5-5:10pm: Hello!! Tell us about your journal and journal writing lately. Any stories? Anything you could turn into a longer work? Say 4-5 pages, ABOUT YOU?
5:10-5:40pm: Samantha Irby’s essay flavor….. tell us about it.
5:40-6pm: What writing does for a reader, for the one writing. But more than that… LIFE. What we want from it, how we get it and if we do then what. All these books we read and that I pick from semester to semester…. LIFE. It’s life we’re reading and exploring. Not a book, not just one person’s take on one day and another. What is the writing of one supposed to do? Can this be taught, or is it just an idea to excavate?
(NOTE: If you’re looking for answers, you’re in the wrong place.)
6-6:20pm: Self-talk… tell us about it. An essay to self, talking self out of and, or, through something. Where you find new thoughts, new assurances for and from SELF… new truth.
6:20-6:30pm…. Leave us with some ideas, thoughts, some encouragement for the night’s page. Think about what you post, it is directed directly at your colleagues. A note from you to them.
ASSIGNMENT: Enjoy the reading, and enjoy your life. Write about both. No page target or limit… just KEEP READING. And, again, I’ll keep saying this… ENJOY.
#professormikey
#professormikey 
I think that Irby reminds us a little bit of us in some way or other, she defiantly remind me of when me and my friends use to have wild nights at the crawl, also know as the Cotia bars. She is a comedian throughout most of her stories so far.
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Really liking Irby’s book so far, looking forward to reading more
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If I was to describe her flavor, it would be atmospheric. She has this relaxed Evan conversational continuation of language, of paragraphs, of words, of poetry in her narration. She’s something very familiar and comforting to readers. She’s something needed, especially for readers today.
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Especially after a year of covid too
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I also loved the story about how she met her friend Emily. Friending as an adult is hard. Anybody experience this?
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As a ginger, I actually found friend making much harder as a child, haha.
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ahhhh…sorry Lily
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Yeah… not cool. Needs to be more acceptance and love.. straight up.
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My best friend is what some would a ginger… I don’t like that word. You’re an amazing human and if others can’t see that then forget them.
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Yes! Not sure if I qualify for adult just yet but moved across the country in a pandemic with my family and I already have trouble getting to know and comfortable with new people, everything else just added to that.
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I feel you! Thats a tough combo to deal with! hang in there!
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Ebb and conversation…
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If I vibe with this one, I might pic up her second book. they have at the book store I go to
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Yes, same attitude. Most likely, We Are Never Meeting In Real Life.
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One thing I would always admire her for is her life experiences! I thoroghaly enjoyed her Q&A essay.
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i think irby writing is stronger in the way she expresses her stories.
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I’m curious about this…why?
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i feel like when i read her chapters its more straight forward and with lawson i had to re read her chapters to understand them not all but some and i kinda connected more with irby writing.
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An Irby flavor could be an unapologetic flow of vibes. As she writes, she’s selecting the vibe to embrace and express which will lead her to the next…and so forth.
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unapologetic is a great word to describe her.
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And also, “unashamed” because I could never gamble speaking about bodily fluids like she does.
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Omg! Yes! She definitely writes very freely
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I’ve finished the chapter about her drunken adventures, and while I’ve had my share of fun, it’s not something I particularly enjoyed reading about, but we shall see how her writing progresses
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Irby is the kind of writer who you don’t love because they challenge you to think or to understand her, but because she does all of the thinking and explaining, and lets you relax and make your own opinions
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How would you describe Irby‘s style of essay writing? If, it’s essay writing.
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Narrative in such a way that you can smell and hear and see her world
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Yes.. feeling. Connectedness. Intimate.
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I feel like I can implement a lot more of her essays in my every day life . Her experiences and the way she writes them done in a way where it feels like a lesson and conversation in one.
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To understand her writing, you have to understand her humor. I feel like if you don’t then you would be put off from her work.
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If we think of writing as art, there isn’t one thing that writing is “supposed to do”. Writing is an expression of the author, whether it has intention or not. If we think of some writing as a method to further a goal like to educate and inform, then it can be weighed based upon it’s impact to do so. But without explicit mention that writing has an intention, I don’t think a superficial goal should be placed upon its value.
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Yeah writing is sexy, but what does it do?
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Since not all writing is meant to be shared, I think it depends. My writing is entirely personal. I use my journal as a memory bank so I can go back and read about the work I’ve done and how my thoughts have changed. Lawson and Irby’s books both make me think of like a narrative journal if that makes sense? Like it’s right from their mind and onto the page, but with the intent to connect to their readers. I think anything can be taught, laid out, put in a manual, but not everyone will be able to do it.
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Writing for you is the most truth of paginated efforts.
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When you fill a page, what’s the feeling?
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Validating.
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I feel accomplished
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Satisfaction and Freeing
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When I write, it feels like I have peacefully captured a moment, whatever it may be.
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Everything has narration, is narrating…
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In my eyes, there is no concrete answer in terms of what writing should do. It can make one happy or sad and still be of quality. The writer could be satisfied by something that is completely abhorrent to an outside perspective. It cannot be taught in terms of a simplistic style, but one can learn to love what they write and read.
