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.