Ashley Krolikowski

Alley

English V01A

December 2, 2009

Readings on Writing 1: The Everyday Writer and The Craft of Revision

            The first chapter of Donald M. Murray’s The Craft of Revision discusses rewriting before writing.  This was a concept that I did not entirely understand.  How can you re-do something before you actual do it?  I kept thinking about it through out my reading and the answer I received did not explain the concept as well as I would have liked.  The answer, apparently, is that rewriting is a process where you consider the thoughts in your head before you write them.  The problem with this answer is that it did not explain how you could call that rewriting, however that was the only problem I had with this chapter.  There were plenty of things I found helpful such as the techniques for thinking of what to write.  This is includes brainstorming (which I have tried before but this chapter explains it better) and interviewing oneself on the topic at hand.  The brainstorming will help think of what to write and the interview will help me process the information I have on the subject.  The last part I liked was how the author made an emphasis on revision and how you can always go back and make a piece of writing better.

            This particular text was chosen to be read because it was the first chapter in the book and it makes sense to start from the beginning and to go from there.  It was also chosen because it has information that prepares a student for writing which, makes sense to read in preparation for an assignment such as a paper or an essay. 

            In comparison Andrea A. Lunsford’s The Everyday Writer explains how to revise a piece of writing.  I found it interesting how it made a point to state the common errors that students make and by stating these errors the book showed specifically what to look for when revising a piece of writing.  I am still uncertain about the placement of commas and hyphens but I am now more confident in writing sentence fragments.  I also found the section on college writing interesting because it had a paragraph on formal emails, which can help me outside of the classroom.  There was also a section on class presentations.  It had some great advice on how to be prepared for a presentation and how read off of a script or note cards.   The advice on PowerPoint presentation was especially helpful because I sometimes put too much information on one slide.  The last section was the least help because I found most of the information to be basic commonsense.  However it had some good information if you aren’t technologically inclined and is something I can refer to if I need some pointers.

            This text was chose to be read because it had a lot of information on grammar, college writing, presentations, and multimedia formats.  In addition, it has information on preparation for writing in different areas of the English curriculum.  So if we have to do a presentation or speak in a group those who read the assigned reading will be better prepared or those who make grammar errors often will be better prepared to revise those errors.  The reading will also help those who read prepare for the essay assignment that the class will receive in the immediate future.

Works cited

Lunsford, Andrea A.  The Everyday Writer.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.  Print.

Murray, Donald M.  The Craft of Revision.  Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2004.

            Print.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

 November 26, 2009

Rising From the Ashes/Wildfire Safety Talk

            On September 10, 2009 I went to Guthrie hall for a wildfire safety talk and an art exhibit.  The speakers at this event included Ron Oatman, Brian Clark, Lindsey Taggart, Dave Berry, and Hiroko Yoshimoto (who is the artist of this exhibit).  The wildfire safety talk had various presentations that went from factual information to emotional information about wildfires through out the presentations.  The first speaker, Ron Oatman, described some of the dangers of wildfires and also how to be safe in case of a wildfire.  He described such things as the ember zone and survival tips.  He explained that an ember zone is a half mile area that surrounds a wildfire, in which embers from the fire can fly onto one’s house and possibly set it on fire.  He also explained that a particularly useful safety tip is to stay inside if caught in a wildfire.

            The second speaker, Brian Clark, spoke of the stay and defend program.  In this program one stays and defends their home in the case of a wildfire.  If one does this then there is no turning backs; they cannot leave.  A way to defend one’s house is to take a garden hose and put out any fires that can occur on their property.  This program began n Australia and is moderately successful.  The third speaker, Lindsey Taggart, described the ways one can, to a certain extent, prevent fire damage.  Most of the materials used for these renovations are eco-friendly.  For example, one can put watery plants around their home to prevent embers from setting their home on fire.

            The second to last speaker was Dave Barry and he described his experience with the tea fire.  His view was more emotional than the speakers before him.  However it was still informative as he described the repairs he had to make to his home.  The last speaker was the artist of the exhibit, Hiroko Yoshimoto.  She described going to the burn site of one of the wildfires and how it inspired her to paint pictures of the site.  She actually used ashes from the site in some of her pictures.

