Andrew Moul-Source

For my source, I’m choosing the song ‘My Favorite Things” from the movie “The Sound of Music”. In my story, I try to show how playing the piano calms me down and clears my head by allowing the listener to hear my thoughts as I play. I chose this particular song because it is from one of my favorite movies and playing the piano is one of my favorite things. I think that I would like to incorporate it somehow into my story. Perhaps by recording myself playing the song, or humming it as I read. Although I think that by including an actual song and not just the components of a piece of music, people will have something concrete to relate to. If I decide to play the song in the recording, I’m not sure how I am going to intertwine my thoughts with the music although I am experimenting with a few different ideas. At first I thought I would mute the song entirely when I want to interject my thoughts but now I think just lowering the volume might be more effective. I’m not sure. I am sure though that ‘My Favorite Things” is definitely the right song for me.

Maddy Dattilo Sources

My story takes place in my childhood, and has actually been quite thought provoking for me, in the realm of what it means to be a child vs. being an adult, and whether those two stages of life really are so black and white.  My goal in looking for sources is to aid in cultivating within the reader a perhaps childlike, or at least more imaginative, outlook--if only for the duration of the story.

1.  My first source is a quote by Madeleine L'Engle, in A Wrinkle in Time, which is considered a young adult/science fantasy novel: 
       "I don't understand it any more than you do, but one thing I've learned is that you don't have to                  understand things for them to be."

I love this quotation and feel like it will so perfectly relate to and weave into my storyline.  In my story, my best friend and I, at around 8 years old, decided to conduct a "seance."  We didn't actually grasp the concept of it, but we had a, mostly visual, idea in our heads of what it was to be.  And so we made it be.  This quote asserts that full understanding is not always necessary for putting something into practice.

2.  My second source is another quotation, this time from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne:
       "'What day is it?', asked Winnie the Pooh.
       'It's today,' squeaked Piglet.
       'My favorite day,' said Pooh."

The way this quotation will enhance my storyline, I think, is by calling attention to the way children have such a present moment to present moment way of living.  Pooh's favorite day is independent of days past or future.  His favorite day is today.

Korey Klinger Source

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bFVohHP_58
For my source I found a video from a guy who makes videos about his parrot and how he's trained and raised it and how he's bonded with it. In this video he explains the general behavior of African greys and answers some questions about them.

The purpose of this video is to educate the audience, rather than tell a story, so I'd try to avoid making my story sound too much like a documentary. However, I like the way he mixes in his own experiences with his bird to help show a personal connection to what he's saying. I think I should spend more time describing individual events or stories from when I was raising the birds, rather than the general "over the years" approach I've used so far. I want to show more of my emotional connection with the babies throughout the story. Also, because parrots aren't the most common pets, I feel like I need to take some time to describe them to an audience who might not have any idea what these birds are like.

Rebecca- Beethoven Movies as Inspiration

For sources related to my story, I first thought of the Beethoven movies. No, George's vet doesn't secretly want to kill him, but the family dynamics with the dog is similar to my family and George. When I recall the Beethoven movies that my family watched when I was younger, there are three things that stick out to me: the kids' unconditional love for the dog, the rivalry between the dad and Beethoven, and the mischief that Beethoven gets into.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103786/


I've been saying that I need to incorporate some more emotion in my story, and it's basically all telling instead of showing. The Beethoven movies are comical because it shows all the antics of the dog and how the family reacts, but in the end it gets a little bit sappy as the family appreciate the dog and realizes how important Beethoven is to the family. I like this type of journey because it shows off the humorous side of having a pet, but comes back to the emotional aspect of it. I think I'm going to interview my family members and incorporate the audio clips into my story. I want to keep the contrast in my story between the buildup before we got a cat and how things are now with George, but I think I can incorporate more of a narrative like the Beethoven movies.

Jacob Searles Source 1/27

An article I found earlier this evening that entertained the same general idea as my project is "On Tinder, Off Sex" published by the NYT. I liked the tone of the piece and the comedic way the author approached the subject of her dating/ sex life. BUT what really grabbed my attention was a comment in response to the article that reads: 

"Perhaps in this age of being connected through technology, that rare human connection is so much more powerful and hard to get over when lost."

