This story is about a young writer named Skipper Fischer who wants to make it in "undoubtedly one of the hardest businesses to work in" and work as a comedic writer for Stewart Donahue's show "Midnight Slot with Stewart Donahue." As Skipper begins to proceed through the interview process for the job hiring, the narrator's motives change. Skipper realizes that the glamour, fame, and even experience was far from what he had anticipated it to be. Though he is given the job, Skipper turns it down. As the reader, this is a fairly surprising outcome. Personally, I just thought he was not going to get offered the job, but in contrast he did and actually turned Stewart Donahue down himself in a twist of events. The narrator changes in an extremely quick amount of time and makes a huge decision/opportunity in what seems like a matter of minutes.
I loved the narrative voice throughout this story. I found it to be very relatable and entertaining. Many lines were quite humorous because they were so brutally honest. I think Cole did a great job with developing Skipper and allowing the reader to see what type of guy he is. The only thing I would chage or play around with is the ending. I kinda of felt as though it was somewhat rushed and that Skipper changed his mind in a matter of minutes and turns down a huge opportunity. Of course, I could have read it wrong, but i really enjoyed the story and loved Skipper's character and being able to see inside his thoughts.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Response to Kody's "Over the Counter"
This story is about a father, our protangonist, who is unable to pay his bills and provide for his three children Jimmy, Sarah, and Ben. The narrator has a job as a pharmacy technician, but it is not enough to stablize a house of four as the only source of income. The narrator seems to be simply stuck or out of options, until a friend, Tim, suggests he sell some prescription drugs from work to sell illegally and earn more income to provide for his family. Though the dad immediaely rejects the idea at first, he soon realizes just what he has to lose: his home and family. He decides he has to try to do something even if that means going to jail and losing his family. It's almost a "catch 22" for our protagonist. The story ends with the narrator paranoid about stealing the pills he shoves into his pockets and counts how many he has taken in his head.
I really enjoyed the entire storyline, but particularly, I loved the narrator's voice and tone throughout the peice. I thought he was extremely realistic and stayed true to his character 'til the very end. I even enjoyed the short sentences throughout. The ones that ones contained two or three words. For example on page one, when the narrator is reading the bills, "Missed payments. Final notice. Situation unresolved. Acceleration clause. Payment in full. One month." There are numerous short and to-the-point sentences that I really enjoyed throoughout the story. It made the narrator ver effective and allowed me to be able to really hear how he talked and thought. It gave me a small insight to the narrator.
The only thing I would change or play around with is the ending. For some reason I'm not sure if I like it or not. Part of me likes that it ends with the scene of the pharmacy tech stealing drugs, creating mystery for the reader. On the other hand, I did want to know a little bit more of wat happened. Did he get caught? It could possibly be neat to end it with someone catching him and then saying that they do it too, or just ending with him getting caught? I'm not sure! Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading the story!
I really enjoyed the entire storyline, but particularly, I loved the narrator's voice and tone throughout the peice. I thought he was extremely realistic and stayed true to his character 'til the very end. I even enjoyed the short sentences throughout. The ones that ones contained two or three words. For example on page one, when the narrator is reading the bills, "Missed payments. Final notice. Situation unresolved. Acceleration clause. Payment in full. One month." There are numerous short and to-the-point sentences that I really enjoyed throoughout the story. It made the narrator ver effective and allowed me to be able to really hear how he talked and thought. It gave me a small insight to the narrator.
The only thing I would change or play around with is the ending. For some reason I'm not sure if I like it or not. Part of me likes that it ends with the scene of the pharmacy tech stealing drugs, creating mystery for the reader. On the other hand, I did want to know a little bit more of wat happened. Did he get caught? It could possibly be neat to end it with someone catching him and then saying that they do it too, or just ending with him getting caught? I'm not sure! Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading the story!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Adam Smith's Story
This story is about a young orphan named Margret who lives in England and is adopted by an extremely paranoid woman, Lucy. Margaret's main desire as she grows up beneath Lucy's care throughout the story is to live and experience life for herself instead of constantly hearing Lucy ramble about how the world is full of "wolves" and evil people. Margaret wants to break free from her sheltered life with Lucy. Soon, Margaret encounters the milk man, Marcus,whom she takes an immediate interest in. Marcus is one of the only people Margaret has let into her life and create a close relationship with, or attempts to create a close one. Consequently, Marcus turns out to be malicious and exactly the type of person Lucy had warned her adopted daughter about for years. In the end, Margaret ironically ends up seeing Lucy's point of view of the world, although it is a fairly judgemental and narrow view of the entire outside world since not everyone is like Marcus and the people Lucy has encountered.