            I would recommend seeing this show because the information given is very useful.  I learned that I live in an ember zone so whenever the hill by my house is on fire my house is at risk.  It’s kind of scary to think about but at least now I know that I should protect my home.  I’m not usually into art but I like the pictures that were in this show.  They reminded me of contorted trees that were set on fire. The pictures were also tall and they made me feel as if I was in the wilderness.  The colors used in these pictures made the pictures have a contrasted feel; there was black and brown and then a shade of white.  It also made me see the emotional aspect of the wildfires that occur in California.  If I had the choice I would go again just to see the art work.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

November 20, 2009

Thought Paper Two

In Mike Rose’s, “I Just Wanna be Average,” he describes his four years at a public school in Los Angeles, California.  He writes of his first two years as being in Vocational Education, the bottom level of education at the school, and the teachers and people he came into contact with.  He also describes his transition into the college prep classes, the highest ranking education at the school, the teacher that most influenced him the most, the death of his father, and his decision to go to college.

While telling his story, Rose also points out the flaws in the education system and the importance of just one teacher having faith in a student.   He describes having to perform a mathematical problem but not having the knowledge in which to do solve the problem:

You are given a problem.  It requires you to simplify algebraic fraction…you know this is pretty basic material because you’ve seen it for years.  Once a teacher took some time with you, and you learned how to carry out these operations…but that was a year or more in the past and these are more complex versions, and now you’re not sure.   (357, 50 Essays)

He goes on to describe what happens when you give up and how you’re attentions wavers.  He also describes how his senior English teacher influenced him to go to college and how he opened his mind to new forms of literature because of this teacher.

            I found that I could relate to his main points specifically the situation in which he had to perform math problems he didn’t know how to do.  This has happened to me many times before specifically because I had never fully learned the procedures prior.  I never had a teacher like he described so I cannot agree or disagree with his point of view.

            In “Learning to Read” Malcolm X’s describes being in the prison system and teaching himself to read.  He also provides his opinion on several race issues in that era.  One opinion in particular describes how he views the white man and how the white man has harmed the world.  He writes, “…the whole world’s white men had indeed acted like devils, pillaging and raping and bleeding and drain the whole world’s non-white people.”  On this issue I don’t have a formal opinion because I am not as well informed as the writer is.  I thought the other parts of this essay were interesting, in particular how he taught himself to read.

            In Chris Carlsson’s Nowtopia, specifically the second chapter, he discusses the history of the working class and how in today’s world the working class ceases to exist.  He also made a point of expressing how the majority of the U.S. considers themselves part of the middle class.  I suppose he meant to say that people should not be defined by their work.  I am only guessing because I did not quite understand the reading as well as I should have.  I did think that it was interesting and it is growing on me.  I did agree with his descriptions of the 1950’s and the union strikes but not in any specific area. 

Vocabulary:

• Ameliorated- improved
• Gentry – well born and well bred
• Opaque- unintelligible
• Pedagogy- teaching
• Milieu- environment setting

Questions:

• On the last page of Mike Rose’s essay he says something about being in Vermont.  What does this mean? 
• What particular opinions did you find controversial in Malcolm X’s essay?
• Did you feel that Carl Carlsson accurately describe notions of class?

Works Cited

Cohen, Samuel.  50 Essays: A Portable Anthology.  Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2007.

Print.

Carlsson, Chris.  Nowtopia.  Oakland: AK Press, 2008.  Print.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

November 20, 2009

Thought Paper: Nowtopia and 50 Essays

Stephen L. Carter’s “The Insufficiency of Honesty,” discusses the idea of integrity which, he defines integrity as, “Integrity is like the weather: everybody talks about it but nobody knows what to do about it (105).”  He goes on to describe how telling the truth is different from integrity.  One can be honest but that honesty can go against their integrity if the honesty hurts someone else.  One believing in something blindly can also go against integrity.  Carter also describes doing something out of obligation is more respectable than doing something because of a promise.

            Carter believes that integrity is more than honesty; it’s about evaluating principles and carrying out a task out of obligation.  He doesn’t necessarily believe that this is everyone’s definition, but it is his definition.  I agree with his view on integrity because it is similar to my view on integrity.

            In William F. Buckley Jr.’s, “Why Don’t We Complain,” the subject of minor annoyances is discussed.  Buckley describes situations in which people put up with annoying things that could easily be fixed if brought up.  For example, he describes an event on a train where the temperature inside was too high in contrast to the temperature outside.  It appeared that everyone was hot but put up with it.  He goes on to criticize why these people didn’t say anything. 

