A Writer Who......

     I am a writer who doesn't understand punctuation? Ever since I was in middle school, and we were doing, punctuation worksheets, I could never understand it. When I write an essay people tell me I write very long elaborate sentences that should be broken up because they are confusing for other people to read. Also commas haunt my dreams. When, do I use a comma how, do I use a comma and how often, do I use commas? The only punctuation I comprehend is exclamation points. They are my favorite! Punctuation and I still fight, that is why I am a writer who doesn't understand punctuation.

Plot Structure- The Clearing

   Last week I read a book called The Clearing by  Heather Davis. The plot structure of this book is very much like Nation's plot, a parallel plot. A parallel plot is when diffrent characters don't meet until later in the plot. The Clearing is an example of this because the two main characters, Henry and Amy, don't meet until half way through the book.
   The book starts off with Amy's background information then switches to Henry's. Then, the plot introduces both of their separate conflicts. It isn't until the rising action that Amy meets up with Henry, then they share a common conflict. The plot proceeds with them having the same climax and falling action. The resolution is shared but it also has the characters unique spin on it. Amy and Henry both share the resolution of them going their separate ways, but the resolution is also what they do with that and how they handle it. If you think of how this plot would extend through the characters lives after the actual book is over their paths only just cross breifly. However, since this is the plot of the book, I classify it as a parallel plot structure.

Free Post

   On Friday night while my mom was out of town me and my older sister had a "Ladies Night". It's kind of a tradition for us so we can just hang out with out any distractions. The last time we had a ladies night it was at Tsunami it was really relaxing and the food was great, so I was excited for this Ladies Night. Reagan and I decided to go to the Melting Pot. The Melting Pot was created for people to hog out and eat all of the chocolate fondue that would fit in your stomach and for Reagan and me, thats a lot. We ate until our stomachs almost burst and chocolate was threatening to come out our ears. We ate endless amounts of marshmellows, cheesecake, and rice crispies. Practically waddling out the door any other plans we had were thrown out the window, we went home and slept. I love Ladies Nights because there are no definite plans and you can do whatever you feel like and,of course, I like hanging out with my big sister too!

Reading Response- The Clearing

  This week along with writing my Literacy Narrative I finished The Clearing by Heather Davis. I really enjoyed reading this book after The Alchemist. This book was simple, not long, not complicated and no reading between the lines. It was also nice to be reading a simple book since we have also been working on our literacy narratives.
   The Clearing is about Amy who has moved in with her relatively elderly aunt to escape her life in Seattle. What she finds is that in the country school isn't much different, she still had to deal with boys, parties, drama, ect. However this time she had someone to help her through it, Henry. Henry on the other hand has been stuck in the same summer since 1944 because he feared what would happen that fall but this summer he had Amy. With the help of each other they were both able to move on. Henry didn't pray for his summer to go on, and he ended up drafted into WWII and we don't know what happens to Amy but we I get the feeling it turned out good for her too.
    I enjoyed reading about the different ways of life in the 1940's and now. The ways that the characters would deal with based on their society was interesting to read about. It was just a nice simple love story, there wasn't much not to like.

The Clearing: 9/22: 120 min
Literacy Narrative: 40 min
Total: 160

Reading Response

     This week I have a variety of things to add up to my total reading time. I read literacy narratives and read two different books, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and The Clearing by Heather Davis. 
    I finished The Alchemist and really enjoyed it. It was all about Santiago trying to understand his personal Legend. He encounters many omens along the way and ultimately he attains his goals and treasure. The climax is whenever he must "become" the wind. He talks to the desert, the wind, and the sun only to discover that no one knew the answer. Ultimately, he searches for the soul of the world only to find himself. He came to the realization that he could transform himself into the wind on his own and that everything in the world is connected.
    Although I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book it is a very interesting read. The idea that everything in the world is connected and what Santiago had to say about love were very intresting. This book makes be feel really calm, unlike Flowers for Algernon. That is why I would recombined this book because it is really interesting to read and it leaves you feeling like you learned something, not emotionally distressed.
   The next book I read was The Clearing. It was about a girl who was physically abused by her boyfriend causing her to move to her aunts house in the country. When she gets to her aunts house she discovers what she calls the mist. On the other side of the mist is a boy trapped in time, living the same summer over and over again.When she crosses the mist neither really know what to think of each other. However, they are perfect for each other, she wants a boy who is different than most boys and he just wants someone (since he is stuck in time with only his family). I have only gotten as far as the introduction but I am looking forward to their love story.

