Studs Terkel's writing is some that i can relate to and respect! He talks about how to write and not take sides. There are many thing that we have been assigned in this class alone that talk about politics and when reading or listening I am often taken back by a lot of it because it seems so many write with suck a strong opinion that it over-takes the point they are trying to get across. I like how Terkel doesn't lose the point in his work and can stay neutral and leave his side out of it and just gets the facts across!

Waiting for Schadenfreude by judith warner

While reading the blog post by Judith Warner it took me a moment to find the "line" of this story! It wasn't further into the post that I saw that she was bitching about the economy falling. I was distracted to find the line by her comments about the drunken guys in college that she was also referring to as the guys who are making it big on Wall Street. This opinion blog was not that bad, but once again it was dealing with politics and the economy... something i am just BURNT OUT on! I think that this piece would have made a greater impact if maybe it didn't have so much "tension" in it. She puts the blame on others and says that they are just taking the rest of the world down with them, but in a time where everything is crashing, is there really just one type of person to put the blame on? or is it more of a group effort to destroy of economy?

Mmmm Sweet Potato Pie!

from the class point of view:

This article was rather long for a newspaper article, but not bad! The article was full of descriptive detail which I loved to see! It almost put you right there in the middle of all the action! The author did a great job of really painting the scene for the readers. However I think that the author could have spent a little bit more time on talking about what Obama had to say rather then the surroundings.

my actual feelings on the article:

Honestly if I were to see this article on my own I would have never of read it! I really don't care for politics and am pretty much over the whole Obama McCain thing.. I'm not really into a bunch of bullshitters calling each other out on their bullshit! However the title would have drawn my attention... but the rest would have shortly lost it!



PS.. DOC I WAS IN CLASS TODAY OCTOBER 15~

Up Coming Due Dates

OCTOBER 13th Policitcal, Cultural, Social or Government (1000 words)
OCTOBER 20th OPED (1000 words)
OCTOBER 27th Newspaper analyses (1000 words)
NOVEMBER 3rd Magazine analyses (1000 words)Feature Story and query letter due NOVEMBER 17-21 (1500 words)

Freelance writing!

Sherman Times- local newspaper
Williamsville Sun- local newspaper
Family fun - magazine FamilyFun is about all the great things families can do together. They are the family experts on travel, food, crafts, parties, holidays, games, activities, and products—all the essentials that enrich the important time parents and children share

Paper Proposal!

For my paper I am wanting to do a feature story on this weekends celebrations in the huge town of Sherman Illinois. This weekend the 150 year celebration of the town Sherman is taking place at the rail golf course and other various locations through out Sherman. I want to do a feature story on this event because not only is it close by and something that I am able to attend while bringing my son along, but also because not too many people really know anything about the town and all the great things that come from it. They are having a car show, bands, children activities, a parade, historical sites are now going to be open to the town members for the first time to tour them, and many other events. I think this would be a great opportunity to give the rest of the world a little in-site on the small town of Sherman that many have worked so hard to get where it is today.

Discussion Questions- comm 337

1. What does Don Murray mean by "Surprise" What do you mean by it?
I think that Murray means look for the story that isn't expected when he talks about surprise. He talks about how there are different angles you can go when writing about a story and you don't have to just write the same thing over and over again. If you use your sense it is easier to find these new angels and not just see what is there but you can also see what isn't there and what should be there.
I have the same feelings toward "surprise" after reading this chapter. Usually when one is reading a story on a accident they are expecting to read the events and details on how the accident took place. However, why not write a story on perhaps the doctors or police officers who took care of the accident on the scene and add a different twist. Surprise your audience by something different.

2. The element of suprise has a lot to do with writing. Like I had previously said, the reader expects something from the story due to the head line, but if you deliver something new and suprise them, you then in turn stand out as a writer. Perhaps its just what you may need to get your start in the writing career.

3. I agree with Murray with the relationship between reporting and writing. You need to go into both events using your ten senses, these senses help you see what is there, what could be there, and what should be there. Its that extra "something" that helps get the element of "Surprise" to your audiance.

4. "Delight in what they do not expect to find. They come to the story with a foucs, an expectation, but they treasure the contradiction, the traitor fact, the quotation that goes agains the grain, the unexpected that reveals.