             It is obvious that Buckley wants the American people to not put up with these minor annoyances in everyday life.  If a movie screen is blurry, then complain about it.  If a waitress doesn’t bring a glass of milk during a meal, then say something to the manager.  I agree with this idea because if one is annoyed by something that could easily be fixed, then they should do something about it.  However, the person who is annoyed shouldn’t wait until they are so annoyed that they snap at someone; this is rude and can ruin a day for someone.  Also, if the annoyance is something that will only last a minute or so then the person should put up with it.  For example, a person is walking slowly in front of another person.  This can easily be put up with so the person in back should let the person in front walk slow.  This occurrence is part of life.

            In this chapter of Chris Carlsson’s Nowtopia the various ideas of “outlaw bicycling” are discussed.  Carlsson refers to outlaw bicycling as a “subculture [that] goes against that kind of good behavior norm that a lot of mainstream bicycle advocates promote (116).”  One of the main ideas of this culture is to teach people how to fix their own bikes so that in the future they will know how to.  This culture also uses zines to communicate their views.  Another idea of this culture is “rides.”  This is when a group of bicyclists come together to ride bikes in form of a protest or a community.  Another idea of this culture is that class is not paid attention to; anyone can participate in this activity.

            Carlsson believes that this subculture is a form of protest against class and capitalism.  This is because this culture doesn’t use cars or care about the idea of class.  I agreed with aspect of the chapter but there was a specific idea that I disagree with.  This is the idea that all bicyclists are bicyclists because of anti-capitalist ideals.  Carlsson barely acknowledges that there are quite a few people that ride bikes merely as a form of transportation.  I would even classify those people as the majority of bicyclists but Carlsson seems to brush that idea off as mere coincidence.

Questions

• What is your definition of integrity?
• In what ways do you agree or disagree with Buckley?
• How does class relate to bike riding?
• What ideas of Carlsson’s do you agree with?

Vocabulary

• Virile (p 97 50 Essays) – masculine
• Plenipotentiary (p 102) – full power
• Veneration (p 120 Nowtopia) – an expression of a feeling
• Bastion (p 137) – a fortified place
• Colloquial (p 149) – using conversation

Works Cited

Carter, Stephen L.  “The Insufficiency of Honesty.”  50 Essays.  Ed. Samuel Cohen. 2^nd

            Ed. Boston: Bedford. 2007. 104-111. Print.

Buckley Jr., William F.  “Why Don’t We Complain.”  50 Essays.  Ed. Samuel Cohen. 2^nd    

                Ed. Boston: Bedford. 2007. 97-103. Print.

Carlsson, Chris.  Nowtopia.  Oakland: AK Press, 2008.  Print.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

November 20, 2009

Thought Paper 3: Nowtopia and “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For”

            In chapters three and nine of Nowtopia, Chris Carlsson discusses work outside of a career and the event known as Burning Man.  Specifically in the third chapter he describes how certain individuals are finding their true calling outside of their jobs.  This included community gardens and fuel alternatives.  He also describes the “DIY” movement and how it originated out of the punk culture.  He also explains how this particular movement had been taken over by capitalism and how some how some are trying to take it back.  In chapter nine, Carlsson describes the event of Burning Man itself and his point of view when he went and interviewed people on the subject of class.  He also describes the ideals and contradictions of the event.

            Carlsson’s point of chapter three was that people can find their true passion in spite of a constricting work environment.  The point of chapter nine was that people of all classes can come together at Burning Man.  He made it clear that people can do this despite the contradictions of the event.

            I enjoyed how Carlsson made the connection between the punk movement and the DIY movement:

Back in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, punk music exploded as a rejection of the co-optation of rock-‘n’-roll by music corporations…anti-fashion and raw, untrained three-chord rock burst forth, sending popular culture into thousands of fragments, most of them doggedly DIY.  (48, Nowtopia)

I also found the concept of Burning Man interesting.  There are contradictions that surround it but the ideals of the event are important to people and that is what truly matters.