I think this comment is crazy relatable to my story and the way I was feeling (and continue to feel) about my encounter with my date. I think it'd be interesting to further explore this commenter's theory through my specific experience as well as interviewing people with new questions. Regardless of if I use their responses in my piece, I think it'd still be helpful to get others' perspectives as they could help drive my story and final project in an interesting, new direction.

Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/18/fashion/on-tinder-off-sex.html?_r=0

Cat Pagano 1/27

Just as a recap: my piece is about how technology affects relationships. Deciding which types of sources that I wanted to use and what role I wanted them to play in my piece was a slightly difficult process. Sure, there are a bunch of sources out there discussing technology, but there are far too many to choose from. Within seconds into my search, I was on the TED website pilfering through presentations by scientists and everyday people from around the world. Scanning through about ten different videos, I collected multiple short clips capturing presenter's thoughts about the future of technology. For instance, one presenter says "your previous understanding of what's possible is different" while another says "it threatens the flow of love." By collaborating the ideas of other people, I feel as if the piece will be more powerful yet, at the same time indecisive -- what perspective am I, as the writer, taking on the subject?

I intend, also, to find sources or ask friends of mine to recall favorite childhood (or general life) memories. Not only will these personal stories add a sense of sincerity to the piece, but I also believe that they will elegantly contrast the TED Talk clips as they show how lovely life can be without the interference of technology.

The main focus of my piece is to walk on the fence between agreement and disagreement. I want the listener to decide his or her opinion on their own without my influence.

Greg Wagner Sources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxtHY8NYX2g


The first source is one of a video from YouTube with a collection of footage from people riding in different geographical settings and areas around the world.  I think that this video contains good audio and visual elements to help convey what it is like to ride; moreover the feelings that one might get when they ride.  That's essentially the core of my story so I feel as though using similar techniques to those used in the video may help me to convey a common message.  The video contains no actual narration, but given the way the audio, a song, is combined with the footage, the two work to very effectively evoke emotions from the audience.





http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/pie-palomar-and-police-twice-a-sunday-ride

The second source is a story detailing one rider's Sunday afternoon ride.  This is a really great outside source because it is the narration of a person's ride, which is what my story is as well.  The author works to detail his journey in a manner that both describes what he is actually seeing, where is, the physical nature of the trip, while also writing in such a way, structuring sentences, and using certain language as to evoke specific emotions from the audience. Again, ones very similar to those that one might actually experience when riding.  I think it would be useful to pick apart the details of how he managed to do this and see if I'm not able to do something like that in my own story.

Source 1/27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pxwx4W-zWoI

This video was done by Choose Chicago which is the official Destination Marketing organization for the city of Chicago. While my current project focuses in on holiday attractions in Chicago, I really like how in the video they talk more broadly about the different things to do in Chicago. I also like how animated the speaker is and really drives home the story and makes the whole video dramatic and impactful.

My only issue moving forward with this story is, I am not quite sure how I am going to add visuals to my project because I won't be able to go to Chicago to get my own images and videos. My thoughts have been leading me toward changing my destination to here in Pittsburgh simply because I am able to physically go out and get the video footage I will need to complete this project.

Mark Machi's Source

https://vimeo.com/8040182

My main source of information and stylistic approach comes from the documentary Rip: A Remix Manifesto. The documentary centers on music artists, namely Girl Talk, who have made a name for themselves by creating new songs from mixing and mashing up old songs. The documentary goes into detail about the rise of copyright law and how it was not a bad thing originally, but once corporations started to realize that they were losing out on money they lobbied for change.

The video itself is a representation of the subject that it’s documenting. Many different authors composed the video, and it continues to constantly change by allowing anyone to add in new content and re-upload the video. It also does a good job at turning something that is fairly dry, copyright law, and turns it into something fun and interesting by using up-beat music mashups and many visual effects.

