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Ben Price
December 7, 2013
Mark Theunissen
Intro Seminar: Avatar
Word count: 778
Response and Reflection
Memoir
Readings & Handouts: The reading was interesting for this section of the course because I
particularly enjoy memoirs. I found it difficult at first because I felt that a lot of work was
assigned very quickly, but the reading was never too pithy, and the talking notes were easy.
Memoir Assignments: Writing and re-writing my persona was very interesting, but I soon
became confused by the assignment. However, I did find that analyzing myself helped me write
my short memoir essay. Brainstorming also helped and I found it to be a good mechanism for
coming up with ideas, especially for something as complex as a memoir essay.
Bridge Assignments: I loved my memoir assignment for Studio. I felt that my illustrations gave
a very clear portrait of my life and how I view myself. However, the essay did not come off quite
as well which was disappointing. Altogether, both glimpsed at pieces of my life and fulfilled the
assignment I believe.
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Work Produced: I am not entirely happy with how my essay turned out, but I think it was a
good learning experience. Since it was the first essay it gave me a yardstick of how to write my
essays henceforth.
Key Learning Points: I learned I need to focus on grammar, editing, and flow of ideas.
(Though I believe I have great grammar)
Peer to Peer
Readings & Handouts: I loved the reading for this section, specifically Just Kids and the
Shelley Jackson piece. It really helped me with writing the interview at the end.
Portrait Assignment: Writing Roxanna’s portrait was a lot of fun and I felt it was a good
exercise in understanding a person based off of a short ten question interview. I also liked the
creativity I could have with it, and that taught me how bias can effect an interview.
Key Learning Points: Always be a thorough interviewer and do not twist the interviewee’s
words.
Key Improvement Points: Read, edit, re-read, edit.
Alter Ego Portrait: I loved writing my alter ego’s back-story and explaining why she is who I
made her to be. I saw it as a creative opportunity to make a fictional memoir for a fantastic
character that was manifested out of bits of myself on a greatly exaggerated scale.
Key Improvement Points: Always pay attention to grammar and sentence fluidity
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Alter Ego Interview: This was my favorite piece to write because of the back and forth in
dialogue, dynamic between the two characters, and the humor of it all. I also really enjoyed
collaborating with Ari in general.
Multiple Perspectives
Readings and Handouts: The reading for this section was fantastic. I loved the entire concept of
multiple perspectives, and I thought that each journalistic work had very interesting and personal
views on subjects such as the fair, blindness, and poverty.
Ticket to the Fair Time Summary: This assignment was boring and tedious, but I also felt it
really helped me look at this Foster-Wallace essay more thoroughly.
Key Learning Points: Keep it simple. Read thoroughly.
Writing Assignment: I had the most fun with this assignment because I got to go to a Drag Ball
and examine it in an anthropological way. I love what I wrote. This assignment really did give
me a new perspective while writing; I saw my night as an adventure into an alien world of glitter
and acrylic hair rather than just a night out with friends.
Key Learning Points: Always examine every detail. Write it all out then edit. Grammar and
sentence structure must be refined and well-articulated.
Research
Readings and Handouts: This reading was boring and tiresome for the most part except for
Making Up People and More Work for Mother which were both interesting research papers. I did
not enjoy learning how to research or find a research topic despite how helpful it may have been.
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Bridge Assignment: Learning how to do research more thoroughly did help with the bridge
assignment for Alex’s class. I was able to quickly assemble a large number of facts regarding
recycling and the use of plastic bags in America and NYC.
Research Proposal: Though I think doing a short research paper rather than a proposal would
have been better, it was still a good exercise to create an outline and teach us those skills. I hope
it prepared us a little for what is to come next semester.
Key Learning Points: Make a clear argument and back it up with a lot of facts. Be specific.
Bring up any valid debates within the paper and squash them
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