            In contrast, Henry David Thoreau’s “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” talked about how in order to truly live you must live simply.  He also describes how his experience in nature and how it helped him fulfill his virtue of living in a simple way.  Thoreau’s main point of this piece of writing was that the nature of society had interfered with the nature of man and his way of life.

            Overall I thought that the way Thoreau wrote was beautiful because of the way he described things in this piece of writing.  However there were other parts of this piece that I didn’t agree with.  At first it annoyed me to read how ignorant he seemed of the postal service and the news service.  However the more I thought it over I came to the realization that he wasn’t at all that ignorant because he lived at a time where these services weren’t as widely used.  I also found it interesting how he incorporated other forms of religion into this piece of writing.  I believe one was Hinduism although I am not quite certain because it reminded me more of Buddhism.  His use of such religions made his argument of simplicity better developed.

Vocabulary:

• Supernumerary (pg 426, 50 essays)- excess of the usual number
• Inexorably (pg 39, Nowtopia)- unalterable
• Contrived (42)- artificially planned
• Percolate (47)- filter
• Syncopated (47)- to cut short
• Admonishing (216)- advising against

Questions:

• What did you think of the ideals of the Burning Man?
• What specific points of Thoreau’s writing did you find interesting?

Works Cited

Carlsson, Chris.  Nowtopia.  Oakland: AK Press, 2008.  Print.

Thoreau, Henry David, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For.”  Cohen, Samuel.  50

            Essays: A Portable Anthology.  Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2007.  424-430.

Print.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

Thought Paper 7

            Dave Barry’s, “Lost in the Kitchen” discusses the subject of men helping in the kitchen.  The essay is meant to be comedic as it discusses why men can’t do even the simplest thing in the kitchen.  Barry’s main point in this essay is that the majority of men cannot help in the kitchen because they have none of the sexist training that women had in school’ such as how to cook.  He also acknowledges that some men can help in the kitchen and do what is classified as women’s work.  He states “I realize this is awful.  I realize this sounds just like Ozzie and Harriet.  I also realize there are some men out there…who have advanced…who are not afraid to stay home full time and get covered with baby vomit while their wives work as test pilots (83).”  I don’t know if I necessarily agree with him.  To a certain extent he is right that there are quite a few men who cannot help in the kitchen but I don’t know if that is more or less than those men who can help in the kitchen.

            Bernard Cooper’s, “A Clack of Tiny Sparks: Remembrances of a Gay Boyhood” describes how Cooper struggled with his sexuality when he was growing up.  He described trying to change his sexual orientation by going to a make out party.  Before hand he describes the reason as, “I had enough evidence to believe that the habit, regardless of how compulsive, how deeply in grained, could be broken once and for all (123).”  He goes to the make out party and proceeds to kiss all of the girls there but he could not change his feelings about other boys.  His main point is that if there is something inside of you that occurs naturally you can’t change it.  I agree with his belief.  For example, if someone doesn’t like olives then they can’t keep eating olives until they like them.  Eventually that person will probably hate them more.

            In this chapter of Chris Carlsson’s Nowtopia the various aspects of biofuels is discussed.  Biofuel is an alternative fuel for vehicles.  Rather than gas it is a blend of diesel and vegetable oil; this is biodiesel.  Some groups even uses one hundred percent vegetable oil.  These groups also have conflicting ideals.  One of these ideals is that biofuel should not be a way to make money but in fact some people are profiting from this type of fuel.

            Carlsson argues that biofuel should be widely used.  However, he also points out that it is not a quick fix; humans need to find a better alternative to fossil fuels.  I agree with Carlsson to a certain extent.  I think we as humans need to find an alternative that harms the planet less than that of fossil fuels.  Biofuel is not that alternative since it does use some fossil fuels to create.  It is also not that alternative because certain biofuels harm vehicles.  Carlsson describes a situation like that in this chapter.  He states, “In 2003 the city of Berkeley switched to pure, veggie based biodiesel for its vehicles, but this experiment failed after two years, largely because of mechanical problems associated with the fuel (177).”  If biofuels were widely used (as in almost all of the population) then there would be a large amount of broken down cars.  If this was resolved then it would be slightly better.

Questions

• Are men useless in the kitchen?
• Can a person change an inborn behavior?
• Would you use biofuel?  Why or why not?