This gives me the idea to incorporate music into my documentary, or at the very least add more upbeat recordings of my reading to make it pop more. The end of the video goes into detail how Brazil disobeyed the US copyrights and how it has prospered from it. Maybe I could incorporate that aspect into my piece to show how changes to our current system can actually be a good thing.

Elyse Dumas 1/27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc

In 2011, Chrysler created a long, dramatic and powerful commercial for the Super Bowl.  In times that were tough both for the American auto industry and the city of Detroit, they created a campaign that showed the best of both to millions of viewers.  This video captures the beauty of the city with eloquent words and artistic shots, but also drives home the message that their cars are built in America by revealing Chrysler’s new slogan: “Imported from Detroit.”  If you haven’t seen the whole message, I highly encourage you to watch it. Eminem’s guest appearance doesn’t hurt this video, either.

              While the message I wish to send with my piece is a little different from Chrysler’s ad (that it’s not an advertisement, for starters), I am so inspired by this video.  I am from metro-Detroit and I can’t say enough to defend some of the common misconceptions about the city.  I love to experience all kinds of cities and investigate some of the conceptions surrounding other cities, too.  I want to compile my findings in my piece in an artful way that shows the beauty of each city and I can’t think of a better way to do it than someone like Chrysler. 

              I’ve been thinking a lot about the pacing of my story and how to elongate the piece without just adding more comparisons between places I’ve visited.  I love how Chrysler builds up to a message and I am searching for one of my own.  Could it be a personal message about what I find to be home? Could it act as inspiration for others to travel? Could I narrow my thoughts in on one single city?  These are questions I am struggling with, but after watching this ad once more, I am inspired to do something powerful and moving once again.

My Source

My project is on what is like to not only be a Veteran with PTSD but an older student trying to “fit in”, so to speak, on a college campus when you are surrounded by peers half your age who have no idea what you have gone through and there is no common ground to relate on. I will also be using historical quotes and ideas to show that this is not a new phenomenon but something that has been plaguing vets for hundreds, if not thousands of years. I chose an article in vice for my source for the historical context, the PTSD issue and the author. The piece I chose is about a project called Theatre of War, which was formed by Bryan Doerries after he translated Ajax into modern English. He had the idea to take the ancient play Ajax around to military bases in order to have them preform the play so they could better relate to the historical significance of PTSD. In the play the lead character Ajax commits suicide after returning from war, and many think the issues that Ajax faces are due to PTSD. The PTSD aspect of this story is very important. There were veterans who were floored by this ancient text that spoke to them because the main character was going though the same thing. Doerries also hopes that by having Veterans preform the play he can help bridge the civil-military divide. I also know Colby Buzzell, the author of this vice piece, and will reach out to him to see if I can get some of his thoughts on the project as well. http://www.vice.com/read/how-ancient-greek-tragedies-can-help-veterans-deal-with-ptsd-1016

Jenn Mikitka 1/27

I chose to use "It Wasn't My Fault" from the Me Too Monologues:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdMfOI-J4w4

I originally had chosen to tell the stories of people close to me and their sexual assault stories, but after thinking about it, I realized that those are their private stories and if I wanted to share my final piece, I would not be able to use their stories. This monologue will be useful to me because it shows how to take one story, while also using statistics and other's stories while maintaining focus. It is still incredibly empowering and serious and talks about the deep and sensitive subject of sexual assault. I like how she also holds off on saying what it was, calling it a "four letter word" until finally she says it, rape. It holds so much emotion which is clear when you listen to it and see it, but it also goes into depth about what rape means to her, which I think would be good to include in mine because right now all I have is what rape meant to the survivors whose stories I told. I can take a lot of her sadness and poeticism and first person point of view and use it in my own story.

Larry Law Source

My project is a meditation on my bad habit (nail biting) and bad habits in general. For my source I chose an article which discusses the potentially negative effects of some of the most common bad habits: smoking, overeating, and alcohol consumption. An interesting point this article makes is that people tend to justify their bad habits in a number of way. One way is by claiming that other people are doing it, so it can't be that bad. The other reason this article purposes is the use of personal anecdotes, such as, "My grandmother smoked her whole life, and she lived until she was 90." The article cites a study which showed that people ranked risky lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and sun tanning, as more dangerous than ozone depletion and chemical pollution. So it's not as if people are not aware of the risks that negative habitual behaviors pose.

