5-5:10: How are you closing up the semester? What is your plan, strategy, vision?
5:10-5:35: Sedaris Observations? Don’t worry about spoiling anything.. even if you reveal some occurrence or development we still have to read.
5:35-6: Building the singular idea… using the books we’ve read. Start researching around your idea… you will be required to use TWO outside sources to support your argument.
OTP: If you don’t have one yet, consider “Truth”, the word with which we started the semester.
6-6:20: What are you writing in your journal? How do you use it? How does it help you? What do you want the journal to do, going forward in your studies, life?
6:20-6:30: Close….
OTP: Music… find music in your writing, especially with this final essay.
OTP: Your idea should be note just interesting to you, but ADDICTIVE. You should want to write it, possibly even having written pages already, notes, sketches typed or scribbled…. You should always be in love with YOUR inner-sentences, what you want to write.
OTP: Sedaris teaches temperament with writing, but also craze and lawless leaps…
OTP: Want to learn something? When you finish an essay and have put time into it, collaborated with me or a colleague, and submit on-time, you have a better chance at liking the result.
OTP: If you’re not a fan of your writing, of yourself, CHANGE THAT.
ASSIGNMENT: Keep reading Sedaris, please finish and type your 3-page singular idea essay and send to me. Again, when done, on or before Monday the 3rd.
#professormikey 
It’s 5 o’clock!!!!! Where y’all at???
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Been thinking about happiness, and how it is an entirely DIY concept and composition…
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Hey everybody!
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Hey Oliver! How was your day?
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It has been well, did some chores, read a couple of chapters of Calypso, and finished eating. Been thinking a lot about why can’t people just be nice? It’s not that hard. How has your day been?
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Positive, productive, and encouraging.. Good question here, that you posed. Not sure we’ll ever have an answer..
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Hi friends,
I hope y’all had a good weekend! ٩(*•͈ ꇴ •͈*)و
This semester I am aiming to finish as strong as I am able to, while also being kind to myself and acknowledging that this semester has been more trying (to say the least) than previous semesters and that’s okay.
My strategy is to maintain on top of time management. I hope to keep on turning in all of my assignments on time, and have no missing assignments between now and the end of the semester. I am committing myself to different studying methods and following through with them until I can confidently finish my assignments.
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Love the attitude and centered mentality Rory… cheers!! Good to see you!
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Hey everyone
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Im closing up the semester by keeping my momentum going. Im finishing strong and staying energized.
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Hey everyone!
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Hey Chloe! How was your day?
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Great had my first day back at work! Really missed the little kiddos!
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For most of my classes, they have recently assigned a final project for the classes. I am planning on finishing 1 project a week so that I don’t get overwhelmed the week before they’re all due like I usually do. I don’t know if it’s going to work but if it does it should be a much easier ride to the end of the semester
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I’m closing up the semester by preparing myself better, like for example having ideas on my notes in what could be a possible essay topic for the last paper that we write.
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Nice!! There are topics everywhere, and in everything. Choosing one can be difficult, but encouraging as well!
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hello everyone
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I’m closing the semster trying to stay possitive and pushing through. The finish line is in sight!!!
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Yes it is. OR, is it the beginning of a new story? New character and movement, Roads….?
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Definetly the ending of one chapter and the begining of yet another! Excited to see whats to come
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Hello Everyone!
I am closing up the semester strong, my strategy is to buckle down and get things done
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PATYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! That’s right, you decide if it gets done or not!!
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HI!!! How’s your day going?
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Going well, thank you!!
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Hi there, how are you doing?
How are you closing up the semester? What is your plan, strategy, vision?
I’m closing the semester with a heavy heart. there have been so many changes, so many things I’ve got to brace myself for. I didn’t stop to think that the semester i almost over, the time flies and I just feel not ready. Not ready to say goodbye to my boyfriend, not ready to be this mature.
My vision is getting that A, my strategy is doing as I have been, which is my best.
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This semester has been harder than any other semester and I have found myself procrastinating a lot so I’m planning on finishing strong turning everything in and doing all the work that I have missed and continue doing the work that’s assigned to me as well.
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You can always change..
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Hello! Im closing up this semester by putting all my energy into my work. Ill work on one project at a time and try to get them turned in before its due to give me extra time on my other work.
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Organization of time and the projects themselves is always something that will benefit the individual…
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Hello everyone! If I’m being honest, I’m closing the semester rather.. poorly thus far. Been rather stressed about homework and life and have barely felt like I have been able to have the time for homework as of late. Want to make sure I do well down the stretch, so I’m attempting to plan out assignments and timeframes to get things done.
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I am preparing out my time more sufficiently, less distractions more focused
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I’ve done okay this semester it’s just getting a bit overwhelming honestly because I know I have a lot of papers due in May so I’m going to focus on getting a head start as the longer ones get assigned.
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I plan to close this semester by making sure I turn in all my assignments on time and make more time to focus on my work without any distractions. I want to end this semester with pride and feeling accomplished that I finished another crazy at-home semester.