Vocabulary

• Inveterate (121)- an ingrained habit
• Ardent (127)- passionate
• Coterie (161)- close circle of friends
• Nascent (164)- emergent
• Eponymous (157)- a mythical person

Works cited

Carlsson, Chris.  Nowtopia.  Oakland: AK Press, 2008.  Print.

Barry, Dave.  “Lost in the Kitchen.”  50 Essays.  Ed. Samuel Cohen. 2^nd Ed. Boston: Bedford.

2007. 82-84. Print.

Cooper, Bernard.  “A Clack of Tiny Sparks: Remembrances of a Gay Boyhood.”  50 Essays.  Ed.

Samuel Cohen. 2^nd Ed. Boston: Bedford.  121-129. Print.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

November 20, 2009

Readings on Writings 2: Comparison and Contrast of Writing Processes

            There are many writing processes one must go through in order to make a piece of writing well written.  One subject of writing processes (as stated in The Everyday Writer) is “Writing Situations.”  There was a particular writing process that I found to be valuable on this subject.  It explains to a writer how to analyze their position as a writer by asking questions about the position they have on what they have to write.  This was different from another process on the same subject that taught how to analyze the purpose of the piece of writing rather than the position on the subject.  It asked questions also but the questions were mainly about the subject of the writing and in what particular style it has to be written in. 

            Another subject of the writing process is, “Exploring Ideas.”  There is an interesting process in this subject called, “free writing,” which explains how to get all of your ideas out in one shot and then work through them after you’re done writing them.  Another subject of the writing processes is, “Planning and Drafting.”  In it there is a writing process about making a formal outline which is different from free writing.  This process is more rigid in style where as free writing is “loose” and more about getting ideas out in the open.

            The subject of, “Developing paragraphs” differed form “Revising and Reviewing,” because the subject about paragraphs centers around the structures of paragraphs while the subject of revising has information on how to edit pieces of writing of writing.  The subject of revision however is similar to the last subject of the reading, “Editing on Reflecting.”  Both sections involves going back over pieces of writing and making them stronger.

            The Craft of Revision also has interesting writing processes but they differed from those in The Everyday Writer.  The processes in The Craft of Revision is about setting pace and thinking of useful ideas for writing.  The Everyday Writer was about the structure of essays and other formal pieces of writing.  They are both similar in the fact that they were both about making pieces of writing better.

Works cited

Lunsford, Andrea A.  The Everyday Writer.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.  Print.

Murray, Donald M.  The Craft of Revision.  Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2004.

            Print.

Ashley Krolikowski

Ms. Alley

Eng. V01A

November 20, 2009

Readings on Writings 2: Comparison and Contrast of Writing Processes

            There are many writing processes one must go through in order to make a piece of writing well written.  One subject of writing processes (as stated in The Everyday Writer) is “Writing Situations.”  There was a particular writing process that I found to be valuable on this subject.  It explains to a writer how to analyze their position as a writer by asking questions about the position they have on what they have to write.  This was different from another process on the same subject that taught how to analyze the purpose of the piece of writing rather than the position on the subject.  It asked questions also but the questions were mainly about the subject of the writing and in what particular style it has to be written in. 

            Another subject of the writing process is, “Exploring Ideas.”  There is an interesting process in this subject called, “free writing,” which explains how to get all of your ideas out in one shot and then work through them after you’re done writing them.  Another subject of the writing processes is, “Planning and Drafting.”  In it there is a writing process about making a formal outline which is different from free writing.  This process is more rigid in style where as free writing is “loose” and more about getting ideas out in the open.

            The subject of, “Developing paragraphs” differed form “Revising and Reviewing,” because the subject about paragraphs centers around the structures of paragraphs while the subject of revising has information on how to edit pieces of writing of writing.  The subject of revision however is similar to the last subject of the reading, “Editing on Reflecting.”  Both sections involves going back over pieces of writing and making them stronger.

            The Craft of Revision also has interesting writing processes but they differed from those in The Everyday Writer.  The processes in The Craft of Revision is about setting pace and thinking of useful ideas for writing.  The Everyday Writer was about the structure of essays and other formal pieces of writing.  They are both similar in the fact that they were both about making pieces of writing better.

Works cited

Lunsford, Andrea A.  The Everyday Writer.  Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009.  Print.

Murray, Donald M.  The Craft of Revision.  Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2004.

            Print.

Anyways that’s what i was thinking about today.