Introduction
Intro
This semester has been one of growth and discovery. My extracurricular literature and research opportunities at my work and my own personal endeavors have benefited my creative writing heavily as well. Through the essays I wrote, the outcomes and goals that pushed my abilities, and the practice of research and synthesis through discussions and interviewing: my writing went from short, myopic, and boringly informative to expressionistic and emotionally articulate.
Outcome 1
Outcome one is about composing writing for a variety of audiences and contexts; along with curating your style, appeals, language, etc., and being mindful of their effects on the audience, purpose, and situation. My writing style is always heavily influenced by who I believe will be reading my work. My use of the audiences' likes, common experiences, and goals are prevalent in my Creative Non-fiction SA 1 written for the University of Washington admission’s officers, my Exploration of an Author MP 2, ‘Binary Boxes’, and my interview with Dr. Preston Singletary.
My target audience for Creative Non-fiction SA 1 is the University of Washington admissions officers, who are looking for a person that will bring a new perspective to their campus and will use their education to give back to their community. They also want the essay to feel personal, so I wrote the essay in my own style and imagined my voice as a news reporter telling a story, to keep it slightly professional. “I went from writing scripts to reading them and making three weekly shows. I didn’t focus on improving my script-writing skills, but I focused on connecting musicians to venues in Seattle and writing scripts to promote them. I was able to promote businesses that were hosting youth internships and connect jobs to employers through a network of events. I was so self-conscious about my skills and performance until I saw how powerful my skills could be in my community” (SA 1). By showing the change of perspective on what my job was, I show that I am open to change able to see the bigger picture: which is something I could do at the University of Washington as well.
The audience for my Exploration of an Author MP 2 are those who have an interest in Langston Hughes and poetry, “The imagery is still traced today with famous activists in the black community; in rapper A$AP Rocky’s album Long.Live.A$AP, a musician from Harlem, we see him wrapped in the American flag, and in other promotional photos, there are pictures of Rocky with the flag flying over his back” (MP 2). This follows a line of interest for the audience that connects Langston Hughes’ activism to modern day rappers/poets. Both Hughes and Rocky come from Harlem and mention their roots in their work as well. It also serves to strengthen the story and philosophy, as I go on to explain in the essay, that Hughes was demonstrating through the poem, “I, too”.
Finally, in my interview with Dr. Singletary, which aired January 26th, my audience was not only the future listeners and watchers of the interview, but also Dr. Singletary himself. During some interviews, the artist may be annoyed with the interviewer depending on the questions, especially if they believe the interviewer is lazy. I started this interview off with a specific about his early life, something that was not common knowledge, “you began blowing glass at the Glass Eye Studios in Seattle in 1982. What initially drew you to glass as a medium and how has your relationship with it evolved over the years” (PS Interview Questions, Q.1). This question was meant to entice Singletary into being more open and talking, as the questions showed true appreciation for his work and information that is specific to him. This allowed for a fifty-four-minute interview in which he felt comfortable talking and sharing his life with someone who he felt could appreciate it. The rest of the questions were meant for the audience of Daybreak Star Radio, “Before you were in the glass world, I heard you were into music, and you've mentioned that music plays a role in shaping your contemporary perspective of Native culture. How does music influence the creation of your glass sculptures, and what parallels do you see between music and visual art?”
Outcome 2
Outcome two centers on the research done to generate and support a line of reasoning and inquiry. Which encompasses analyzing reading and writing strategies in diverse texts, picking sources that relate to the audience, writing goals, genre, context, and finally synthesis of the sources. My Exploration of an Author essay MP 2, my Multimodal Project SA 5, and my interview with artist and painter Shana Yellowcalf.
My MP 2 essays synthesize multiple sources of Langton Hughes work to exhume a philosophy he believes is misconstrued among BIPOC. “In the poem, “I, too” Langston Hughes shows us a narrative that rings true with Black empowerment today... Rocky symbolizes what Langston Hughes aimed to do long ago, which is to show that the American flag was built upon the backs of people of color and should therefore fly high above them. Hughes furthers this idea in his poem, ‘Let America Be America Again’” (MP 2). Even though the two essays and A$AP Rocky do not share the same morals or story they do share the same underlying philosophy, which is the importance of Black American Pride in a world that villainizes those against America. I also use outside sources to support Langston Hughes' line of reasoning and to give context, such as Critical Race Theory by S. Delgado and Gender Trouble by Judith Butler.