I really enjoyed this story and thought the story, dialouge, and even the dramatic character of Lucy to be fairly realistic and effective. I enjoyed the plot and the storyline,as well as the ending and how a wee bit of karma comes around to reach Margaret. She could have just listened to Lucy; however, where's the fun in actually doing what you're told? Nonetheless, I liked how everything tied in together and the irony in Lucy "being right about people."
I do not have hardly any critiques except tht I wish I could have seen more into Margaret's head when she is first introduced to Lucy especially, but also how Margaret feels growing up stuck living in a constant state of panic and paranoia. I wanted to know more of how Margaret felt. Did she ever take up for Lucy if kids picked on her about her adopted mom? Also, after knowing Lucy's character, I wanted to know exactly why Lucy decided to adopt a child in the first place since she is so scared of every little thing. If I were Lucy, I don't think I would necessarily just go out and adopt a child for companionship, or at least not on the spot. I feel as though Lucy would have researched all the background on Margaret to find out where she came from, if she has ever had any issues, illnesses, random violent acts, or something along those lines. Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading the story!
I really enjoyed this story and thought the story, dialouge, and even the dramatic character of Lucy to be fairly realistic and effective. I enjoyed the plot and the storyline,as well as the ending and how a wee bit of karma comes around to reach Margaret. She could have just listened to Lucy; however, where's the fun in actually doing what you're told? Nonetheless, I liked how everything tied in together and the irony in Lucy "being right about people."
I do not have hardly any critiques except tht I wish I could have seen more into Margaret's head when she is first introduced to Lucy especially, but also how Margaret feels growing up stuck living in a constant state of panic and paranoia. I wanted to know more of how Margaret felt. Did she ever take up for Lucy if kids picked on her about her adopted mom? Also, after knowing Lucy's character, I wanted to know exactly why Lucy decided to adopt a child in the first place since she is so scared of every little thing. If I were Lucy, I don't think I would necessarily just go out and adopt a child for companionship, or at least not on the spot. I feel as though Lucy would have researched all the background on Margaret to find out where she came from, if she has ever had any issues, illnesses, random violent acts, or something along those lines. Aside from that, I really enjoyed reading the story!
Response to Ethan's "Holes Full of Dirt"
This story was about an optimistic fifteen year old, Jeremy, who has a crush on his older friend, Ashlyn, who takes him home from school. Jeremy seems to be wanting the opportunity to impress his crush, and after she makes a small comment about his hole fuilled bumpy dirt road, Jeremy finds the perfect opportunity to impress Ashlyn with his "strength" and "work ethic," but if Ashlyn was anything like me, I'd just think hi dad filled the holes and repaired the driveway. During his attempt to fix the road, rain begins to mudy everything up, resulting in Jeremy getting his dad's truck stuck. Like many parents, Jeremy's dad realizes his son's remorse over his failed plan to win Ashlyn with his smooth driveway and maturity.
I enjoyed the dialogue between Ashlyn, Jeremy, Denver, and even Jeremy's dad. I found it realistic and believeable. Also, I found many of the actions by each charcter very believeable. Ashlyn's older character is fairy care-freeecause she doesn't have to impress Jeremy, but Jeremy is jumping at the opportunity to show Ashyn his manly maturity. Jeremy's friend, Denver, is also very realistic. He hints that Jeremy should just come out and say that he wants to impress Ashlyn and thinks fixing his driveway is a dumb way to impress someone. Nonetheless, like many firends, he leaves Jeremy to his work. Jeremy's dad has a pretty normal and rational reaction to his son getting his truck stuck in the mud. From eperience, I know my dad would probably be a little more upset at first, but then when we realized I was simply in the driveway doing work that he never had to ask me to do, he woud be content to help me out and pull the truck from the mud.