I would like to take from this article some of the negative stereotypes around habitual behavior, specifically smoking. Also, I think mentioning statistics from a study could add some weight to my project, but at the same time, I think it could take away from the meditation style I'm going for.

http://www.livescience.com/1191-bad-habits-stop.html

Cassidy Davis Source

My source that I am using for my story is a website that is filled with people talking about their individual stories of what it was like being held at gunpoint. I wanted to find a source that talked about the same experience that I went through in order to see how other people handled it. I wondered if others froze in fear, or some were maybe better at handling the high stress situation. What I've found so far is that a lot of people had a lot of different reactions, and a lot of people also had a similar reaction to me. This made me feel a lot better, sort of comforted in a way, because I have always been angry with myself for how I handled the situation when I was faced with it. So I was happy to see that I wasn't the only one who froze. But also a lot of the posts talked about what it is like now to experience the world having had that experience, and how the fear and anxiety from the experience sticks with you. I could completely relate to that as well, and found another level of comfort knowing I wasn't the only one who experienced this too. I find when I am walking at night by myself I am more nervous, or I am quicker to assume that the person walking towards me is a bad person, or going to threaten me in some way. If someone walking towards me starts reaching into their pocket I automatically assume they are going to pull out a gun, and my heart starts pounding. I always thought it was me just overreacting, but I am comforted to see I am not the only one who feels these sort of things. Finding a source for my story has really shined a new light on this experience for me.

Here is the link: http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Got-Held-Up-At-Gunpoint/33934

New Yawk Accents

http://www.npr.org/2015/02/02/383289958/fuhgeddaboudit-new-york-accent-on-its-way-out-linguists-say

A real Brooklyn accent is difficult to find. The authentic accents are usually found in the depths of Bensonhurst or the streets of Coney Island. But what does that mean? Someone other than a native New Yorker may not understand the different nuances in a New Yorker's accent, and I want to incorporate the diversities of the New York accent into my piece. In this NPR piece, the conventional 'Brooklyn' accent is demonstrated. I want to use this man's voice and interject it into my piece, allowing the audience to hear what the strongest of the strong accents are. In addition to this, I want to incorporate the interview I did into my piece and demonstrate how the interviewee's accent, although less strong, is still a New York accent (from Long Island). Adding in these different accents from different areas of New York will help to show how even people in such close proximity have different dialects, accents, and ways of speaking. Everything will tie back into my piece about the nuances in terms and accents I experienced when moving from New York to New Jersey. 

http://www.movoto.com/blog/opinions/move-to-new-jersey/

This second source sheds some light on the way New Jerseyeans view New Jersey, and how they exert their love for their state. New Jersey is a great place, don't get me wrong, but it seems like people from New Jersey are always trying to reiterate how great New Jersey is and what it has to offer. This article is partly the reason why I decided to write about the differences between New York and New Jersey because I feel like it is such a prevalent conflict. 

Kati Davis Source

One of the sources I will be using as inspiration for my piece is DreamMoods.com. This is a website my friend introduced me to a couple of years ago and I have been using it for quite some time now. It's essentially a dictionary of images, themes, and/or symbols that are often found in dreams and what those things could potentially mean about the dreamer's mental/emotional state, future, relationships, etc. Obviously I take the things I read on there with a grain of salt, but it's certainly fun and fascinating to see what the "dream experts" believe my dreams say about me. I've had vivid dreams ever since I was a child and I've always been interested to know what the significance behind them might be. Sometime the interpretations are eerily accurate, sometimes they are completely irrelevant, and sometimes they cause me to do some deep self-reflection. For my project, I will be looking up words like "plane" and other symbols I can remember from related dreams to see what results I get and find a way to somehow incorporate their definitions into my story.

