Literary Journalism

Orlean's Lady and the Tigers Article - Enny Van

I don't really know what I think about this article and maybe that's a good thing. Not to know if I overall like it or dislike it but just to be able to pick the points I do and have then duke out with the point I dont like. Ok, I thought the article got better at the end. Not the part about the woman being an animal horder but the part where she goes there and she's looking for the tigers. I did not imagine that that would be the final scene she closed on. Imagine the impact of which she would put, say a courtroom battle as the final word. Sure the reader would be like "that woman is crazy, good thing they put her away." But to end it with her (orlean) looking for the tigers, not seeing them, going to someone's backyard, sneaking towards the woods and finally gets that glimpse-- I held my breath reading that scene as I imagine that Orlean did while she was doing it. To compel your reader to hold their breath like you did, I can't quite put my finger on how you can come to master a technique as that one. Reading the story, I didn't feel manipulated by Orlean. I felt that that was the natural train of thinking for anyone who had any relation to the woman. Animal horders may be pathological but I argue that they don't just start that way. Its a slow progression that isn't quite self discovery as it is being "caught up" --another instance in where Orlean deftly defines the ways in which people start their initial engagement with the disorder. The scenes with the courts didn't work as well as I anticipated from Orlean but she brought it all back at the end. I think I'm ending up only liking this piece because of its final scene. There was something different about this article though, that I cant actually pinpoint-- any ideas?

Enny Van - Meet the Shaggs

This actually turned out to be one of my favorite pieces in the course. Orlean amazingly always captures the feelings of everyday life that is worth talking and writing about. She picks subjects that seem to break down everything and represent the core of human emotion and struggles. Having read American Man- Age 10, it was interesting to see how she would write a profile and not have followed the subjects around like she did in the other piece. And that she didn't include her interview with the actual sisters, suggesting that she did all her research before even getting in contact with them and how she made it work. What was particularly striking was the way in she had even informed the reader about just interviewing the sister and making it seem like their history and story didnt start until her inclusion of their "actual interview." This legitimized the way in which Orlean could use what they said about the past and use it to reconstruct the scenes and their past. Then, the reader just feels like their reading a detailed story and then BAM! --followup years later with the sisters. There was much buildup and anticipation to hear from the Shaggs ages later. I respected Orlean so much on how she showed Helen's depression possibly due to the journey of the Shaggs or because of the "intimacy" with her father. Instead of pushing the issue over the edge to discredit the father, Orlean rather posed it as something horrible that shouldnt happen but sometimes just does. Irony threaded throughout the piece and gave it this addicting pull leaving readers at the end empty, sad, feelings that go out to dreamers who fail regardless, and small towns missed by interstate highways bounded by some invisible wall.

Orlean articles- Amber Cleave acleave@uci.edu

I know we don't have to post on the Orlean Articles, but I can't resist. She is such a great writer. While reading "The Lady and the Tigers", Orlean really takes the reader to a different place. She structures her articles so well that she actually combines more than one story. First you think the story is about Jackson and tigers in Jackson (which is essentially what the article is about), and then you think it is about Joan Byron Marasek (who really seems crazy), then the artcicle shifts to the legalities of owning wild and exotic animals, then it goes back to tigers in Jackson, then back to Joan and her tigers, then back to Jackson after the trial's conclusion- now there are no more tigers allowed in Jackson. It is a profile of many things- and that makes it really interesting. She takes you all over the place, but she leads you in the right direction rather than pushing the reader to see her point. She is so subtle and suggestive. For example, she doesn't flat out say that Joan is one of the "animal hoarders" who engage in the pathological collection of animals, but it is implied in the fact that she talks about the hoarders at all. Orlean has some great descriptions, such as "As forlorn as a bankrupt construction site" and "the amazing three ring spectacle". She really gives a great sense of a place. Also, she does a lot of reserch. Since I have gone through the research element in my piece, I now see it everywhere in her piece. She does a lot of research and has a lot of facts which makes her article seem more valid and the profile seem more accurate. Even though she is a creative writer, she is very informed and authoritative. I like her style, and I respect her as a writer.

Gladwell Piece - Nicole Wurzell

i think the initial appeal of this piece is obvious because there are a lot of dog lovers out there (scott, maybe if you were buying dog food you would have been safe?!) and so the idea of a man who can tame the unruliest members of this species is very interesting. and, overall i did really like the article. i liked how we got interaction between cesar and the dogs at his business and also got examples of a few of the cases that he has worked with (which really amkes me want to see the show). i also though that the information on people who also work in businesses that require phrasing techniques was very helpful in outlining just how important cesar' sbody movenments are to his work. however, while i did like this article i think i found it even more amazing when i read the interview because it gave me insight into just how much work gladwell put into this piece. the interview offers more insight into Cesar's personal life - the struggles with his wife, etc. but it also highlights gladwells knowledge of phrasing which he gained during the research for this piece. therefore, i think the interview was a great compliment to the work that gladwell put into what turned out to be a very interesting profile.

Tatiana Gordon - Gladwell

When I read the Gladwell piece I thought that overall the scenes were relevant and I was able to get a clear picture of Cesar and his training methods. However, one part of the article seemed unnecessary to me at first. The parallel Gladwell used between the movement therapists that work with autistic children and Cesar made me feel a bit distracted because I initially felt that a lot of time or space was used to develop the imagery (the therapy sessions) for that parallel. I understand its overall relevance but when I read the article for the first time I was thrown off and became unsure of how the article would progress. I do understand that including Tortora's and Eric's therapy sessions provided imagery that could help audiences understand what was being said about Cesar, but, I wasn't certain and still am not sure if it was totally necessary. I felt that the commentary the movement therapist provided was enough to sustain the point that Gladwell was making. On another note, I really enjoyed the way Gladwell ended the piece, tying in Cesar's "epiphany" to an actual case that he had. I felt that it demonstrated the entire point that owners have to be willing to change their behaviors as well in order to have healthy and happy pets.

Readings for Tuesday - Nicole Wurzell

I found all three of these pieces very interesting, especially because i was not familiar with any of these people. the obvious main thread between all three is the comedy and the way that each writer portrays this. we do not just read that they do stand up routines and get a list of their funniest jokes; instead, we are actually given a broader account of them. there are many quotes from people close to the subjects and i think that these quotes really add to the comdey of both the pieces and the subject in general. for instance, the quotes often put the subject down or expose a side that we would not have otherwise known - for instance, the ill response silverman got for her asian joke, or the immature aspect of david wherein he would leave the stage if he didn't have anyone's full attention.
the simpsons article because it showed what the appeal of the show is and the genius that goes into it, but overall i think the most effective article was the david piece. we learn a little about his personal life, his background and struggle to get to where he is today (from valet to millionaire). so, when we watched the clip of curb your enthusiasm i felt like i could enjoy it more with a fuller knowledge of what and who actually goes into the show. i do not feel like i really know silverman for some reason. i can see how she is a very controversial and in that token bold comedian, because she obviously does not shy away from any topic. also i liked the description of her apartment because it illustrated how truly zany she is- this is obviously not just her comic routine, but her personality that pervades even into her house. i definitely enjoyed the article, but of the three i feel like i got to know silverman the least...

