Read one of the following personal essays and then, in 400-500 words, break down for us those elements of memoir that are being employed by the writer and which you learned about in your Harbrace reading. Tell us what the subject of the story is, why this particular story is timely or relevant, who is the intended audience, what is the point of the story, and what rhetorical devices are used that you found particularly strong and are ones you might like to incorporate into your own writing? Also, consider how the use of pathos is at play in the piece. Here are your choices:
- Giffels, David. "Shirt-Worthy," The New York Times Magazine. October 28, 2007.
- Lamott, Anne. "What She Gave," Salon.com. May 8, 2005.
- Sheff, David. "My Addicted Son," The New York Times Magazine. February 6, 2005. Note: this one is a bit longer, but it is so worth the read. Very emotional. Very riveting. Probably my personal favorite of the bunch. Keep a box of kleenex nearby.
- Grollmus, Denise. "Tour of Duty," Scene Magazine, February 23, 2005. Ok, so, I figured, you all have to pour your guts out to me, so it's only fair that I suffer a bit of personal narrative humiliation, too, right? I also want this to be a lesson to you all to take risks when picking a topic for your memoirs. Don't hold back. Be honest. And pick something that is truly close to you.
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