Oliver Banton Source Blog

My story is largely about how someone handles an uncomfortable situation. My story delves into a specific situation in which I am forced to connect with someone whose first language isn't English. After talking with my group mates in class and doing a bit of online research, I think that finding a blot or an article by someone exploring a foreign country would make for a good source. I found an interesting article on an obscure blog that details a kid who immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe when he was a young kid. He talks about what it was like to grow up in the United States and the struggles he endured. His struggles mostly revolved around his inability to speak English fluently. I found this interesting as it was a personal story, similar to mine. I think I'll try and use this story as a way to try and connect with my audience on a more personal level.

Source for Story

My Source was the book "Keeper of the Kingdom" by H.J. Ralles

http://www.hjralles.com/

""Halt, intruder! In the name of Zaul, the Protectors command you to surrender!"

Matt ignored the warning and continued to run. A vibrant blue ball of light flashed past his head. He fell to the ground and covered his ears as the shimmering sphere of Xeleron struck the wall and exploded with an almighty boom. The stench of burning chemicals filled the air. Tiny fragments of plaster rained down as if he were in the middle of a sandstorm. Matt could taste the dust on his tongue and feel bits of debris tangled in his hair." -H.J. Ralles


I chose to use this source as my main source for my book because she was actually the author that gave me the idea of how to start this story. When I was in the fifth and seventh grades, she came to my school and gave different talks to us about writing and captivating an audience and such. She is actually the aunt of one of my good friends, which is the reason why we were able to have her come to our school twice. The main thing from her books and from her talks that resonated with me was starting the piece in the middle of the action. In her book the main character has a glowing blue ball fly past his head. This idea got me to think of my main character Tom being pursued by six men, one of which shoots at him to begin my story. I had an idea for a story for a little while and this seemed like the perfect way to start off that story. Her speech really inspired me to try and grab the reader’s attention right away, and it also helps to add depth to the character without having to say what they are like, and their personality, but instead learning through how they react to a given situation.

 

Greg Wagner Interview Questions

1) What feelings do you have when you ride or how would you describe it?

2) What do you think other people think when you ride past them?

3) What would you compare riding to?

Interview Questions:

1. What holiday attractions would you want to visit when traveling to a new city?

2. What makes you want to travel to a new city or region?

3. How far in advance would you like to know about upcoming events and exhibitions? 

Rebecca W. Interview Questions

I just realized that I never posted my interview questions for my story about George the cat. 

1. Tell me about your experience with pets. How many have you had in your life, what role in family life do they play, and what is positive or negative about the experience?

2. Did getting your pet change or reinforce your feelings towards the animal?

3. What about your pet do you think about the most when you miss them?

4. Do you think someone can switch from being a “dog person” or a “cat person,” and why?

5. Have you ever fought against something your family wanted to do or something they wanted to buy for the family? What was the outcome of that? Did you end up coming around to the idea?

Story Questions Oliver Banton

There are several questioned I have regarding my story. I am starting to try and remember exactly how I was feeling the time my story took place. My story is about personal connection and overcoming difference, but I think I want to focus in on just how uncomfortable the situation was.

Oliver Banton Interview Questions

1. Have you ever had to connect with someone who didn't speak English? 2. How do you react in an uncomfortable situation? 3. Can people connect if they don't speak the same language? 4. What is an uncomfortable situation you've been in? How did you get out of it?

Colton Taylor Interview Questions

Interview Questions

Describe a time when you have been in a situation that you felt like you had no control over?

What did you do try and gain control of this situation?

Did you know what was going on, or were you clueless and why?

What would you do if you were walking home and suddenly a group of strange men started following you?

Larry Law Interview Questions

1. What is your bad habit?

2. What do you think some common stigmas on bad habits are?

3. How do you feel about it and how did it start? If you don't have a bad habit, why do you think people develop them?

4. Do you have any mannerisms you've picked up from a friend or family member?

5. What do you do for stress relief and why?

Elyse Dumas 1/22

What makes you comfortable in your surroundings?

Do you think it is important to travel and experience the world? Why?

What are common stereotypes of America and do you think they are true?

What defines a geographic place as home?