Jessica Beard on Bilger

I found that this piece seemed to be more of a profile of a concept than on a person. Charles Zuker did seem to be somewhat of a focal point as far as people are concerned, but the piece focused more on sugar, its alternatives, and the quest to find effective ones. As readers, we get very few humanitistic or personal details: Zucker attending college at 15, his house overlooks a cliff, he drives a really fast car, and his wife looks like Charo. Even more interesting is how these intimate details are thrown in at the most random of times. Everything else is focused upon sugar. It's definitely a different style of doing a profile than what we're used to reading and I can't really say if I like it or not. I love the fact that its extremely informative and detailed and I actually learned something I previously didn't know before reading it, but other than that I think I'm kind of ambivalent towards it.

Yao Xu-The Search for Sweets

I just finished reading the Search for Sweets article and I find it interesting. Though at first when I read about DDT, the different molecules, and chemical names, I expected another scientific article with a bunch of long chemical names I would not be able to pronounce. However, after discovering that the article is about finding a substitute for sugar (and recognizing the word "Splenda"), I wanted to know more about this process. I noticed that the article did not contain a lot of long quotes but whenever there were quotes, it was mostly for a humorous effect. I'm not quite sure if it is due to my prior knowledge about the chemical compounds, like sucrose, that made this article less confusing, but I understood the experiments and could visualize it too. I think Bilger's analogies and similar examples really helped me comprehend the article. I also liked how Bilger gave a sense of who Zuker (besides being known for the guy who did sensory experiments) by listing at the end of the article that Zuker collects wines, takes racing lessons, etc. tied all of these qualities together by ending the article with Zuker speeding away.

Readings for Tuesday-Jessica Beard

Well besides the obvious comedic theme to all three profiles, there are many similarities I noticed between them all. The one that I thought was most notable is that they all commence with the meager beginnings of all three profilees. I wouldn't go so far as to say that each one's story started with failure, but none of their success was attained early on in their careers, therefore their stories are that of ascension. We get a lot of their background and personal details, which really gives us a sense of who each one really is. Yes, they are all comedians in their own right; however, their stories drastically differ from one another. Another comparison that I found was that although we are afforded details about almost every aspect of each subject's lives, there seems to be one event or occurrence that really "makes" each person. Larry David: Seinfeld (and in part Curb Your Enthusiasm), Sarah Silverman: The Chink joke, and George Meyer: The Simpsons. Each respective event tends to be the central point of each profile and its what you'll remember them for after finishing reading about them. I loved the fact that I really got a good sense of who each person was and I believe this was because of the details, however minute, that were given about them. Out of all of them, I think I liked the Sarah Silverman piece the best. Not only because of the content (she's crazy, lol) but I think because I actually knew who she was. Once it was said she was Jimmy Kimmel's girlfriend, I was like, "Ohhhh...that's who she is," and then all the Jewish stuff made sense, lol.

Readings for tuesday- Amber Cleave

O.K. There are many similarities between the articles that we read for tomorrow. The things I have noticed are 1. They discuss family background and upbringing, often quoting from family members. 2. articles follow the profile through their careers, noting failed careers and past jobs. 3. The articles use quotes from other people who know the subjects well, and add to the sense of a person. 4. Jokes and skits are used to give a sense of a person and their outward personality. 5. There is often a controversy about the person or their career, and this is highlighted by given two sides or opinions of the subject. 6. The end of the article is a quote by the profile which sums up the person, their view on life, or their main personality. This quote leaves the reader with the essence of the profile. 7. The articles all use block paragraphs and the paragraphs aren't too long. The one sentence paragraphs really stick out, though, and convey something important or intimate about the person. 8. Also noted, these articles are all hilarious. I was laughing as I read them. The articles are funny because the subjects are funny, but the Simpson's article on Meyer is slightly more serious because the content of Meyer himself is more serious. This article I feel is the most effective because, although still funny, I think it conveys a more personal, out of the box view of Meyer. It describes his discontent and perfectionism which follows him throughout his life. This is the kind of thing that not everyone would know about him, or even expect. It is shocking and comforting at the same time. In a way, it reminded me of Lincoln's Melancholy.

Didion Piece - Nicole Wurzell

I know there were some differing opinions in class about this article, but i personally really enjoyed it. there is a lot of conflict in the peice because i think didion is trying to reconcile her job as a literary journalist (reporting the facts, keeping close detail, etc) and the trauma of being suddenly and unexpectedly widowed. i see how this book would be read for coping groups because didion strips the formalities away from act of grieving and shows the process in a more raw and real form. at first i was thrown off by how cold she seems to be, especially when she was talking about the autopsy - it seems to eerie to actually want to see your love one all hacked up, but by the end of the piece i thought her attitude was very refreshing. i also really liked how she dealt with the idea of time through the piece, all the little details like waiting in line at the hospital, pondering what time he would have died in LA, looking up the eleveator records to see when the paramendics arrived/left - i think this all goes along with the time that she keeps in the piece because she is constantly skipping from the present, to the past (when her husband died), to slipping in miscellaneous facts. i think the sporadic time records kept with the idea of the unexpected. overall, i really liked this piece, i thought it was powerful and very raw.

Jessica Beard on Sole Survivor

I think this piece, like The Mountains of Pi, is another example of how you can make the most random of subjects, and perhaps the most uninteresting, interesting. I would never have imagined that I would have read an article about shoes. My only critique of it is that I think Burkhard could have given a few more intimate/personal details about Petr. I know this sounds kind of weird because essentially the piece is about shoes, but I felt that it was a little bit too focused on the shoes and not the person researching them. I just didn't get the same sense or feel for this character the same way I did for example the judge in Barry's piece or the brothers in The Mountains of Pi.

Lindsey Hess Original Article: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez15apr15,1,814008.column?ctrack=1&cset=true

Lindsey Hess

Original Article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez15apr15,1,814008.column?ctrack=1&cset=true

"Old People Are No Longer Allowed to Cross the Street"

I don't use a cane, which gave me a clear advantage.

The challenge? Trying to cross the street where 82 year old Mayvis Coyle got a $114 jaywalking ticket from an overeager LAPD crime-buster trying to make a few extra bucks for the city.

"This is the first ticket I ever got in my life," an angry and crusading Coyle told The Times. Surprisingly, she wants the "Walk" signal changed to allow enough time for people to actually walk across the street. "I think people can see I'm being sincere. I'm speaking for all those seniors who can't sprint across the street."

Foothill Boulevard is four lanes wide and roughly 75 feet across. The police claim that on Feb. 15, the dare devilish senior Coyle — whose case is now drawing international attention — entered the intersection after the "Don't Walk" sign started flashing. She disputes that and suggests the Los Angeles Police Department officer should have gotten off his motorcycle and helped her "when he saw me struggling". Instead, the generous and helpful officer handed her a ticket.

For my investigation of the Mayvis Coyle case I took up a position at the northeast point of the intersection for a while, watching the flow of traffic, and noticed the light barely allowed time for cars to get across Foothill on Woodward.