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Hello! Im closing the semester strong but tired.. I am doing pretty good in my classes and work has been going well but I just find after doing everything I need to do in my day I feel rather exhausted and ready to sleep at 10pm.
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this semester has been one of the toughest ones but im pushing through till the end and hope to graduate this semester as well!!
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Hey everyone, I’m planning on closing the semester strong and working hard to achieve my vision and goals. I have to plan a clear schedule so I can work.
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Honestly, the beginning of the semester was really good but the closer I get to the end the more obstacles I come across.
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Obstacle are also lessons and opportunities for growth and new structure…. You’ll be fine and do well if you decide to.
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Hello there everyone…wow closing the semester very differently from how I started it. A new home, job, perspective on life. Feeling myself shifting pretty abruptly to a new way of being…
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So exciting!! Hope you are as well. Thanks for coming tonight!!
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Thank you! better! Thank you for being here too
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🙂
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Hope all this change turns out best for you that’s a lot!!
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Plan for the end of the semester is to not get lost in the soon to come wave of assignments and final projects, finish with the same pace I’ve had for the semester till now and close out like a race.
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Sedaris… I find he gets increasingly more free in his depictions and decisions..
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I’m just trying to survive honestly. Finishing up the semester, I’m trying to finish the semester.
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Sedaris is like a model for self-talk… do you agree?
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Sedaris tells his readers to react differently than you would otherwise… To find humor, not care so much, but more deeply understand what’s occurring.
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Yes! Like he does with his friend Lyn in response to the election results!
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it sorta back fired though
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lol
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Very good!! YES!!
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He tells me to make the jokes I want to make but I’m scared people will judge me for (within reason).
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Sedaris also teaches those that write to not care so much… stop doing your job so goddamn much, or trying to be so proper and clean. Yes, edit… but not at the cost of your character’s composition.
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I feel like i see this alot and am even guilty of it, but I see people who feel as if they should be writing as if they were a walking textbook. However if you do write like that you looe you flare and what makes your writing unique and it juts gets lost in the countless other essays. Youve said this alot, but I feel like past english classes have molded us to write in a specific way which just leads to the death of our creativity.
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If you let that happen, yes…
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Notes on Sedaris, anyone??? You there?
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He constantly plays pranks or jokes that I might have done as a youngster but would definetly hesitate to do as an adult… I like it
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Let’s make this interesting…. just speak in quotes. Don’t explain… just quote something that shows David Sedaris’ truest attitude. BRING IT.
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I feel like Sedaris doesn’t care as much so he is very blunt when he writes. I also feel like he’s very observational like in the Levithan essay he talks about how when he grew older he found people become crazy in 2 ways.
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Quotes you wish to share???
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“While I know I can’t control it, what I ultimately hope to recall about my late-lin-life father is not his nagging or his toes, but, rather, his fingers and the way he snaps them while listening to jazz.” ( Sedaris 93). I don’t know why but I love the way he talked about his father in this quote.
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In some parts of the books, I feel like Sedaris gives us a view of a person who time travelled. the way he described the Fitbit that Lesley was wearing when they were out for lunch was so funny to me. Everyone I know knows the look and feel of a fitbit, or an apple watch, I don’t even stop to think about it anymore.
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Sedaris is.. odd. It’s the best word I’ve been able to come up with while reading. He’s someone that has lived a unique life, and it leads him to be blunt and bring is how understanding to the table.
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I noticed that Sedaris isn’t very jealous in his relationships. He’s mentioned a few times that his partner Hugh is very handsome but he isn’t bothered by it, even though Hugh’s bodycount is much higher and he believes Hugh could have anyone he wants and also is inevitably comparing him to other men with better traits. He’s even said things like “What do I want with a good looking boyfriend,” to him, when Sedaris suggests an attractive dude he could date if Sedaris potentially died. I find this interesting because what Hugh said is both a complement and an insult at the same time but you can tell it is well intentioned because he is saying he prefers Sedaris over looks. I also noted that Hugh is actually more jealous despite this because while Sedaris wants Hugh to find another man if he dies, Hugh said “I want you to be alone and miserable. And if you do find someone, I’m going to return from the dead and haunt you,” This is an interesting dynamic because they completely disagree but I think it works perfectly for them. This also says a lot about Sedaris’s security in who he is as a person, too.
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You should include this in your final response on Sedaris!
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Ohhh very interesting! I hadn’t put it in that light yet.
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I like his little embellishments, “Kathy saw twenty-five sharks, some of them twelve feet long.” When he was speaking to hugh, when in reality there were10 sharks at 5 feet long
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Great!
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His deep dives into his own personal trauma and family experiences is very eye opening along with the current attitude makes for a very interesting story to witness.
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“A child was drowning and I jumped into the river to save her.” I could say “don’t worry, she’s fine now.” I just need to get up and change out of these wet clothes. Will they buy it? I wondered, looking out at the brown water do I look like the type who would save a child? Should I add more detail–say, perhaps, the girl was Mexican? Questions you ask yourself when you’re traveling with Gastrointestinal virus.
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This is great!!
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“Some people, I thought, opening the wet wipes so I could wash the tumpr off my hands before I touched my wallet.’
