congragulate your hardwork and appreciate all the words everyone gave to this blog and zoom meetings. Have a good holiday break and a relaxing one at that!
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Same to you Finn!!
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One last piece of instruction from me…. DON’T THINK. Just WRITE. When you think about writing, and plan, and do some outline just to do it, you’re not building composition, you’re not showing love for your idea. WRITE. Edit later…. If at all.
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Also….. Value expression over structure. A paragraph can be “short” and still be strong. On the same stroke, a paragraph can be longer and say utterly nothing.
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Thank you Professor Mike and colleagues for being here this semester and for showing me how we can through this tough time and seeing positivity in everything. Also for introducing me those three great authors and for all the knowledge we shared here. You all are amazing and I am really thankful for that
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Cheers Debora. Write well, and enjoy your evening.
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Let’s keep writing, I hope you all can find love in everything you write and principally on your essay, after all it is you lifetime you are spending on it so let’s make it worth it! Have a great holiday you all!
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My final thoughts for tonight are going to be about how to keep my idea consistent throughout the examination of all three authors and where the differences lie. Using my resources instead of trying to shoulder all of my knowledge just from the books is another area I’m gonna work on. I hope that everyone does well on their essay and Thank you Professor Mikey for a great semester.
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One more nudge of instruction from me…. assess yourself before anticipating your grade. If you get a ‘C’, you should know that would be your grade. B, A, same thing… any questions, contact me. And if you haven’t communicated with me all semester, don’t start blowing me up now, please…
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