In fact, the light is green for precisely 10 seconds, and the pedestrian sign doesn't even give you a "Walk" sign unless you first press the crossing button.

So I pressed it. The electronic sign gave me the "Walk" signal — with a very helpful visual aid of a stick figure on the move. The stick figure, I noted, did not have a cane.

I stepped off the curb, moving at a normal gait, and before I could even make it to the double yellow line in the middle of the street, the "Don't Walk" sign started flashing.

Clearly at this point, pedestrians are encouraged to run for their lives in which ever direction they find more suitable.

Imagine poor Mayvis Coyle, weighted down with groceries and picking along with a cane. Why not put hurdles out there to make it even tougher on seniors?

I was able to make it across just as the flashing light switched to a solid "Don't Walk," but barely. In all, I had 27 seconds — a tough test for a senior citizen.

"Are you timing the light?" a driver asked, having read about Mayvis Coyle. "We've lived here for 10 years and you can never make it across this intersection in time."

The driver, Nell Canter, had a strong opinion about Mayvis Coyle's ticket.

"It's obscene. You never even see a cop in Sunland," she said, and now one shows up to write a jaywalking ticket.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants to jack up the garbage removal fee by 155% to pay for more cops. Maybe if cops weren't wasting their time writing frivolous tickets, we wouldn't need more of them.

A big thanks goes out to the heroic efforts of the LAPD. It's nice to see that all the senior citizens are finally being kept in check. Keep up the good work, keep writing those tickets and maybe soon every officer can drive a $50,000 SUV.

Washington Post article I enjoyed...

It doesn't all have to be dark and dreary: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/18/AR2006011801434.html

Found this, at (mostly) random, and thought I'd share.

~albert

Jessica Beard's Satire Article

Jessica Beard May 9, 2006. LJ 20

Original title: Batter up! City, team all will make pitches to jury. Written by: Sarah Tully Newspaper: The O.C. Register.

What's in a Name?

The "Anaheim Angels" or the "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim"? This seems to be Orange County's biggest dilemma to date and the city of Anaheim will not rest until their name is restored to their cash cow. So what happens when money is the issue at hand? Litigation happens. The city of Anaheim has brought a civil suit against the world-champion baseball team in hopes that it will be compensated for the name change and perhaps even be rewarded the vital exclusion of Los Angeles in the name.
The success of the team has brought more popularity than ever in their franchise history. Their 2002 World Series win didn't hurt and the forking over of millions of dollars to get popular players, such as the likes of Vladimir Guerrero was not too shabby of an idea either. However, Disneyland's 50th anniversary was most arguably the determining factor in the 'Angels' climb up the popularity ladder. It's Disneyland…what more needs to be said. As of now, the baseball team will be referred to solely as the "Angels," to avoid any favoritism toward any of the two cities. Riding high on their new-found fame, the new owner of the "Angels" deemed the name change necessary in order to associate with the second largest U.S. media market as part of his long-term marketing strategy. Money, money, and more money.
Similarly, the city of Anaheim had money on the brain. Statisticians, who have the amazing ability to make images of baseball scores purchasable by spitting out spectacular numbers, estimates that the name change will cost "Anaheim" $98 -$374 million, depending on calculation. The idea is that the inclusion of another geographic region will take Anaheim's shine and will deter tourists from visiting Anaheim because the city won't be as popular anymore. Furthermore, the times that the word "Anaheim" was excluded from television broadcasts, newspapers, sports Web sites and other areas are believed to be detrimental to the city's bank account. Per the Mayor Curt Pringle, the city affirms that it has already spent $2.1 million in legal fees. And who said litigation is cheap?
So now the two entities are in a legal battle on the basis that the "Angels" are in breach of contract. The "Angels" insist that there is no such breach because the word "Anaheim" still is present in the team's full name. The litigation will eventually bring a conclusion in this matter, but how will it even begin to terminate the competition between Los Angeles and Anaheim and mend the rift?

Jessica Beard on Joan Didion

I thought this piece was brilliant and so out-of-the-box. The fact that Didion went and interviewed the doctors that tried saving her husband and other extremes she went to in order to convey what actually occurred (mixed in with her emotions of what she thought occurred) the day her husband passed was so unique and unordinary. I think it took so much courage to do so, but I think in the end this story and the work that went into it could be seen as a healing/grieving process. I don't know if that was actually the case...the story helping her to heal...but whatever it was, it was successful. One of the techniques that Didion employed in this piece, which I really liked, was her little ramblings inside parentesis that caused somewhat of an interruption in her sentences. I thought that they made the piece more personable...like Didion was actually telling me the story instead of me reading it. To me, the interruptions were good. Something that I found interesting was the one sentence that actually states that her husband had died from a massive coronary attack. Unlike Siegel's simple, yet emotionally impacted sentences, Didion's was bombarded with other details. In this one congested sentence she notes her husband's death, the hospital her daughter was staying at, the name and history of that particular hospital, and the reason why her daughter was there and how long she was there (since Christmas). All of this in one sentence. It reminded me of that tremendously long sentence that Scott showed us in class...with all of the commas, but no period in sight. I can't say if it was successful or not, but I do know that I had to reread it a couple of times. Another thing I found interesting was how in the second part of the piece seems more like a police report than a touching and emotional article. She states: December 30, 2003, a Tuesday.

We had seen Quintana in the sixth-floor I.C.U. at Beth Israel North.

We had come home.

We had discussed whether to go out for dinner or eat in.

I said I would build a fire, we could eat in.

I built the fire, I started dinner, I asked John if he wanted a drink.

I got him a Scotch and gave it to him in the living room, where he was reading in the chair by the fire where he habitually sat.

The book he was reading was by David Fromkin, a bound galley of "Europe's Last Summer: Who Started the Great War in 1914?"

This part is a sequence of events, very clear and direct without a touch of emotion. I liked how she did this and I think she did it in a few other places within the story. It seems like it was a resting point where the reader can get the facts and descriptions of a particular scene without feeling bombarded with the emotions of this heart-felt story. Didion's catharsis ended here, but inevitably and shortly picked back up. I'll end my really long post (sorry, lol) with Didion's poetic line of, "The way I write is who I am, or have become..." By far, my favorite part of this article.

For Thursday

Here's another article by Joan Didion:

[Link Broken.  I'm working on fixing it.  Check back in an hour.]

And another by Burkhard "The Egg Man" Bilger:

Download bilger_burkhard_sole_survivor.pdf

Joan Didion's "After Life"

Among the first things I noticed about this piece was its deeply personal and journal-esque nature. Note that I call it journal-esque and not journalistic, because I find this piece to be more reminiscent of an entry in a diary or journal, rather than printed in a major publication like the New York Times. Did anyone else feel this way? For specific hard points, I point to the italicized excerpts scattered throughout the piece ranging from actual journal entries (a-ha!) to poetry. At first glance, they are deeply contextual, and even reading them between Didion's own words, I'm not sure I understand the depth of what she is trying to communicate. Of course, we as readers don't fully understand Didion's cryptic You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends until we're well into the piece and see it's not so metaphorical as we might have initially thought.

