Paper #1: This Reminds Me of the Time…

English 1113

Dr. Grasso

Paper #1: This Reminds Me of the Time…

PROMPT: Find a passage in one of the essays assigned for class that reminds you of something in your own life—a moment where you can say, “you know, this reminds me of the time...” The essays are “If You Are Perpetually Lost,” “Such Perfection,” and “My Father’s Land.” The passage doesn’t have to be about the same experience you had, but it should inspire some connection about your own life and experiences. Don’t make it too obvious by saying “Molly Brown writes about always being lost, and I get lost a lot, too.” Use something more specific, like quoting the passage where she talks about “a body with a gift for burning,” and explaining how you once felt this way yourself, etc.

FIRST, open the essay “in the middle” by introducing the passage and explaining what it’s about and why you think it’s interesting. Quote part of it (don’t quote a gigantic passage) so we can see it, and explain that part of it—show us why you think it’s meaningful to you and the conversation you’re about to have. This is your introduction, and it can be as simple as saying, “I just read this very strange essay by Molly Brown called “If You Are Permanently Lost.” But remember, even here you’re telling a story.

THEN, respond to the essay by saying something along the lines of, “this reminds me of this time when…” and explain how your experience relates to the previous passage. You can write about anything you feel connects to this passage, so long as you tell a story that helps us see this connection. Try to imagine you’re telling this story to a friend, rather than your professor: how would you make the story interesting—what would you make stand out? And of course, you can change a few details to make the story more interesting…just base it on something that did happen to you, even if it didn’t exactly happen like that.

FINALLY, you should conclude your essay by reminding us how your story connects with the original passage. Maybe even bring out a new connection that we didn’t see initially, or a new way of thinking about the original passage.

ALSO, give your essay a title that acts as a ‘key’ to understanding it. Don’t call it “This reminds me of the time…” That’s my title! J

GOALS FOR THE ASSIGNMENT

• An introduction that starts in the middle, rather than a more formulaic opening
• Explaining the conversation that inspired your discussion
• Responding to the passage with a relevant story
• A clear conclusion that brings the paper full circle
• A title that emphasizes some aspect/idea of your paper

The paper should be at least 3-4 pages double spaced and is due two weeks from today: Thursday, September 9^th (no class that day!).