My Multimodal Project SA 5 uses research from various sources: the University of Washington, elders in my community, and scholarly online resources. This summer I went to a Native American event called GONA (Gathering of Native Americans). He was one of the last of his generation to experience boarding schools and he shared with us his experience, he urged everyone to do more research into our history. Through my research I learned about how classical music was used to assimilate Indigenous people to Christian society. I also took a look into Layli Long soldiers' history to see what the pillars of her points where in her pieces. She focuses her work not only on indigenous peoples but also motherhood. As a result, I used wheat which represents abundance and fertility.
The interview with Shana Yellowcalf involved heavy research into her life, her interests, and the stories behind her art. Interview questions may seem as if they are meant to inform the interviewer but many times, they are to set the stage for the artist and make them feel comfortable to talk, which requires research into who they are. “What has the process for creating the children’s book been like, and how do you keep motivation when embarking on large projects such as these” (SA 5, Q.3). Her book is her pride and joy, because in many of her past blog posts and appearances, she had talked about it with a smile on her face and mentioned that it is related to her family. She had already talked about it on blogs and online, so it was no secret to her audience; once the question was asked, she talked about how the book was related to her kids and how helpful her kids were in the process of its creation, which helped later questions flow easier.
Outcome 3
Outcome 3 is about creating inquiry-driven arguments that persuade the audience. My Personal Narrative SA 1 and my Exploration of an Author MP 2 display my ability to convince the audience of my point.
My Personal Narrative shows my ability to convince the admissions officers of the value I could bring to their university. I showed how I keep my perspective open to change, and that I am able to see the big picture, “I went from writing scripts to reading them and making three weekly shows. I didn’t focus on improving my script-writing skills, but I focused on connecting musicians to venues in Seattle and writing scripts to promote them. I was able to promote businesses that were hosting youth internships and connect jobs to employers through a network of events” (SA 1). This demonstrated how I am able to switch focus of what I am doing once I see the bigger picture, and that I can find creative ways to work outside of what I was assigned to do that still helps in efficient ways. Ultimately showing the admissions officers that I am open to learning new material and applying it to what I do.
My MP 2 uses inquiry throughout the essay to challenge the readers perspective in a guided way. I argue that Langston Hughes explored the tension between the limitations, fears, and dehumanization of performance and the need to shed light and experience complexes that might exist outside of them. After a quote from Hughes’ poem ‘Seven People Dancing’ I go on to explain how the use of Marcel’s performance and others’ disregard for his needs further this tension, “Just as Marcel’s party is a vehicle for personal survival rather than celebration, queer people of color are often expected to perform their identities in ways that fit standards to not cause danger. Even in environments of ‘acceptance and safety’ like workplaces and schools, queer people and people of color can be asked to perform their diversity.” (MP 2). This shows my exploration of the inquiry ‘how much should one divulges and for what gains’.
Outcome 4
Outcome 4 is about the process of revision collaboratively and independently, along with revision, rethinking and editing. My Personal Narrative SA 1 and my MP 2 showcase the heavy process of revision.
In my first draft of SA 1 I created a story that showed a story from my life and followed a plot, even if it may have been boring. After reviewing my essay with a couple UW students in the business program they told me how my essay focused too much on a general story and should focus more on the explanation of how I changed from the story, because stories can tell a lot, but how we react and act on our experiences can give the audience even more insight. She recommended around 30% story and 70% explanation. I ended up explaining myself and thoughts around halfway, but they were still satisfied with the outcome as the 30/70 was just a suggestion.
In my draft of MP 2 my mind was all over the place. The exploration started out harshly and focused on a singular poem, “In Langston Hughes’s story, the metaphor of the dance feels like it’s celebrating freedom and connection” (MP 2). It was jarring for the reader and left them trying to figure out what they were reading halfway through the essay. In the revised version I clean up the vacillating points scattered throughout the essay and clean up the intro and conclusion, “The Harlem Renaissance is commonly known as a time of flourishing African American art, literature, jazz, and philosophy. What is less widely known is American pride as a form of protest that grew out of it” (MP 2). This allows the reader to have an idea of what they will be reading and possibly even get them interested in it.
Conclusion
When I first began this class, my writing was boring, and my mind was scattered. The more we read and analyzed texts in class and the more I researched artists and discovered what different audiences were interested in: I was able to show not only my thoughts but feelings in ways that could interest audiences.