I guess the problem I have with following a piece like this is that it's difficult to critically analyze it as a piece of journalism. Can we really look into Didion's investigative methods and techniques and make judgments of them based on what we know or should learn about investigation and reporting? What about the construction? Maybe more so than her reporting technique, but I'm not so sure. This piece is deeply personal and introspective, and I almost feel unqualified and undeserving to tease out some meaning as a study tool rather than a testimonial of emotional trauma... these facts are not ones that were sought. It's not like Didion broke out the legal pad and marked down every detail of every scene since the passing of John at the dinner table. I do pull out of this piece the possible difference between facts gathered consciously versus facts gathered unconsciously. Where the events that Didion witness here are the results of a "natural" perception, as opposed to a conscious collection of details. For instance, the phone call with the family physician in which Didion learns that the EMTs were saying "V-fibrilling" and not just "fibrilling." Somehow I doubt she looked this information up to write an article.

Not to say that I didn't take anything at all out of this piece! Rather, I've just had to read it with a slightly altered perspective.

Quick Notes

First, I'm loving reading the parodies.  They're brilliantly executed.  But I notice that not everyone has written one or posted one to the blog and am . . . curious as to why they haven't.

Second, a few of you have chosen to post your parodies anonymously.  If you could stick your name in a comment, it'd make assigning you a grade much, much easier.

Third, here's the link to that Joan Didion article again.  We'll discuss that on Tuesday and material from a recent New Yorker on Thursday.  (I'll post links to it sometime Sunday evening.)

Finally, the scene analyses are nearly complete, and I'll be returning them as I finish them this afternoon and tomorrow. 

Big Brother Comes a-Knock-Knock-Knocking on AT&T's Door - Pierce Nahigyan

Original Article - http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/05/11/america/web.0511phone.php

Washington, D.C. - President Bush today denied allegations that the U.S. Government was "mining or trolling through the personal lives of Americans."

"There are no trolls in America," Bush confirmed. "Sixty-five hundred members of the National Guard will be dispatched to U.S. bordres in order to insure this remains the case."

A timid reporter from Reuters raised his hand, asking if the Guard hadn't been dispatched to stop the immigration of illegal aliens.

Bush appeared puzzled. He quickly broke out in his folksy, trademark grin and added, "Well, them, too."

A Gallup-confirmed portion of American citizens were appalled to learn that the National Security Agency, acting on orders from above (or, "The Big Guy," as the Texan Outsider better known as George W. Bush referred to him), had amassed a gargantuan database of "tens of millions of Americans'" phone calls. Believably, the agency swears that it has not listend to the calls but has instead used the numbers for "data-mining." Though this semantically contradicts Bush's previous denial of "mining...through the personal lives of Americans"--Bush was unable to locate a definition for semantics that pleasantly meshed with his rhetoric.

"The privacy of all Americans is fiercely protected in all our activities," he said. "Our efforts are focused on Al Qaeda and their known associates."

Philip Morris USA and the Devil were not available for comment.

Political liberals have been raising their doubts about the entire investigation. "Are you telling me that tens of millions of Americans are involved with Al Qaeda?" Democratic Senator Patrick J. Leahy questioned. "Because that number seems a little high."

Other reporters questioned Bush on the legality of forcing three of the country's biggest telephone companies to fork over their private records. AT&T, MCI, and Sprint did their patriotic duty and freely waived over 30 million of their collective customers' rights to privacy. Only one dissenting company, Qwest Communications--which offers service to fourteen states--denied the NSA's request for files.

On a transcript of a telephone call between President Bush and Qwest Chairman and CEO, Dick Notebaert, reveals his angry sentiments: Notebaert: "Are you insane? Seriously. Do you have no cognitive concept of the word 'constitutionality?'" (Strange barking noises from the Vice-President.) Notebaert: "Alright, fine. Have you ever read George Orwell?" Bush: "I love Citizen Kane!"

Due to the general fallout surrounding this unfortunate leak in National and Homeland Security, few unbiased or conservative opinions could be found. One ray of hope came from Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama. "It's not a wire-tapping program," he revealed, tapping a hefty sheaf of papers piled atop his desk. "[I]t's simply a compilation, according to the report here, of numbers that phone companies maintain." The report promptly exploded, igniting the Senator's pants and sending him fleeing from the room.

A doubting Thomas, Senator Durbin from the radical constituencies of Illinois, asked impetuously, "How can we approve this without knowing much more?"

When asked for comment, President Bush quoted his idol, Former President Richard Nixon: "'Cause I'm the President, Bitch!"

Caged Hens Watches Too Much Prison Break, Google as Suspected Accomplice in Great Escape

Original Article from San Jose Mecury News: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/special_packages/google/14552520.htm

Mockery:

*Caged Hens Watches Too Much Prison Break, *

*Google as Suspected Accomplice in Great Escape*

MARYLAND--Thousands of hens held in Maryland Farms Correctional Facility have escaped their cages today in what seems to be a concerted effort among more than several hundred hens.

Cellmates Wilbur and Charlotte states, "Ever since that new show, Prison Break, aired on FOX, the hens been definitely been up to something." That something may seem to be the plans that have made their escape today possible.

Prison Break plays out the story of one man who tries to rescue his brother from death row in Fox River State Penitentiary. With no other option, he holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated. Once inside, it is revealed that he has the blueprints for the prison. This begins the elaborate plan to break out and prove the framing of his brother's accused crime.

What we get today may have been much of the same story.

With the recent campaigns against the incarceration of these hens under multiple confinement, the prisons have allowed these hens many visitors. Now, wardens from the penitentiary believe that valuable information on the areas surrounding the penitentiary have assisted the hens' getaway. There are rumors that even million dollar internet corporation Google may be involved.

One insider from Google alluded to the immense amount of information that Google has on aerial shots of the prison. Their new program called Google Earth allows for the pinpointing of any facility with maximum level zoom.

Others defending Google's affiliation with this event says that the hen may have held some CEOs hostage and threaten them to produce the information or to subject their entire Gmail subscribership to a highly lethal electronic Avian Bird Flu virus. Google when contacted for questioning declined. They did issue a single line statement saying, "Whatever help we may have provided was part of a wider effort to incorporate ourselves in environmental and social responsibilities."

Advocates for the great escape say that it was about time the hens stood up for themselves. ``This is a matter of common decency,'' said Paul Shapiro, director of the prison-farming campaign at the Humane Society of the United States, in Washington D.C., ``These animals are completely at our mercy. It should be a source of shame for us how miserably we treat them.''

Animal rights groups who may have encouraged the breakout noted that many large penitentiary; six or more hens are confined in a single wire cell. For 12 to 18 months they cannot flap their wings or forage for food, and guidelines require only 67 square inches (an area two-thirds the size of a sheet of notebook paper.) of space for each bird to live out its sentence. For some birds, this may be a lifetime. During this time, they are asked to lay hundreds of dozens of eggs for their work program in the prisons.

The State Prison Board comments, "We think that it is a shame, though, that people are being misled."

"The cells allow wardens to reduce disease since germs and bacteria have no room to proliferate, and death rates are lower for birds living in prison than for birds that roam outside or on henhouse floors," an expert said. "No hen has to worry about being struck by lightning or eaten up by a fox. This is the highest security any bird can get."