The Alchemist: 9/16: 80 min (60 pgs)
The Clearing: 9/16: 20 min (27 pgs)
Literacy Narratives: 9/10: 40 min ( 3 stories)

Total: 140 min

Literacy Narrative

      I was/ am having some trouble thinking of a subject for my literacy narrative. However I came up with one idea and I guess I will give a summary.
    The event that has affected me as a reader isn't related to school or education at all, it's just a real life experiance. A few months ago my sister was hospitalized because she developed HSP. The first time she went she was there for a couple of days then got released, but her HSP just got worse. The next time she was hospitalized it was closer to a week she stayed there. So how did this effect the way I read  books? This experience  makes me feel for main characters in books with difficulties in their life, which is most. Before I would read stories and couldn't relate on a deeper emotional level, I never had anything to connect to my life is fairly normal. Now I feel for characters and that makes the book so much more real.
      That was my summary, obviously I would add more details. I am still trying to think of maybe one more experience but this one is my strongest.

Reading Response- Flowers for Algeron (Spoilers)

   This week I read Flowers for Algeron and finished it. It was about a man who was retarded and his name was Charlie and he had an operation that made him smart. At Charlie's intelligence peak he was smarter than most college professors. However, when Algeron's intelligence begins decreasing and eventually dies they know CHarlie isn't to far behind. So within a month Charlie is back to mentally disabled.
     I can't decide if I actually enjoyed this book. I liked reading about Charlie's journey and how he basically did the one thing he wanted to do with his life, become smart. However, when Charlie becomes smart he realizes that now he doesn't have any friends and maybe a high IQ isn't worth it. I felt upset for him then but I was so sad at the end when he couldn't even remember all the great things he did. It nearly killed me when he knew his intelligence was declining and he was just waiting to loose everything he worked so hard for. The worst was on pg. 310 when he said "I dont no why Im dumb agen or what I did rong. Mabye its because I didt try hard enuf." I like to read books that have a remotely happy ending, but otherwise I thought the book was interesting.

Reading Times:

9/4: 30min, 9/6: 40 min, 9/9: 90 min
Total: 160 min p. 182-310

Response- Comments

My weakest post so far I think is my "Hurricane Isaac" post. Dr.D said in her comment to use more detail so I am going to try again even though writing non informational  posts isn't exactly my thing.
      I was sitting at my kitchen table reading The Alchemist when my lights shut off, I jolted and dropped my book, it was nothing compared to what was coming. Outside the wind was blowing and whistling making my heart beat hard when I see my mom frantically picking up my phone. I began shooting questions at her, What happened? Is everyone ok? Why are you acting like that? She put down her phone and told my that Paw Paw was on their roof trying to secure the metal sheet. My mouth dropped and I think of their house, so safe and warm and now I can only imagine my grandfather wet and blowing in the wind. I looked at her with a face of disbelief.
     I sat for ten minuets with my stomach twisted into knots, just waiting, for news. My mom walked into the room and I stood up and she told me Paw Paw got off the roof and he is fine but the house isn't. I couldn't have cared less that the house was soaked I sat down and relief rushed over me, a goofy smile spread across my face.

Reading Response

     This week I took a break from reading Flowers for Algeron and started reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho .  This book is about a boy who is a shepherd, traveling with his sheep. Until he goes into town and talks with a man (who he later finds out is a king) that tells him that to pursue his personal legend he must go to the pyramids in Egypt. At first the boy just wants to stay and marry a girl he met in town and his sheep but he rises to the occasion to find the treasure. He encounters many obstacles along the way but continues to work hard to follow his personal legend.

      This book has a lot of philosophical statements. To me the most thought provoking one was "Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their own lives.  But no one has a clear idea of how to live their own." (pg.16). Its true,Everyone (including me) has judged someone on the way they live their life whether it be someone's religion, the way they dress, or their culture. I failed to ever think of the flip side though. 

        As Americans we are always following magazine trends or getting the biggest thing. Most of us don't have a clear way to live our lives other than following trends. However we do judge anyone who doesn't follow the same trends as us. I never thought of it as that person is figuring out how to live their life and that I am doing the same. 

    8/28- 30 min, 8/29-40, 8/31-60 min 9/1-25 min

Hurricane Isaac

          This week during Hurricane Isaac the scariest moment was when I found out my grandparents roof fell off. My grandmother texted my mom that part of their roof fell off and that water was pouring into their house. I started to wonder what part of the house and if anything valuable was being lost. More importantly I was hoping the rest of the house was still stable. What she said next made my stomach drop.

    She said that my grandfather climbed up on top of the roof to try to secure the metal sheeting back down. I sat there and thought she was joking, what was he thinking?  During a hurricane he climbed onto the metal roof of a two story house! I thought he went crazy; the other metal panels on the roof could have flown off too and taken him with it. Luckily, nothing happened to him except scrapes up his arms. The house wasn’t so lucky. The kitchen, two rooms, and the attic were soaked. Meanwhile at my house the electricity didn’t even go out.