Andrew Moul 1/22/16

1) How do you clear your mind?
2) What do you do to calm down and why?
3) What role, if any, does music play in your life?
4) What is your favorite instrument to listen to/play and why?
5) When/why do you listen to/play music?

Korey Klinger Story questions

Have you ever had something happen that was unfortunate for someone else, but fortunate for you?

Have you ever wondered whose lives you've affected and where they are now?

What if things went differently and you didn't have the pets/know the people you do now?

Is it ethical to be breeding and selling parrots?

Kati Interview Questions

1. Do you think there is significance and/or meaning behind the things we dream? Why or why not?

2. Have you ever had a recurring dream or a recurring image/theme in your dreams? If so, what was it?

3. If you answered yes to #2, was that dream the same every time or were there differences?

4. Have you ever had a dream that was clearly connected to something going on in your life or state of mind? Can you describe/explain it?

Interview Questions

1) What do you consider theft?

2) Have you ever stolen something and why?

3) Have you ever had a clerk forgot to charge you for an item?

4) How did that make you feel? Guilty? Elated?

5.) Do you think sharing is considered stealing?

My Questions:

1.  Do you think that children are more imaginative than adults?

2.  Do you think possessing some degree of imagination is necessary in order for one to be happy?

3.  Do you think there is any connection between imagination and happiness?

4.  Do you believe that people must be related by blood to be family?

Questions for Pondering

Interview Questions:

Have you ever felt excluded within your own social group?

Can you describe one particular scenario where it affected you most?

Can you describe the feelings you had?

How did you handle the situation? Did you stand up for yourself? 

Would you rather be an outcast in a desirable social group or would you rather fit in with an undesirable social group? Explain 

Cat Pagano 1/23

Interview Questions:

1. Do you think that technology affects your relationships with friends and family? Do you have any personal experiences?

2. Why do you think technology is so addicting?

3. Do you think technology affects children or adults more?

4. Can you recall a time where you wish that smartphones didn't exist?

Jenn Mikitka: Questions

1. Because my subject matter is so personal, what should I include in my video?
1. Adding onto this, how do I keep the focus and meaning of my words when adding a visual if that visual cannot be as hard-hitting as the words?
2. Do I need more personal stories or are the ones I have enough to cause an effect on the listener?
3. Do I even need the facts about sexual assault and if so, should I add more or just leave that one really shocking statistic?
4. What can I do to bring this poem to a higher, more personal level to the people listening to it?
5. What effect would it have if I brought my own personal experiences into it instead of just people I know?

The questions I am looking at for my story are:

1.  Have you ever been frozen in fear? Did you think you would have acted differently?
2.  Do you like the intro, talking about Hollywood, being very positive, to give my story a sharp contrast when it gets to the intense part? Or should I get to the intense part faster?
3.  Should I include more or less of my inner monologue?
4.  Should I include how it ends? Or leave the listener hanging in suspense?

Oliver Banton

I really enjoy This American Life, so I was pleased to listen to an interesting episode I had never heard before. I am a big fan of radio journalism and storytelling strictly via sound. I believe This American Life delivers incredibly powerful tales without the use of a visual stimulus. That’s pretty hard to do. My favorite short story from this episode occurred about three stories in, and it’s called “No of Course I know you.” I enjoyed it because of the personal notes it hits with me. I’m sure tons of other human beings feel the way the author feels when he first lays on the girl he swears he knows. At first I thought it was going to be a funny story from the tone of the author’s voice. But as he progressed through his story, it became clear that it was heading in more of a sad and somber direction. It seemed as though he was a sad man and very lonely. He wanted desperately to be able to identify the mysterious woman, but couldn’t for the life of him do it. I found it somewhat amusing that as he tries to place this woman in his life, it goes from loving her to needing or wanting something from her. He then changed gears quickly to waking up early and driving to work in the pitch black. I can relate to this as I had to commute to work this past winter in the pitch black in the morning, and the experience is pretty miserable. I loved the end when he realizes he can’t really place this woman because it’s before his morning cup of coffee when he’s in a hazy state. It was a nice touch of humor to round out a well-delivered story.