``We don't believe it is cruel,'' he said. ``I grew up when everything was free roaming. But the cages provide so many more benefits for the health and welfare of the birds. I've recently talked my wife into moving ourselves into one."

As we witness, once caged hens had put an end to what they call exploitive labor practices under cruel and unsanitary conditions. After years and years of producing massive numbers of eggs for the consumption of Americans, their mistreatment will, it seems, to be no more.

Satire Articles

We were supposed to post it here right?

*Spoiled Latinas Herald a New Age of Racial Equality*

* *

With lavish parties known as "Quinceaneras " (Spanish for 15) a new generation of spoiled girls is determined to bring an end to racial injustice. "By spending as much as $10,000 on my 15th birthday party, I want to make it clear to Americans that we Hispanics can also be spend just as much money on ourselves as they can," said self-proclaimed Latina princess Cathy Chaverra.

Many minorities who enter America come under the ideal of the 'American Dream.' All political movements have been for naught as the key to achieve equality has been right in front of everyone's diamond tiara: big-ass birthday parties.

"It was a special moment," Cathy recalled a week later, referring to her party. "It all looked dead cute." Plus, she added, "I got gifts, money and a Lexus. Martin Luther King's wise finally resonated deep within my heart." Due to the success of MTV's reality show "Sweet 16", having lavish coming-of-age ceremonies has become extremely popular. Other ethnicities, probably jealous, are starting to catch on to this new trend of fabulous pre-teen parties want to cut their own piece of the American-pie.

These Quinces have been a time-honored tradition of the Hispanic community. Certain ceremonies such as going to mass have been "blinged-up" to fit this new wave of consumerist girls. While it has been said that these parties cost too much and are over-extravagent, sometimes rivaling even wedding in cost, many feel the cost is justified. "I have one or two daughters. She may get married several times but a '15' happens only once. It's once in a lifetime. And there is no other half giving an opinion. It is the mom, the dad and the girl. You spend $40,000 on a wedding and in a year you are divorced," says Isabel Albuerne, who works in a special events company."

"Some wear short dresses underneath their big dresses and during the disco, they rip off the big dress," said Ana Ricolt, owner of Fantastic Fiestas in Miami, whose clientele is 80 percent Cuban-American. This new twist to the old traditions is just what minorities need to become mainstream society.

While there may still be racial inequality in the United States, at least the 16 year-old girls are doing their part to work towards a better future for all. "I really do think I'm making a difference for the Hispanic community," says Cathy. As the applause from the crowd of Colombians, Puerto Ricans and Dominicans swelled, Cathy, 16, released her father's arm, twirled, curtsied and smiled. She glided past her court of honor, eight girls in long silver dresses and eight boys in Nehru tuxes, and positioned herself on the white swing festooned with tulle, ribbons and flowers. Then, in keeping with tradition, her father knelt and slid off Cathy's demure ballerina slippers, trading them for a pair of womanly high-heeled cha-cha sandals. Her mother gently placed a tiara on her head.

this is the original article!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/11/fashion/thursdaystyles/11quince.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

-Jeffrey Hong

Best and Worst Signers Among Stars--Wileen Leu

Los Angeles—Johnny Depp and Cameron Diaz are the reigning champions of being the most benevolent and malevolent signers respectively according to a new list published on Friday by the Autograph Collector magazine.

Depp is followed by George Clooney in the magazine's 14th annual survey of Hollywood's best and worst signers. Depp was also rated as best last year.

Steve Cyrkin is the editor and publisher of the Santa Ana, Calif. Based magazine, and he reveals that "many stars become bad signers once fame and fortune hits."

But apparently not Depp.

"He's even signed autographs for crowds at the airport while carrying luggage," said Cyrkin.

One of the great attributes of Cloony is that, "he'll joke as he signs, and make fun of how he looks in photos he's handed to autograph," Cyrkin said.

However, Diaz is not a very friendly signer.

"Cameron Diaz may be a talented actress, but she's persistently a terrible signer. Instead of just turning down a person's autograph request, she'll lecture them about how dumb autographs are," Cyrkin said.

Russell Crowe would have been named as the best of the worst if it weren't for that in the recent months he has been much nicer to fans, Cyrkin said in a telephone interview Friday.

Cyrkin said the list, which is due to appear in the magazine's June issue, was based on information from a professional autograph collector and an enthusiastic amateur who is a journalist.

"They're the guys who want to get five or 10 or 12 of everything but they do see people" and know the "track records" of the stars, he said.

Hollywood stars have got much work ahead of them on the aura they give off while signing for fans. After all, it seems there is more to it than scribbling down their moniker.

"It's looking at the spirit of the way they sign," Cyrkin said. "It's how they treat their fans."

Here is the list of 10 best and 10 worst Hollywood autograph signers for 2006, according to the magazine:

Best

1. Johnny Depp

2. George Clooney

3. Matt Damon

4. Al Pacino

5. Tom Cruise

6. Angelina Jolie

7. Elijah Wood

8. Brittany Murphy

9. Jack Nicholson

10. Clint Eastwood

Worst

1. Cameron Diaz

2. Bruce Willis

3. Demi Moore

4. Tobey Maguire

5. Alan Alda

6. Halle Berry

7. Winona Ryder

8. Teri Hatcher

9. Joaquin Phoenix

10. Russell Crowe

Now fans will know which of their beloved star is more approachable.

Yao Xu

"The Professor Is My Father" Princeton—The man of the house is a professor at Princeton University; the daughter of the man of the house Carolina Danspeckgruber is currently a sophomore at this same university. She is his student. She is having second thoughts.

Her fear was this: "He would bring up PowerPoint presentations on his personal computer, and I could see files of family photo albums across the top of the screen." She added, "I was always afraid that if he hit the wrong button, a baby picture of me would pop up for the whole lecture hall to see."

At that moment, Professor Wolfgang Danspeckgruber, a professor of international relations, is lecturing about the United States and Iraqordeal. He absentmindedly opens up a file titled "Family Relations" and Carolina in her Barney diapers with a lollipop in her mouth pops up on screen. Professor Danspeckgruber continues, "So as you can see, we should not start a war with Iraq but treat them as our family members."

Professor Danspeckgruber apologized to his daughter for embarrassing her in front of his class and said, "At least you weren't there to witness the embarrassment." He also mentioned in his defense that he did not do it on purpose.

Ms. Danspeckgruber, however, by taking this opportunity to show off her father's teaching skills to their friends, did put a lot of embarrassment and pressure on Professor Danspeckgruber. He thought, " 'Oh my God! How am I going to do this?' And it wasn't just Carolina; she came with 15 of her friends."

Other students under similar situations claimed that they liked studying with their parent because it brings them closer together. Kirby Hall, a junior at Northwestern University is taking a seminar taught by her mother, Sunny Langton, a professor of the School of music. She says, "I know my mom a lot better now. We sing together, cook together, I even caught her at the same party I was at one weekend." "But," Hall added, "when she saw me, she grounded me for a week and made me swear to not tell my dad."