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What does this show you?
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I think its his way of saying we are all the same, just different quirks.
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Yes! And to celebrate the reality that is our personality and life!
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“I’d have felt like a fool paying all that money and limiting my nipple-high pants and black dress culottes to home, so I started wearing them onstage, which still left me feeling like a fool but a different kind of one.” 74
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“You’d think that if someone wanted a sex toy she’d go for the gold, size-wise. But this was just the bare minimum, like getting a AAA breast implant.”
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Do any of you find humor at work?
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yes i work with kids and you can only imagine the crazy things they do or say!
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Yes, customers can be very funny, and not always on purpose.
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I’m in the wine business… tell me about it. And with my tech life, people asking about different internet circuits and telecom options, OMG…
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definitely! In my old job, humor in coworkers and sometimes at things that might going wrong, you kinda just have to laugh
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Yess!! crack some jokes, start conversations. Be the master in the narrative and direct it to humor
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Can you explain?
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When I used to work at my moms restaurant, a small place crammed in between the big houses on the canals of Amsterdam, we would see people from all over the world. As a waiter in the Netherlands, there is a whole different dynamic between the waiter and customer. much less personal than in the U.S. I wanted to find connection, interact. Humor, I found out is and has been the best median to connect with strangers. Crack a joke on if they could handle the spice, or the gimmicky t-shirt they’re wearing. Observe and apply. Never had that much fun on a job, and I’m still in touch with so many customers I befriended during that time.
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Yes, all the time! Customer: ” I have been here for an hour you guys are taking forever and wasting my time” me: ” Can I see your receipt… It says here you ordered at 1… It’s 1:20. ” Customer:
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Wow.
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At my new job yes…so much.
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Write it in your journal…
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I will…today was the first day on the job..
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Oh perfect! Then you definitely should put it to page..
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will do
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He speaks reality and truth. In the silent treatment is where ive observed him describing what people face with their parents especially with communication. a father isn’t just the one that conceives its the one that loves, cares for you and is their with you every step of the way!
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Ive noticed Sedaris is a very blunt type of writer. In the essay “Untamed” I noted a passage where he talked about hamsters and how instead of feeding them “healthily” he just feeds them whatever they want because “all they live for is food” which I find a very blunt statement to make but made me think. I enjoy the way Sedaris isint afraid to say how he feels.
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Does Sedaris make you focus more on your own life, how you live.. or just what’s currently present?
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he does make me reflect on my life…more so in how I respond to life and its unexpectedness
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I like that!! Did Ms. Lawson or Irby do that?
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What’s currently present. Reading these books have made me very aware of my surroundings.
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yes he does he has made me reflect on how i respond to unexpected things in life and even things from my past he makes me reflect on it in a way i wouldn’t see it (in specifics things). As well as how i will react with my present if i make sense.
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He makes me want to have a better experience when talking to new people. To step away from the normal ” Hi how are you ” Conversations to the ” Has someone ever came and ordered $60 worth of food then tried leaving without paying because she felt threatened and didn’t feel safe in the environment when we were just doing our job? Then threatens to call the police at you while she’s the one threatening us? ” I left the Applebees employee laughing last night, we had a funny conversation… He even offered me a job!
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Sedaris helps me justify my less than frugal spending habits
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LOL
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I’m having a hard time with this book as I’m nearing a pretty difficult death anniversary (or whatever is the least horrible thing to call it I guess) and the parts where Sedaris is talking about death, the death of his sister and the hole that it left, I am feeling very emotional. I find it interesting how Sedaris is very honest about the state of he and his sister’s relationship at the time of her death. The feeling after someone commits suicide is such a mind fuck, that I’m impressed he’s come this far in how he talks about the relationship they had before her death. He has found truth, and there’s peace in accepting it. It leaves more room for loving instead of questioning every last second you had with that person. There is an astounding lack of self blame when Sedaris writes talks about suicide that is very refreshing but also very difficult to apply to your own life. Applying his level of truth means there is a part of you letting go. But what letting go isn’t necessarily a bad thing when it means you’re letting go of constant self-lashing and dissecting and anxiety and guilt.
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CHALLENGE: I want to hear from EVERYONE on this…. Is Sedaris a “teacher”? How?
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In my experience, Sedaris is. I take notes of his behavior, mindset, perspective. Whether or not I apply them in my own life doesn’t matter. I gained insight, I learned a lesson.
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Definitely a unique and pronounced mind in his pages, perspective as well of course. What was/is the lesson?
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Care less and let go. But also, care about the things around you. Be observant ASK QUESTIONS! both internally, externally.
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Agreed.
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It feels like Sedaris is daring us…in the way is is most certainly a leader… “this is how I’m living my life people of the world, show me what you’ve got.” It almost like he is a combination of a mentor and a real world stuntman.
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A stuntman… love that.
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Through his books he teaches communication, for instance having more than just small talk with someone. Have a conversation in which will be fulfilling
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anyone who writes is a teacher, for themselves mostly but when they share it, readers are learning just by choosing to read someone’s work
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