Mother who beat cancer walks miles every week to support
son who is heading to prison
I was impressed by the way Aupperlee managed to drop big
pieces of relevant information into this story subtly. For example, the
excerpt, “Gail and her oldest son Steven, 30, live together in an upstairs
apartment. It is tiny. Steven’s room — walls covered with ribbons from Special
Olympic competitions…” manages to tell the reader a lot about Gail’s family
while also providing a visual description of their home.
I couldn’t help but feel emotionally manipulated by this
piece. At the end, I found myself almost subconsciously siding with Gail’s son
in the short courthouse scene. I know that I wouldn’t have sided with him had I
not read the long backstory of his family. I am left wondering if there is a
larger message that Aupperlee was trying to send with this article.
Grass Lake teens paralyzed in separate accidents form
friendship in hospital
Again, I liked the way in which Aupperlerlee shared visual
setting details with character details simultaneously, as in the passage, “Dylan,
an MSU fan, had decked out his side of the room in green and white. Paul, a
University of Michigan fan, countered with a healthy dose of maize and blue.”
I think piece is a really well written story that
accomplishes the daunting feat of making the reader identify with the subjects.
At least, I identified with Paul and Dylan. I am wondering if other classmates
felt the same connections? Or if my empathizing was a result of my
age/class/gender?
Life on Chittock: Plenty of eyes watch Chittock Avenue,
and there is plenty to watch
I thought this piece had a particularly strong lede. The
line, “the 900 and 1000 blocks of the street are alive, teeming with activity,
some neighborly, some not” really hooked me after the description of a
neighborhood that painted the place in a friendly, stereotypical, and peaceful light.
I drew a lot of parallels between this story and the profile
I am in the process of writing for the Vine neighborhood. I fully intend to use
this article as a model for my revision process.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI, too, found myself identifying with the subjects of the Grass Lake article. I think Aupperlee's attention to detail and use of imagery made the two boys relatable despite their rather unique and tragic circumstances. Specifically, the descriptions of their decorated hospital rooms, their love of music, and their incredibly normal preoccupations about riding in the Home Coming float made them personable and likable. Aupperlee's detailing of the scenes in which Dylan wiggles his toes for the first time or when he receives the letter from a college wrestling scout can illustrate our investment as readers in the article. On some level we can share Dylan's joy or pain when he goes through both the good days and the bad days as a paralyzed teen.
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI too wondered a bit about the reasoning for the story of Gail & her son. It was in ways uplifting, but in more ways quite tragic. While Gail was able to battle cancer and win, she was left in poverty with a drinking problem and half her family in prison. I also felt a bit manipulated as I began to side with her son as well. I again would have loved to discuss this with Aaron in class, to find out his motive in writing this story. Why was it an important story to tell? For a reader's pleasure? Nothing all too exciting happens in daily Jackson life? I'm not sure. I really wish I could answer my own questions - I really need to start reading my city's newspaper.