What makes it hard in the child and parent, a.k.a, my professor relationship is the grading procedures. Ms. Danspeckgruber claims, "I definitely worked harder in my dad's class than in the other course I was taking." She paused, then added, "Worked harder kissing up at home too."

Sure it is fun and a new experience to have a parent who is also one's professor, but the child and the professor must be aware of the consequences. If the child does not receive an A in the class, the parent/child relationship may be over forever.

AP rewrite assignment. Did I even do this right?

AWE-SPEX UNVEILED, MYSPACE DAYS NUMBERED By ALBERT PFAFFMAN Wannabe Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES - Researchers, armed with AWE-SPEX, dive deep into the MySpace problem to find answers and a cure.

A congress of cultural theorists, anthropologists, social scientists and mothers met under cover of darkness earlier this week at an undisclosed time in an undisclosed Los Angeles warehouse to unveil the newest weapon in the fight against the teenage enigma known as MySpace.

Dr. Simon Kohlekopf, speaking representative for the event, introduced the device, a black box set atop a crystal pedestal.

"The AWE-SPEX is the scientific and responsible community's answer to the MySpace epidemic. It is not a weapon, really, so if that was what you were hoping for, you can go home."

When pressed by the audience with cries for more assertive action, Dr. Kohlekopf replied, "This is a war no bullets can win. See this hole? You stick your head in it. You take your home movies, from before MySpace. With the kids in them. The images play back on an interior screen and the VHS cassettes plug into the back."

Its origins a mystery since hackers targeted specific government historical archives, MySpace has since been fingered by a handful of political and human interest groups for its alleged corruption and subversion of American youths.

"It's time we took a stand," said Tyson McAllister, observer and concerned father. His son, Tommy, 16, sat down at the family computer three hours ago and never got up.

"I know it's MySpace," said McAllister. "What's he spending all that time doing, anyway? Smoking pot through the microphone and color coordinating I bet. If it's color-coordinating, somebody's going to get a whuppin'. Damn. I miss the little tyke." Dr. Kohlekopf and his assistants gave the gathering crowd one-on-one demonstrations on the functions and capabilities of the AWE-SPEX. Event participants sat cross-legged in a circle and passed the black box amongst themselves.

"Well, it's lightweight," says Susanne Miller, former mother of two. "Will it fit in my pantry?"

Says Graham Whittaker of Consumer Reports, "It's nice. Black is back, you know. But I'd like to see some DVD compatibility in the future. Minidiscs? I know they're out, but, come on. We're dealing with the loss of my children here."

Anticipating the rush of questions, Dr. Kohlekopf pre-empted a deluge of raised hands with a maternal shushing.

"Powered by eight double-A batteries, or your standard electrical outlet, and only $69.99 each."

Says McAllister, "Damn. I'll take two!"

--------

A classmate and I didn't really know where to post this thing - up here? or straight to Scott's email? And considering I sent my scene analysis two weeks ago straight to his email, and no mention of our analysises have been made at all (I'd nearly forgotten about it myself), I wonder if I should repost that first assignment here as well.

Or am I completely wrong?

Newspaper Article Rewrite - Nicole Wurzell

"A Friend Indeed"

It is often proclaimed that man's best friend is a dog, but did you ever expect that a sheriff's best friend is a notorious mobster?…An improbable relationship, especially for Sherrif Mike Carona, who just so happens to be the senior advisor to President Bush on national security issues, a former chairman of state crime commission, and the head of California's second-largest sheriff's department.

Indeed "America's Sheriff" (as Carona proudly refers to himself) has established a rather questionable bond with Rick Rizzolo, a man known to the FBI as a notorious mobster, tied to mob families in both New York and Chicago. Rizzolo presumably leads a comfortable life in his 3,700 square-foot-estate located on the beachfront of the glamorous Newport Beach. In fact, so comfortable is the life of Rizzolo that he is generous enough to be one of the main contributors to Carona's re-election campaign.

While the press has captured a handful of cozy pictures to confirm the meetings of this cozy duo, in places such as the Ritz Carlton --- both men with drink in hand and smile on face --- Carona's media consultants claim that these get-togethers have only taken place "two or three times," and that innocent Carona was completely unaware of Rizzolo's ties to the mob.

Perhaps Carona was blind to the loads of gold jewelry and odd connections Rizzolo has to politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and criminals (even those famous ones in movies). And maybe Carona didn't think to ask why his dear friend owns a strip club in Las Vegas that is referred to as a "racketeering enterprise" by a federal indictment. This joint would not disappoint the expectations that one would have for a topless joint owned by a mobster; it is run by members of fellow mafia kingpins and once Rizzolo decided to resolve a dispute with a baseball bat, consequently cracking the man's skull.

If only Carona knew what his friend was really like, and could see what others see. For instance, a fellow officer referred to Carona's relationship with Rizzolo as "disgusting" and even exclaimed, "What is Sheriff Carona thinking? He's either incredibly stupid or dirty as hell. Or both." This could also be asked in another relationship that Carona is part of. Freddie Glusman, another campaign contributor, is reportedly the match maker for this Rizzolo-Carona bond. Glusman himself is another stand up guy, he owns the posh Ritz restaurant,where the duo sips their cocktails and poses for pictures, and Piero's - a restaurant in Las Vegas that is known as a mob hangout. Glusman cares about the patrons of his restaurant too, he prides himself on giving them an intimate atmosphere where "no one gets bothered."

Apparently Carona appreciates the business ethics of Glusman so much he decided to reward him, along with a Nevada casino owner (Gary Primm) – not to mention yet another campaign contributor – with official Orange County Sheriff badges. Forget the official business of being in the Santa Anaheadquarters, or even bothering with in depth background checks…because Carona knows how to take care of his friends, he swore them in at the Ritz Carlton and celebrated with wine and cake.

Hopefully Carona was still be a supportive friend when Glusman abused his "sheriff" privileges and resigned only a few months after the ceremony, because that is just the kind of guy Carona is.

Carona promises that "no one is ever going to get close enough to me to compromise me…it just won't happen." It doesn't matter that some state police licensing agency refuses to recognize eighty-seven people Carona has deputized, nor should it matter that Carona's largest contributor (Charles Gabbard) is a convicted felon (he is only accused of burglary, robbery, and murder anyway). And, we can ignore the handful of sexual harassment charges filed against Carona.

The American public, or at least the County of Orange, can rest assured with Carona's promise in knowing what a great friend Carona is and what even better friends he has.

The real article can be found at The Orange County Weekly Online.

Link : http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/dirty-stupid-or-both/25006/

Atchafalaya - Nicole Wurzell

Well, i definitely think that we covered the feeling that this was a rather dense article in class yesterday. but, that feeling made me really appreciate the vegetables with brown sugar comparison because while this piece is complex and sometimes tedious to read it also has a lot of history and meaning in it. and i can see how mcphee would want us to eat these vegetables since he did so much work on the project. it just seems like there is so much information being covered on the misssissippi that i can't really fathom how he put together the anals of the former world in one lifetime. in class we talked about how mcphee gives a sense of a place and i think that in this article he focuses on so many different topics (the history of the damming/floods, the people who are all affected by this gigantic river, how and why the army is involved) that you don't walk away with the sense of just one place in particular, but the expereince as a whole.....maybe this is along the lines of it being a 'story of a story?' also, what i really like about mcphee's style is that he incorporates himslef into the process and we, as readers, can join him in the experience. i like this because it helps to take abstract topics (like sorting buildings) and make them comprehensible by seeing them through someone elses eyes.