Korey Klinger

Of the 20 Acts in 60 Minutes, one of my favorites was Act Two: "No, Of Course I Know You". It's a story I can relate to because there are many people that I recognize, but either I don't know them, or I don't remember why I know them. I liked how he shows emotion while he's struggling to remember how he knows the woman, and how the question begins to drive him insane. I liked how all he could remember was needing something from the woman, and how she would roll her eyes at him. And I loved how at the end he needs coffee, recognizes the woman, and she rolls her eyes at him, which ties up the story nicely.

I also liked Act Fifteen: "Mister Prediction". The story itself is entertaining because every time the speaker expected something to fail, it turned out to be a huge success. While this story isn't very relatable, what makes it enjoyable is how it's told in such a casual way. The way the speaker tells the story to a listener who laughs along and asks questions gives the story a natural environment, and allows the listener to feel like they're involved in the conversation.

My goal in recording the next part of my story should be to emulate these pieces, to develop an entertaining story, that the audience can connect to, whether or not they can relate to the story.

Kati Davis 20 Acts in 60 Minutes

It's hard to pick just one or two acts out of the twenty to choose from because there were elements in many that I enjoyed and hope to recreate in my own story for this class. I enjoyed the conversational tone of the first act, "Don't I Know You." It felt like listening to a story told by someone I knew personally, complete with awkward laughter and filler words like "um." It lacks the polished feel many of the poems we've listened to have had, which I like because it feels much more natural and personal that way. On a completely different note, I also really enjoyed Act Seven, "Up Where the Air is Clear," which does have more of a polished feel to it - almost as though someone is reading aloud a bedtime story to me. As a fiction writer myself, I appreciate the narrative feel of this story, the twist at the end, the vivid details, and the fact that the storyteller took characters we're already familiar with and created an entirely new backstory for them. I'm not sure if there is a way to combine these two styles, but I'd certainly be interested to try it out. I'm still deciding whether to stick with my original dream story or go in an entirely different direction with my piece, but I think if I do decide to keep what I have and expand on it I could find ways to incorporate elements from both of these acts.

Larry Law 1/15

My personal favorite was Act Eight, "The Greatest Dog Name In The World", because of it's light-heartedness. It reminded me of a conversation that I would with some of my little cousins at a family gathering. I think the lightness adds to it's familiarity. I'm sure most people can relate two a "sibling rivalry", whether it's their own siblings or a story that they've heard. I liked that at first it seemed that they were totally against each other when it comes to the naming of their dog, but at the end it was comforting to know that they compromised.

It felt much more casual than any other thing that we have read up until this point, which was refreshing. This poem, and others in 20 Acts in 60 Minutes, is spoken between multiple people, which I think is an interesting and unique approach to poetry/expression. In Act Eight specifically, we see the light-hearted, yet conflicting opinions that end with a humorous conclusion. It's pretty fascinating that despite the storyteller, in this case children, we are able to picture and relate to a story. If anything, it adds an element that only a child could provide.

Rebecca Wardle 1/15/16

I liked "The Sound of One Hand Waving" story because it felt like a story a friend would tell you. I've listened to a handful This American Life episodes and there's always a sense of authenticity. Hearing different voices tell each story makes it seem more like a story than a third party documenting events. The waving story is simple; there's no complex story line or deep meaning, but it's charming.

"Don't I Know You" is another first person perspective of a story in which we get context of the scene, some sense of the subject, background thought processes, and description of the people and interactions. In my story about the adoption of George, the family cat, I want to have background information for context, description of the main event (the day we got him), and the bigger picture impact/significance of the event in our lives. For a stories like these, I think it's important to have interaction between documentation of the events and the context of what the subjects were thinking at the time. If these stories were told straightforwardly with a list of chronological events, they wouldn't be interesting or unique since the subject matter isn't anything profound or particularly remarkable (like more impacting stories that classmates have which build effect with straightforward chronology).