I only wish I could have seen a little more of what the road ended up looking like and if Ashlyn eve noticed later on. Did she think ny different of Jeremy? Did she not think anything of it? Or did she just think his dad fixed it? Nonethless, I enjoyed the story and found it humorous at times as well as insightful.
I enjoyed the dialogue between Ashlyn, Jeremy, Denver, and even Jeremy's dad. I found it realistic and believeable. Also, I found many of the actions by each charcter very believeable. Ashlyn's older character is fairy care-freeecause she doesn't have to impress Jeremy, but Jeremy is jumping at the opportunity to show Ashyn his manly maturity. Jeremy's friend, Denver, is also very realistic. He hints that Jeremy should just come out and say that he wants to impress Ashlyn and thinks fixing his driveway is a dumb way to impress someone. Nonetheless, like many firends, he leaves Jeremy to his work. Jeremy's dad has a pretty normal and rational reaction to his son getting his truck stuck in the mud. From eperience, I know my dad would probably be a little more upset at first, but then when we realized I was simply in the driveway doing work that he never had to ask me to do, he woud be content to help me out and pull the truck from the mud.
I only wish I could have seen a little more of what the road ended up looking like and if Ashlyn eve noticed later on. Did she think ny different of Jeremy? Did she not think anything of it? Or did she just think his dad fixed it? Nonethless, I enjoyed the story and found it humorous at times as well as insightful.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Nate Lundberg's "The Last Bit of Home-Made Sugar"
I found that, for me, the most significant lines of the entire story were basically the last ones. The very last line seems to tie in the intriguing title, and the rest of the story. Although it can still seem a bit distant from the hurried ending because it goes from quick shallow thinking immediately to a deep profound thought, I still enjoyed the story and the thought that the last line potentially brings the reader. To me, the story was about a young guy (for some reason I'm assuming it's a male) who has a special connection and appreciation for nature, which he seemed to learn through the traditions of his family, whom he has a close relationship with. As he spends a normal holiday with his family, his uncle receives a call about a dear friend and neighbor who is having a heart-attack. As the family rushes over to the neighbor's home and wrestle several obstacles before actually getting the dieing man on his way to the hospital, the narrator reflects on the situation with a profound statement, "I stood there thinking about the world of molasses and its home made sugar and I wondered if there would be any interesting things in death."
The narrator's tone is very personable and laid-back, which I liked and it made it easier to read with the short paragraphs. I thought the descriptions of nature throughout the peice were accurate and painted a nice authentic picture for me as a reader. Although, I would have liked to know more about the characters like the narrator's grandfather, uncle, and other family members. It would be nice to get to know their different/similar personalities, as well as their physical descriptions. For some reason, I got the impression that the narrator's culture was similar to that of Native Americans, but I could be completely wrong. I'd like to see a little more into the culture of the narrator's family and possibly some of their history, besides the making of syrup and sugar.
The narrator's tone is very personable and laid-back, which I liked and it made it easier to read with the short paragraphs. I thought the descriptions of nature throughout the peice were accurate and painted a nice authentic picture for me as a reader. Although, I would have liked to know more about the characters like the narrator's grandfather, uncle, and other family members. It would be nice to get to know their different/similar personalities, as well as their physical descriptions. For some reason, I got the impression that the narrator's culture was similar to that of Native Americans, but I could be completely wrong. I'd like to see a little more into the culture of the narrator's family and possibly some of their history, besides the making of syrup and sugar.
"Deception" by Laurel Kostakis
As I first began reading the story, it showed to be nothing too special, just a simple story featuring a simple married older couple with two children and two grandchildren. Their lives seemed to be extremely normal, which started the story off a wee bit boring; however, now having read the entire peice, I think Laurel chose to set up the thrilling ending by creating an unsuspecting and arid exposition.
The obvious theme and accurate title of this story is deception. Marcy believed she truly knew her husband of many years, Kevin. We, like Marcy, suspected nothing deceiving about Kevin at first. Sure, their relationship was not as intimate as it once was, but they had lived together for numerous years, raised children, and were in the process of spoiling grandchildren. It was not until Marcy called her friend, Clair, that the suspisions of who Kevin really was arose.
