As you revise your reflection for Wednesday, review the pages of The Norton Field Guide to Writing that cover key features (259-61) and methods of organizing a reflective essay (262-63).
If you find yourself stuck, browse the opening paragraphs of the reflections in the textbook. The first lines of one may give you an idea for your own starting point. Try the same browsing exercise for your concluding paragraph. Since conclusions can be particularly challenging, I have included a link here to Harvard’s excellent guide on closing paragraphs, “Ending the Essay.”
Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of the reflections as well as literacy narratives and memoirs (both forms of reflection) in The Norton Field Guide to Writing. One of the essays, “Us and Them,” is part of David Sedaris‘s* book-length memoir Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, which is featured in the photograph in this post.
Young adult author Matt de la Peña, who wrote one of the literacy narratives we studied in early February, has posted a series of thoughtful blog entries for home bound students. If you have children or younger brothers and sisters at home, I encourage you take a look at “Dear Stuck-at-Home Student #1-#12.”
You are not required to comment on this blog post. Your online assignments for this week are (1) post your revised reflection to the 111 Blackboard site, (2) post your revised reflection to your blog, and (3) complete the 011 quiz on MLA documentation.
*Note that the possessive form of the last name Sedaris appears above as Sedaris’s with an apostrophe followed by an additional s. AP (Associated Press) style, which most newspaper use, omits the second s. MLA (Modern Language Association Style), which we use in the humanities (English, history, philosophy, religion, and art) includes the second s. For more information on apostrophes and possessive, see the MLA Style Center and Merriam-Webster
Remember to check your CVCC email and Blackboard regularly for updates and assignments.
Reflections and Memoirs in The Norton Field Guide to Writing
- Barrientos, Tanya Maria. “Se Hable Español.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 693-96.
- de la Peña, Matt. “Some Times the ‘Tough Teen’ is Quietly Writing Stories.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 688-91.
- Dubus III, Andre. “My Father was a Writer.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 891-99.
- Feslenfeld, Daniel. “Rebel Music.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 81-84.
- Kassfy, Ana-Jamileh. “Automotive Literacy.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 84-86.
- Lepucki, Edan. “Our Mothers as We Never Saw Them.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 256-59.
- Sedaris, David. “Us and Them.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 883-89.
- Tan, Amy. “Mother Tongue.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 697-703.
- Vallowe, Emily. “Write or Wrong Identity.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 75-81.
- Yousafazai, Malala. “Who is Malala?” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings and Handbook. 5th ed., by Richard Bullock, Maureen Daly Goggin, and Francine Weinberg, 2019, pp. 900-04.
Jane Lucas 