Andrew Moul 1/15

The first act I listened to was number nine, Of Dogs and Men. On its surface, it is a humorous story told by a pet shop owner about a couple who came into her shop and were looking for a dog collar. In the story, being unable to make up her mind, the wife looks to her husband and comments that he and the dog have the same neck size. She requests he try on the pinch collar and after putting the collar on, she gives the collar a quick yank. Unsurprisingly, he quickly agrees that this is the collar they should buy. Like I said before, at first it seemed like just a funny story but upon closer inspection we could potentially draw a bit more from this anecdote. While telling the story, the shop keeper points out that the collars “don’t actually hurt the animal, they just get their attention.” Maybe the wife’s motive wasn’t to get her husband’s attention (she just wanted to make sure the collar fit); however, could the storyteller, by making this observation, be making a statement about relationships? Do women feel that they have to get their husbands’ attention? Maybe because they (the men) aren’t paying attention, or because they get sidetracked… It really is a humorous story; but, I think the storyteller can also use it to make a point or send a message. I really like that the story has more than one use and I may try to incorporate that technique in my story.

Jenn Mikitka 1/15

I really like how the characters from “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” said basically nothing, and yet I was able to understand exactly what was happening. All they did was say how the phrases were being said like “statement. Statement. Question.” But somehow even though there wasn’t much plot or explanation, the point of what they were trying to accomplish came across. I think this is where I plan on going with my poem. I don’t think I need a lot of plot, explanations, or descriptions. I want the words that I write to speak for themselves and to have them let the listeners decide where the story is going and whether they want to take things a certain way or not. I think especially being about such a sensitive subject matter, getting too graphic or detailed would take away from the point I want to get across.

                I also like the deliverance of “No, Of Course I Know You.” It has a very interesting tone to it that really convinces the listener that what the reader is saying is incredibly important to him. He keeps repeating certain phrases, as I hope to continue to do in my own story. I also really want to work to keep a tone that makes me sound invested so that people listening will also feel invested. 

Cat Pagano 1/15

60 minutes worth of short stories definitely leads to an eclectic flavoring. There were stories about hot dog factories, radio broadcastings, Mary Poppins, as well as stories told by children, workers, parents, and family members. All stories so very different but some in many ways so similar. There were two stories that stood out the most to me: the one about the babysitting incident and the one about the cadets at West Point.

Most often, a story about babysitting may not seem to be very exciting. In this case, though, the excitement came from the teller's humor. While listening, I couldn't help but laugh with Katherine as she retold this comical event from her life -- eating only grapefruit and beans in fear that the couple would notice that they had eaten their food. There was a sense of genuineness that came from her playful tone -- it almost seemed as if she were telling the story to her best friend.

My favorite part of the story about West Point was the way it jumped back and forth between the narrator and the voices of the cadets. From the loud, overlapping voices of cadets reiterating their lines and uperclassmen articulating commands, I myself, an entirely uninvolved bystander, could feel the stress and tension that these poor cadets were experiencing. What struck me even further was when the narrator discussed how much work and sacrifice the new cadet had given up only to be failing the final portion of his test. Feelings of stress and sympathy flourished through my body while I listened.

Overall, both of these stories evoked my feelings and caused me to connect with the subjects and tellers of the story. I wish to apply this to my own storytelling.

Act Eight

I really liked Act Eight with the two boys picking the name of their new pet dog. The act was prefaced saying the ages of the two boys, 11 and 12, but I think you would have gathered that anyway once you heard them speak, and once you heard what they were talking about. Even though this segment was about something so little, what to name their dog, it showed so much of the two boys’ personalities. I also really liked that I could hear the happiness and smile within their voice, it made them both come to life for me even though I couldn’t see them. I particularly liked that they were both telling the story, it increased the idea that they were pitted against each other, which then came full circle at the end as it cut to them calling the dog by both the names they chose. Finally, I really liked that they both imitated their mom’s voice in a way that distinguished their mom’s voice from theirs. I think using vocal intonation and changing your voice within the story is something that is really helpful, and I think allowing yourself to share the emotion you are feeling with your listeners is also really powerful. I think this is something that can be done without even having to say what you are feeling, but if you let your voice speak as it normally would, the audience can understand exactly how you feel about what you are talking about. I hope to incorporate more of that, more vocal elements, within my story to help it come to life.