John McPhee - Nicole Wurzell

i must admit that while i did somewhat enjoy reading the two mcphee pieces, i developed more of an interest/appreciation of mcphee after today's lecture because i think i truly realized just how much work went into these two pieces. the research is obvious because he goes into great detail about numerous things but i think that mcphee provides a dedication that surpasses what we have seen thus far. first of off, he was communicating with that truck driver for four years!! ...that is commitment. also, in the "sort" piece i really like how he covered such a wide variety of topics and managed to pull them all together so cohesively - he went from the lobster, to the UPS room, then talked about the school and then got even more personal by introducing a few people who work there. i felt like it took the article from the big overwhelming elements of huge lobster tanks to the massive building and focused in on more minute details (such as the story of the single mom). in the pice about the truck driver i was surprised to see how much of mcphee himself was brought into the article; for instance, he mentions not being scared in the car and finally fitting in once he had the trucker hat. this was effective because it allowed me, the reader, to also play the role of the outsider and see what it was like to get a glimpse into this (odd) guy's world. although we did get somewhat of a warning about the mcphee article for thursday, i am actually excited to read it now!

Jeffrey Hong - thoughts on Out in the Sort

i think I finally understand why Scott talks about McPhee so much. The transition from Lobsters to the UPS was weird from a 3rd person perspective, but reading it, it just flowed so smoothly. The complexity of the shipping of lobsters mirrored will with the feeling of lostness the artcile created when describing the system of the UPS. He also wrote with a quirky sense of humor which I think made the piece about an otherwise boring subject matter interesting. An anecdote that stands out is the small paragraph about Bull Semen. The article also points out a very human aspect of an otherwise thought to be mechanical process. Ranging from tracing a packing from Amazon or Jockey to the college students who check uninterpratable lables, the article makes this machinized process relatable and I think that contributes a great deal to the readability of the article.

Enny Van - Predilections

Like I had said in class, this piece was by far the best piece I have read. A while back there had been discussion on what to do if you see a writer's style, what could one do to structure their writing in much the same way. Throughout reading the piece I felt like I had many moments of "I love that!" but couldn't quite pinpoint to why I enjoyed it so much. So here I hope to point out a few things I felt about the piece. In hopes that maybe someone else could also "get to the bottom" of it. 1.His first paragraph definitely draws you in to the writer by exemplifying how interesting/weird he is and how these amusements for morris really originates from him in ways which make it seem like these individual stories embody himself in disjointed pieces in the world around him. Kind of that feeling where you find out someone else had thought of the strange things you've pondered about and thought- wow he must be like me! 2.On Pg. 262 with the sentence starting with "An Errol Morris..." His sentence structure mirrors what he is talking about and the way he wants it to be read so I can "experience" what is being said. 3. Robert Ebert comments that Morris either loves his subjects or is extremely cruel to them- I feel that Singer definitely does this with his profile on Morris, I never know if he is poking fun at Morris umemployment, his ups and downs with projects, his academic education...but at the same time I feel like he does this by relishing in all the elements that make up him as a person and as well, a character. Singer allows Morris's quirk to come out and provide us with somewhat a clear picture that can draw us to see Morris like Singer. 4. Singer is able to pull us back by writing on a fragmented timeline, sometimes in reverse, but I had ascribed success to Morris so I know that somehow, someway he will pull through. 5. Finally, Singer's sarcastic tone did not make this piece feel as long as it was. 6.But I also felt like Singer kind of "cheated" - I just felt he picked the ideal subject which of course didn't hurt.

Jessica Beard on "Predilections"

I found it really interesting how Mark Singer was profiling someone who was profiling others. It was the profile of a profiler. More importantly I guess was the technique this profiler used...which was to let his subjects ramble on until eventually the initial crap that comes out of their mouths starts to become the truth. I can see how this works. I just hope I have the patience for my subject if he or she happens to be like Florence Rasmussen...God forbid.

B-29 Piece -- Nicole Wurzell

although i did not find this piece to be as emotionally engaging as the previous piece we read, i found that this article on the B-29 was rather enthralling because it worked both off of human emotion (following one woman's search to discover the father she never had), and stimulated intrigue on a subject that most americans either know nothing about or turn a blind eye too. one of the things that i found most engaging was the notion of a journey. the article begins with this somewhat ominous petition. in the first paragraph we are introduced to the petittion and discover that there must indeed be something unusual about it but it takes the whole piece to journey through the history of the petition and learn what it is all about - this journey takes us back in time, to a variety of places and introduces us to different groups of people. the journey also takes place on the personal level of judy palya wherein she unravels one fact after another in the hopes of getting to know her father. i found this "journey" to be very effective because it allowed the article to introduce the political aspect of it (the government keeping secrets) but also kept the reader interested on a personal/empathetic level. also, i really liked that this piece deals with such a sensitive and powerful subject but stays far away from being propaganda. i don't feel like the article tries to persuade its reader one way or another; it just lays out the facts and allows the reader to go on a journey and learn of one woman's search for a father and a case that changed teh face of our government. it created a great interest for me, now i want to know details of other such cases....

Rapine Lucifer - Why Literary Journalists need to be Lascivious Devils!

We can't just slap sentences together about some bozo's life and pretend it's art. We can't do that. We can't bring ourselves to carelessly cross-check someone else's life when we don't maintain that our own has SOMETHING worth merit! No! No, we are here for precisely one reason and one reason alone: because of the word, and the power of that word. With strict literary journalists I suppose there must be an amendment to that desire, probably having to do with not only the power of the word, but the power of the people. Hell, power TO the people, I say! Cazart! It is only right that we should do this, as Abraham Lincoln says. I digress...

No, this post has not much to do with any particular article. No, it has to do with every article. Do you have the fire? Are you willing to fight? Are you willing to compose the modern opera? No, it doesn't have to be anything melodramatic or even quite as epic as that--but surely you understand, yes? There is SOMETHING in these words we use...every syllable...every domestic squabble we set down to paper--these things become immortal. Why would you immortalize milquetoast? You wouldn't--unless that's your point--in which case I can't help but believe there's something passionately inherent in wanting to be boring for a moment. Hell, I'm passionately boring all the time... I digress!

We need to be lusty demons--we need to be willing to gorge on the sins of our subjects--to prey on the fears of society--and to pride ourselves in our work. Take note--pride ourselves--not be proud. Leave the boasting to your critics...similarly, leave the critique to your critics. None of them will be right all the time. Most of them won't be right half the time. They exist to put pretty quotes on your dust jackets. They aren't there for any concrete reason.

We must, must, must do this. We must be willing to sacrifice ourselves on the altar of the word. We must be willing to dive into that long dark abyss...and we must be willing to crawl back out--changed, but enlightened. And then we must write it all down.

