Memoir Reading Blog 2

The memoir that I have chosen to read is on the career and life of Jackie Robinson. Before the great African-American players such as, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Reggie Jackson, came into the league, Jackie was the first of his race to be allowed to play professional baseball. Jackie Robinson broke the race barrier in the MLB in 1947 when he became the first African-American professional baseball player. This allowed other great African-Americans to do the same and fulfill their dreams of being baseball players. This memoir focuses on his career and how he came to be able to do the things he did as a professional athlete. Jackie describes his early trials of battling Jim Crow laws and how he had to battle to get the career opportunity that he did. Most of the memoir is focused on his playing career and the great things he did. Without Jackie Robinson, who knows if the MLB would be different today.

Memoir Reading Blog 1

The memoir that I chose to read was one of Jackie Robinson. He was the first African-American baseball player and he broke the barrier for more African-Americans to break the barrier as well. This particular book attracted my attention because it was about a man that changed the face of a major league sport and was recognized by everyone, everywhere. As I read this book, I'm expecting to learn more about how Jackie was given the chance and what he had to do to make it into major league baseball. This is a history changing event because without Jackie Robinson, who knows where major league sports would be with allowing African-Americans to play alongside everyone else. There's not much to relate myself with to Jackie Robinson, but if there was anything, it would be the fact that Jackie never gave up on his dreams. I myself am the type of person that does not give up when it comes to achieving something that I want. This should be a great book and I am looking forward to reading more about the life of Jackie Robinson.

First Attempt at Writing Memoir

The very first attempt at writing memoir, I was excited to write about an event that was specifically special/significant to me. As I continued to write my memoir, I found an event that happened in my life and was very significant to me. This specific event was the death of my grandfather. He was very close to me and it was very hard to let him go once he died. Some challenges that I faced when writing the memoir was trying to recollect all of the memories from that long ago. Other then that, it was too difficult to write since it was my own life and it came very easy to me. Sometimes I feel like this part of my life is a little personal to share,but I feel like people should know about a man that was very close to me and also helped shape me to be the person that I am today. In the end, I believe that this is a good event to write about, as it really did impact my life at the time that it occurred. 

Maxine Hong Kingston Three Step Response

Three Step Response:
1. Dumbness
    I stand frozen....
    flunked kindergarten
    quiet Chinese girls
    toy saucer
    school became a misery
    barest whisper
2. Anxious
    Bashful
    Curious
    Envious
    Indifferent
    Interested
    Optimistic
    Sad
    Sympathetic
    Thoughtful
    Worried
3. I want to know more about how hard it was to speak English for the first time. Did it take the author longer then the other kids, or was it a shorter amount of time? Also, I would like to know what it felt like to go to a school where the kids in it were of a different nationality then the author was. Was it scary? Or was it pretty easy to fit in and get along with the other children that attended the school.

Free Write:

I chose this selection because I wanted to know what it felt like for a person whose first language is not English to speak it for the first time. I realized from the passage that it can be a scary thing. The author was very nervous and did not want to speak at all in fear of embarrassment. In my opinion, I would be the same way if I had to speak another language for the first time. It would be very nerve racking to say the least and I'm not exactly sure how I would respond. I feel as though I would respond like the other did in the situation.

On Writing Well 1/15/14

The first two chapters in "On Writing Well" discuss how writing can be different for everyone. Some people find it very easy and others find it very hard. This is ok because everyone writes differently. The key to writing is to simplify what you are writing. Take out words or phrases that do not need to be there and make your writing as simple and concise as it can be. The reader will have an easier time understanding you and will be more interested in what you have to talk about. Otherwise the readers, that have an attention span of 30 seconds, will become bored with the writing and may even fall asleep. But, if the writing is simplified and easy for the reader to comprehend, the effect will be opposite. Those readers with short attention spans will become more interested and will stay interested throughout your piece of writing.