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Closure, full filling. I have a hard time finishing what I start, whenever I’m journaling finishing a page is like a motivation.
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Relief, like I just got everything off my shoulders and I can move on, using what I wrote as reference if I ever need it
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Writing gives me a place to put my word vomit without subjecting people who aren’t interested in hearing it. I’ve been known to text essays to people just because I want to talk about something. Also, sharing stories can sometimes help you feel like a weight has been lifted off your chest.
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inward jots are invaluable. Enjoy.
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By the way, are we gonna have another zoom class soon? That was fun.
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Wednesday. It’ll be DOPE.
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Stress-free, putting down my thoughts and leaving them behind
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New sense of self.. no stress. Only new sense and togetherness of Self.
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when i write i feel like a weight is off my shoulders and sometimes amazes me how much i can actually write.
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Keep writing.
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I feel proud in a way. Like thats my work, I did that I put the work in and you know what, it didn’t take that much work as I was expecting if you’re writing something you feel passionate about or something that happened to you. Some times I’ll write about something small expecting it to be maybe a page but it’ll turn into a 2-3 paper entry which makes me happy.
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If I’m writing and no one is going to see it then it’s relaxing, but when I write for school I find it a bit stressful I think it’s because someone is going to read my work.
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writing can be precise or carefree. it’s documenting information, and sometimes making a point
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Stress is like a toxin that you purchase, that is guaranteed to contaminate everything in your story. Don’t purchase.
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I like this!
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Cheers. Enjoy.
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Definitely satisfied like a small achievement each time, and if I am proud of what I wrote than it feels even better.
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Writing to me helps my mind put whatever its thinking onto pages for myself to organize into ideas.
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How I feel when I fill a page of writing depends on whether that page was full of fluff and nonsense writing or not. Sometimes the page is a ramble so I’m not so proud then.
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If you put something, anything to page, you should be proud.
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Writing lets us let go of every feeling and thought one is experiencing or has experienced. Writing captures us at our happiest and saddest moments and when we re-read our own writing, it’s a sense of relief and a memory of the past that will help you. And your future.
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Live more, so you can write more. Don’t set out to write… start your day with intentions to LIVE, and EXPERIENCE. Write at day’s end. Only take notes during day… my “advice”.
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Irby reminds me that I need to write experience in a way that Lawson didn’t. What do you think?
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Yes I would agree…putting all those vivid thoughts to paper
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I believe each person writes for a different some use it to express themselves some write as an escape. Therefore each person has a different purpose in writing. For example Lawson and Irby both write to help others they both open up in their writing and that’s what makes them so unique.
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They both have that encouraging echo, for sure..
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Where you at???
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Tired already?
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What are you writing… and I mean, not writing but LIVING.
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i’m trying to leave my mark behind in the world, I hope to have a career that can support the life I’d like to live later, open a safe house for former prostitutes in Thailand, and expose my future children to all the different cultures that are out there. Right now, i’m doing everything I can to enable that kind of life. By attending school, learning and NETWORKING
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I write about my everyday experience and what’s on my mind.
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At home, just did some work in the rain on our field. Satisfied and tired. Coming home soaked is a different kind of happy. Especially coming home to a warm place.
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Do dream journals count?
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F/ck yeah they do…
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checkity check.
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🙂
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I’m always tired, so I’d say so. But such is my life as it stands
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So many times we seek advice, inspiration, motivation, and answers in other when we always have ourselves and the music of SELF-talk to heal and hone.
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Something I’ve been working on in my own writing, whether it be for this or another class or myself. Remove the inner critic. Kick it out and don’t let it back in. Write with abandon
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YES.
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then step 2. Translate that same habit to life
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Truly living for success, this is what keeps me going
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Living…. words allow and encourage and teach you to live. Your own words can teach their author. Please note that.
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the reason I write is so that my thoughts don’t overflow, that and so I don’t forget the moment. On top of this I feel that writing helps heal any thing that might be hurting the mind. it definitely helps to keep things of importance jotted down.
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I’m writing, and I mean LIVING, to understand myself, to live and to learn, to grow, and to find peace even in the hard times
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I am always hesitant to write a self essay because it makes me sad.
I’m sure there’s something inspiring there, and I have no doubt that I could come up with a compelling thesis, I just get sad thinking about the things I was experiencing at that time. I have only recently found routine, stability, home. I just think it would be a bummer to read.
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Lately, I’ve just been living to romanticize the small things in life, like a nice backyard, going to the thrift store, wearing clothes that make me happy, eating, sleeping like a regular person, filling my walls with stuff I think is cool (#fuckminimalism)
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I am sorry you have had so much sadness Rory, but perhaps it might do for others what Lawson has done with her sharing and stories…life is not all good or all perfect. Some of my favorite stories and movies were sad ones, real ones, because I felt them to be genuine.
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So true.
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you’re so sweet, thank you for the thoughtful reply
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Of course. I mean it…
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❤
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It is up to the reader to decide if it’s a “bummer” or not. Sad stories can be special as fuck, even more than the “happy” ones.
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