I cannot help but feel this is a journalist's purpose. One facet of an intricate diamond--risk, lust--lust for story, lust for words and the old Selectric din our modern keyboards could never compare with. We owe it to our subjects to give them something beautiful--not to praise them, or obscure the truth. No, we must give them the beauty of honesty. Make them human, as Scott says. But isn't that the most inherently beautiful thing you can do? Mm. We must be willing to fall back on our seventh day of writing and remark, as did God, that, 'It is good.'

So let's make it damn good.

Mark Singer's Predilections - Tatiana Gordon

I thought that these links might be useful in case anyone was interested in watching some clips from a few of the films mentioned in the article:

Gates of Heaven: http://www.errolmorris.com/film/gates_clip.html

Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRiBIhcWGJE&search=herzog

Edison's film Electrocuting an Elephant: http://www.23nlpeople.com/media/~elephant_dead.mpg

Topsy (the elephant) killed three people and was essentially sentenced to death. Edison decided to film Topsy's death in order to promote his own electric current (DC) by using the AC current to kill various animals, thus proving it was "dangerous."

Jessica Beard on "The Secrets of the B-29"

As someone who wants to possibly become a lawyer, I loved the legal theme of this piece. When I first saw that it was 29 pages long, I was confident that I wasn't going to breeze through this piece like former ones. It definitely wasn't a breeze, but it was enjoyable.
This is another Siegel piece that makes you sympathize with the characters. One moment my heart was aching because of the descriptions of the lives of those who lost someone in the B-29 crash and the next moment I was receiving details about the construction of the B-29 or dry court room procedures. I say this just to acknowledge the somewhat abrupt transitions that Siegel used in this piece (and somewhat in the last one as well). The story jumps from one event and sentiment to another. Although on the surface it may seem that the organization of this piece is somewhat random, there really is a nice flow and everything seems to fall perfectly in place. For instance, one moment Siegel is talking about the first lawsuit that the crash has initiated and then he abruptly jumps to how Pat and Bob Reynolds met and fell in love. I felt that my emotion switched was constantly turned on and off because of these type of transitions. I believed this was successful because it kept my on my toes, waiting for more.
Siegel didn't drone on about one particular person or aspect of the story; there were so many he shined light on and this kept it interesting. Furthermore, like "A Father's Pain...," Siegel was successful in this piece of evoking emotions with just a handful of words. His sentences aren't long and complicated that can sometimes make a reader confused and completely miss the point of what he's trying to say. Not to say that his work is dumbed-down, but I really admire the simplicity of his descriptions and his ability to do so and sitll be successful at it. I also liked how almost every person in the story got a little biography, allowing every person to have a significant role in the story. As I conclude this really long blog, the only question that I have that's been left unanswered is...what happened to the little girl that was tied to the tree when the plane came crashing down?

Still Stumped for Topics?

If you are, there are a couple of things I can suggest: 

First, you can share all the ideas you've had but aren't actually going to do.  As we discussed in class yesterday, there's nothing wrong with creating a virtual simulation of an editor's office.

Second, you can take a look at articles written by Literary Journalism students.  Not all of them were written by students in LJ20, but they give you an idea of the range of possible subjects you can work with.

Barry's "Crash of the B-29"

Whoops.  I accidentally posted this to the Ethics and Evolution of Literary Journalism courseblog.  (And, in so doing, realized where the Orlean articles "disappeared to.)  Won't happen again.  You can download Barry's article here.  The rest of the quarter's syllabus will be up sometime on Monday, after I've had a chance to look over the scene analyses.

Barry's Piece - Nicole Wurzell

I just finished reading Barry's article and i honestly feel that my heart is has dropped to my stomach. i think that the article captures the emotions of various people on so many levels. a sense of devastation pervades the article and i think that it was very powerful how the people who were brought together for this case could all relate on some level of tragedy. for instance, the judge himself seems to carry such a deep burden after his own father's suicide and the attorney Adkins has this same guilt due to his own son's death. i feel like it just bring a human connection to everyone that is involved, it take away the reliance of religion and law (which are both mentioned) and bases the issue of Gage's death on a more personal issue - something totally outside of any standardized judgement. in other articles we have read there have been details brought into the story from the outside, such as the history of Street Fighter in the piece about Colin; however, i feel like the details and history that barry produced were so important that the story would have been so different without them. the emotions of wayment were captured so effectively - we see his immediate devastation as he plowed through the lake and then the state of complete hopelessness wherein he writes that poem for his son and visits the site where he died. we also see how the case haunts hidler to the core and becomes a part of his daily life , whether hearing about it on his alarm news or thinking about it as he jogs. i feel like i could write/comment on this piece forever because it is so touching, overall i feel that i got such a deep sense of everyone involved and the blame and responsibility that was felt by different parties....very powerful!

Barry's piece- Amber Cleave

OK, I need to take a big long deep breath after reading Barry's piece. I think I might not have breathed more than a few times while reading the article. It is very heavy. Some things I noticed 1. The reader doesn't really know what is going on until the third paragraph, so we are anxious to read and figure out what is being discussed. As well, the reader never really knows what is going on, because the question and focus of the piece doesn't have an answer. 2. The main question is Justice, or what is justice, or how does one figure out what is just. 3. There are some intimate details which obviously can only be known by strange questions such as "What did he look like when you saw him"- the answer being "Concern, he saw, strained his face". This is helpful for myself in knowing what are good questions to ask a subject. 4. The focus of the piece is not on the father, like I originally thought, but rather the focus is on the judge. This was an interesting twist because at first I did not expect the article to head in this direction. 5. The paragraph which describes finding Gage is brilliant. There are four long sentences followed by two short sentences. The paragraph is short, detailed, and ultimately simple and honest. The very last line, "In his eyes were frozen tears" brought tears to my own eyes. My heart stopped and I grasped for air. The paragraph made me feel like I found the body. It froze me to my core. I really like this piece and think it might be the most effective piece we have read this quarter.

Newspaper article voice excersize- Amber Cleave

Pop Music Review- A revision in Elliot Smith's TRUE Essence

The late Elliot Smith was a man who truly had a way with attractive and sweet melodies. His music is also Beatlesque and has a strong singing guitar. Sans his voice, it is a difficult task to portray the full effect of his music. Turning this form of music into a Broadway type musical is not an easy task, although it was almost successfully attempted by Christopher O'Riley at the Getty Center's Harold M. Williams Auditorium this past Friday. He took the pop-rock flair and exchanged it for a more classical style - barely maintaining the essence of Smith. What is left in between the truth of Smith and the adaptation of O'Riley is a truly creative adaptation. The opening piece, "Home to Oblivion" sounds like a dream. Smith's rock tunes end up with a hint of romance and intense emotion- an audience listener noted that "This was what he (Smith) wanted to feel like". Ultimately then, O'Rielly landed on the mark of excellence! O'Riely, who is based in LA, now has a repertoire of classical to rock to (as of recently) emo. This tribute to Smith is really a collaboration of tradition and imagination- a new way to enjoy the old...tributes like O'Riley's allow good music to live forever.