Personally, I thought Laurel did a great job building the suspense up to the climactic ending. The comparison between the high energy ending and the low tempo of the first half of the story is a significant difference and to me, enhances the profound ending.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I feel as though the ending was a little rushed. Learning of your husband's infedelity throughout your marriage,that he wanted to murder you, and that an experienced and fairly successful burgaler/murderer was also creeping in your house at the exact time your husband came into your home to kill you, is a whole lot to take in. I wish I would have been able to see more emotion from Marcy in the end. It's almost like she runs to the neighbors, calls 911, doesn't want to tell her kids about their father yet, moves out, adnd then has two dogs. I thought you could possibly omit some of the previous descriptions, maybe of Carol (?), which would leave more room for the ending and Marcy's coping. Something that dramatic and life-altering cannot be something easy to simple get over. Along with that, I did really enjoy the punch line at the end, but since the ending was rushed, I almost felt like it was too soon to joke about her situation. However, I did find "my husband bought them for me" quite humorous!
In summation, I really liked this story, especially the hyped up ending! I love a good story of deception and scandal. Maybe I watch too many infinitesimal Lifetime movies, in which this story could absolutely air on. I thought it was set up very nicely, and I as a reader got to experience the thrill of Kevin's deception along with Marcy. I only wish I could see more of the gut-wrenching emotion Marcy must have felt afterward. I wanted to feel a little more of the deception Marcy truly felt, if she felt any at all. Maybe she was more relieved that she was still alive? Maybe she didn't enjoy her marriage anyways? I would just like to see how Marcy felt about it maybe a few days afterward. Other than that, I thought it was well thought out and I really liked each of the characters. For me, they were mostly realistic and effective.
The obvious theme and accurate title of this story is deception. Marcy believed she truly knew her husband of many years, Kevin. We, like Marcy, suspected nothing deceiving about Kevin at first. Sure, their relationship was not as intimate as it once was, but they had lived together for numerous years, raised children, and were in the process of spoiling grandchildren. It was not until Marcy called her friend, Clair, that the suspisions of who Kevin really was arose.
Personally, I thought Laurel did a great job building the suspense up to the climactic ending. The comparison between the high energy ending and the low tempo of the first half of the story is a significant difference and to me, enhances the profound ending.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I feel as though the ending was a little rushed. Learning of your husband's infedelity throughout your marriage,that he wanted to murder you, and that an experienced and fairly successful burgaler/murderer was also creeping in your house at the exact time your husband came into your home to kill you, is a whole lot to take in. I wish I would have been able to see more emotion from Marcy in the end. It's almost like she runs to the neighbors, calls 911, doesn't want to tell her kids about their father yet, moves out, adnd then has two dogs. I thought you could possibly omit some of the previous descriptions, maybe of Carol (?), which would leave more room for the ending and Marcy's coping. Something that dramatic and life-altering cannot be something easy to simple get over. Along with that, I did really enjoy the punch line at the end, but since the ending was rushed, I almost felt like it was too soon to joke about her situation. However, I did find "my husband bought them for me" quite humorous!
In summation, I really liked this story, especially the hyped up ending! I love a good story of deception and scandal. Maybe I watch too many infinitesimal Lifetime movies, in which this story could absolutely air on. I thought it was set up very nicely, and I as a reader got to experience the thrill of Kevin's deception along with Marcy. I only wish I could see more of the gut-wrenching emotion Marcy must have felt afterward. I wanted to feel a little more of the deception Marcy truly felt, if she felt any at all. Maybe she was more relieved that she was still alive? Maybe she didn't enjoy her marriage anyways? I would just like to see how Marcy felt about it maybe a few days afterward. Other than that, I thought it was well thought out and I really liked each of the characters. For me, they were mostly realistic and effective.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Response to T.C. Boyle's "Love of My Life"
Maybe it's because I'm a cliched hopeless romantic, not one of my most admirable qualities, or maybe it's because of the disturbingly distraught storyline that draws me into Boyle's story; nonetheless, I surprisingly enjoyed Boyle's tragic story and even style of writing. I loved the short sentences throughout the story, not lingering on and on, and allowing each short line to sound even more profound, filled with emotion, yet extremely straight forward. I really enjoyed the realistic tone and reactions from each character. I found them very effective and relatable.
