Blog #3: How Do Montaigne and Orwell Compare to Others?

Modern prose does not follow nearly as stringent guidelines as during Montaigne's sixteenth century or even Orwell's early/mid twentieth century. Although these authors come from very different periods and contexts, there writing reflects a certain understood etiquette that existed when writing or speaking formally.

Elements such as colloquial speech and fragmented sentences/non-sequential ideas seem more typical of contemporary authors, which makes sense because that is how the mind thinks. Montaigne uses lofty prose which was more common in his time than it is today (if someone wrote like that in 2009 we would say he is pretentious or antiquated).So what exactly makes these two pieces CNF? The authors' ability to make their own stories resonate with the audience. The shortcomings and anxieties of the men are illustrated to comment on a larger sphere of human concern and folly ( the devastation of imperialism and the apparently tenuous concept of happiness).
Montaigne's piece is historically founded rather than springing simply from a personal event (although pondering his own death couldn't be more personal). He also quotes scholars and philosophers, which I don't think we've seen in any other writing so far. Also, Orwell's piece was much more politically charged while at the same time commenting on his own nature and that of the "white man in the East." This technique falls in line with Lott's idea that one should write about himself in relation to an experience or larger population, not just list the facts as they occur. Actually, all the pieces that we have examined so far meet this criteria, whether the author is front and center or positioned as a casual observer, the pieces are all telling about aspects of the human condition.

Blog #2: Kincaid's Yellow Dress and Lott's Guidelines

Everyone has a story to tell, no matter how small or spectacular. Each day and each interaction we have shapes us as human beings, and more importantly leads us to discover things about who we are both as children and later as adults. Jamaica Kincaid makes this clear in her short story Biography of a Dress and she sets a much different tone than we have seen in the other readings. Kincaid gives the impression that she is writing for herself alone, but more precisely writing from the perspective of a mature self to a younger Kincaid. The author has a wisdom and understanding of the world she did not posses(obviously) at two years old or even at 20 or 30 years.
Kincaid's account of her second birthday and her mother's excursion to buy materials for the yellow poplin dress is not about entertaining her audience so much as recording the facts and examining them. Elements such as repetition seen in the story mimic human memory- we remember minute details over and over and they seem to resonate in our heads, yet we may have no recollection of other more important events. Kincaid is writing about herself in relation to an object(dress) rather than a situation, as seen in other readings. However, within that object there is a lifetime of secrets, misunderstandings, and family history waiting to be examined. Something as commonplace as a birthday dress and a worn black and white photo evoke powerful emotions equal to those in, for example Jo Ann Beard's Out There, yet the premise has a subtler appeal. The material is understated yet the prose is somehow haunting/ magical.

Brett Lott presents an amalgamative definition of CNF for us, but what we should remember is there is no perfect definition, only certain guidelines those writing should consult. As Lott points out, the only way to unequivocably know what CNF is, is to actually try it. His discussion on the definition of CNF reinforced the idea that writers should not feel compelled to embellish their lives to make them traumatic or something other than the truth. A CNF writer should not feel deprived of material simply because they had an ordinary or uneventful life because every one's story is worth writing down and sharing. It often takes greater skill to develop a seemingly mundane story into one that , as Lott explains " shapes and forms what it is to be seen". Self is the creative element in CNF and because we all have a self to write about, this genre is a powerful and universal means of communication/self examination.

Blog #1: My Definition of CNF

When I hear the phrase "creative nonfiction" I automatically picture a columnist or some other Carrie Bradshaw-esque character jotting down thoughts about...anything really- work, sex life or lack thereof, or how they cheated on their low- carb diet yet again. It can be serious and philosophical or light and facetious, but the most important element is the creativity and value of what is being written. Obviously I would be more inclined to read about somebody's near death experience than I would be to read about their trip to the grocery store. So that raises another question for me- is all nonfictional writing (diary entries, love letters, suicide notes) considered creative non fiction, or are there specific criteria for CNF?
Until now, I have never bothered to start my own blog because I have a hard time believing that my daily musings are of any interest/importance to others, and I admit that I view "blogging" to be in the lowliest echelons of writing and I'm not really sure how I came to feel this way. Maybe its all the stupid live journal entries my friends made me read in high school,but I hope that I change my mind by the end of this class. What I'm trying to say is that a nonfictional creative writer should have a greater agenda than simply offering her audience a slice of self glorifying monotony. All great writing, whatever genre, strikes a chord within us, shifting the way we see ourselves or those around us, even if the change is imperceptible to anyone but us. If I write -I want it to mean something.

Testing Blog

First Blog...hi guys!