This tragic story is about a high school couple, Jeremy and China, who seem to possess a deep sense of "love" of what they think love should be for each other, which for them was extremely physical as it is for most hormonal high schoolers in relationships, than many experience in such a short amount of living. However, through the story, we do get an insight into their relationship and it does seem as though they contain a deep connection maybe due to their physicality, nonetheless, their connection is somewhat emotional. Jeremy and China seem to be the cliche version of a senior couple-- China as the intelligent, diligent, and over achieving student accepted to her first choice college, while Jeremy is the laid back, easy-going, but also a very bright guy. As the story progresses, we find that they are forced into a dilemma, China is pregnant and wants to keep the baby, but doesn't want anyone to know she's pregnant. The ultimate theme I got from the story is that no matter how much you love someone, actions have consequences. You cannot solely act without thinking of the repercussions.
There were consequences when Jeremy and China had sex--China became pregnant. There were consequences when China decided to birth the baby and keep it a secret--an undoubtedly dangerous birthing. There were consequences when Jeremy threw their baby into the dumpster--China and Jeremy were arrested. Several of these lifelong consequences could have been prevented, if only they had thought them through more cautiously and rationally. Yet, on the other hand, they are only eighteen years old. Barely legal, but old enough to know right from wrong.
Along with the theme of consequences, I also see the important insights into a pregnant teen's thoughts and her partners. Since the pregnancy rate of high school students is rising, I think this peice is exceptionally relevant to today's society. For many of us, without having experienced a pregnancy through the transition of high school to college, it is easy for us to say "oh, that's tough" or "that sucks." However, through this story, we are able to see and experience the difficulties of dealing with the emotional and physical pains of high school relationships, a pregnancy during freshman year of college, and the confusion of wht to do afterward. This story could definitely be used to help girls and guys going through the same situations to rationally think about the situation they are in, nd the consequences of their actions. Boyle also ties in the theme of love through the story. With each trial, literally and figuratively, Jeremy and China's love for one another proves strong. It is easy to conclude this from the last few lines, "He was Jeremy. He was the love of her life. And she closed her eyes and clung to him as if that were all that mattered."
This tragic story is about a high school couple, Jeremy and China, who seem to possess a deep sense of "love" of what they think love should be for each other, which for them was extremely physical as it is for most hormonal high schoolers in relationships, than many experience in such a short amount of living. However, through the story, we do get an insight into their relationship and it does seem as though they contain a deep connection maybe due to their physicality, nonetheless, their connection is somewhat emotional. Jeremy and China seem to be the cliche version of a senior couple-- China as the intelligent, diligent, and over achieving student accepted to her first choice college, while Jeremy is the laid back, easy-going, but also a very bright guy. As the story progresses, we find that they are forced into a dilemma, China is pregnant and wants to keep the baby, but doesn't want anyone to know she's pregnant. The ultimate theme I got from the story is that no matter how much you love someone, actions have consequences. You cannot solely act without thinking of the repercussions.
There were consequences when Jeremy and China had sex--China became pregnant. There were consequences when China decided to birth the baby and keep it a secret--an undoubtedly dangerous birthing. There were consequences when Jeremy threw their baby into the dumpster--China and Jeremy were arrested. Several of these lifelong consequences could have been prevented, if only they had thought them through more cautiously and rationally. Yet, on the other hand, they are only eighteen years old. Barely legal, but old enough to know right from wrong.
Along with the theme of consequences, I also see the important insights into a pregnant teen's thoughts and her partners. Since the pregnancy rate of high school students is rising, I think this peice is exceptionally relevant to today's society. For many of us, without having experienced a pregnancy through the transition of high school to college, it is easy for us to say "oh, that's tough" or "that sucks." However, through this story, we are able to see and experience the difficulties of dealing with the emotional and physical pains of high school relationships, a pregnancy during freshman year of college, and the confusion of wht to do afterward. This story could definitely be used to help girls and guys going through the same situations to rationally think about the situation they are in, nd the consequences of their actions. Boyle also ties in the theme of love through the story. With each trial, literally and figuratively, Jeremy and China's love for one another proves strong. It is easy to conclude this from the last few lines, "He was Jeremy. He was the love of her life. And she closed her eyes and clung to him as if that were all that mattered."
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