TOW #20 - Holy Writ (Written)

Holy Writ, an article in the New Yorker by Mary Norris, details the events in her life leading up to becoming a copy editor for the New Yorker, and ends with some reflection on the decisions she makes during her work and their impact. Her general message was somewhat similar to Lynne Truss' in Eats Shoots & Leaves -- punctuation is important and should be paid attention to. However, her approach was much more forgiving. She admits that the New Yorker's style guide is not something that works for all forms of writing, but she also argues that there is a definite reason for every single style choice she makes, and that that reason isn't superfluous or nitpicky.

She uses examples of sentences that fit and do not fit the New Yorker style to illustrate her points for the reader. This helps frame her argument in solid proof of how her commas function in their sentences. She uses the sentence "When I was in high school, at Horace Mann, in the Bronx, in the nineteen-seventies, everyone took pride in the brilliant eccentricity of our teachers" to show the reader how commas are placed to separate extraneous details from the rest of the sentence. She argues that her commas delineate information that is not essential to the meaning of the phrase, and by giving an example of this, she helps the reader shift their views about comma overuse.

She also provides a counterargument at the end of her article to show that "proper" comma usage isn't always necessary. She talks about a book by the author James Salter, and points out three or four sentences that have commas she disagrees with. She says that if they were in the New Yorker, they would have been taken out, so she was curious why they were left in the novel. She asks the author himself, and relays that information to the reader, giving them a positive viewpoint of the other side of the argument from a reliable, credible source. Salter argues that the commas give rhythm and focus to the sentences in which he placed them, and Norris concedes that although her usual dealings with commas are about whether they are used "properly", style-wise, they can be used in an artful way that bends a few rules.

TOW #19 - Non Smoking Area (Visual)

This image is an anti-smoking ad that draws mostly on the pathos of reminding the viewer of their own mortality to discourage smoking. It depicts a cemetery with a patch of gravestones missing with the words "non smoking area" written in that spot. This implies that all the other graves are from smokers. 

This poster uses a lattice of crosses which implies an infinite continuation -- a graveyard stretching on for miles of victims of smoking. The reader sees that there are no exceptions to the rule: if you aren't in the non smoking area, you're going to be affected in a very negative way by smoking. The large expanse of green, a calming and vibrant color, in the middle of the non smoking area shows that abstaining from smoking leads to a happier and fuller life unaffected by lung cancer and other complications from cancer. The white crosses lend a somber air to the poster and a finality to the deaths of those who smoke.

The use of the words "non smoking area" mirrors their real life use in restaurants or other public places where there is a physical separation between those who choose to smoke and those who do not. This poster shows that the difference isn't just a personal preference, smoking deeply affects the lives of those who do it. Next time the reader sees a sign designating somewhere "non smoking", they may decide to go there, remembering the poignancy of the image on this poster. The incentive of a healthy life is a strong one for many, and this poster can definitely discourage someone from starting smoking, or kickstart someone to try quitting. 

TOW #18 - The Politics of Measles (Written)

The author of this piece, Margaret Talbot, opens with a situation from twenty-five years ago that parallels present day. It's a story about a community in which there had been a measles outbreak, and it turned out that the population that was most affected by this outbreak was a religious group that had opted out of vaccines. This is very similar to the current day situation where many people are opting out of receiving vaccines for personal reasons that are completely unfounded in medicine, causing outbreaks of diseases that were once thought to be almost eradicated. The author hopes to display with this anecdote the terrible outcomes of lack of vaccination. The anecdote ends with Talbot telling the reader that once the children were taken away from their families, they were able to get the medical help they needed. That is the sort of motivation that some parents need to realize that their own personal beliefs may be getting in the way of their child's health.

Talbot also makes good use of quotations from those who are on the opposing side of the argument to help support her own side. She quotes three different Republicans who are against vaccination and points out the flaws in their arguments. Supporting her argument in this way is a slight ad hominem attack, but it deals mainly with the logic of her opposition, so it's still a sound tactic. Senator Rand Paul says "I've heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines", and Talbot rejoinds with "No doubt, he has heard such stories, but the evidence does not support them". She is discrediting the argument of the opposing side in order to strengthen her own. She also ridicules Chris Christie's statement that not all vaccines are created equal, by reminding the reader that his formal health policies include quarantining a nurse who did not end up having the deadly Ebola virus. By making her opponents seem less credible, her already logical argument becomes the much more desirable side to be on.

IRB #3 Intro Post - "Yes, Please"

I'll be reading Yes, Please by Amy Poehler this marking period. Amy Poehler is a comedian who has worked on SNL and her own show, Parks and Recreation. I think she's an amazing and funny person and I'm excited to read about her own personal experiences in life in her autobiography. I've read the autobiographies of Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling before, so I'm hoping they follow in the same pattern of being really funny while also very insightful into the lives of modern female comedians.

TOW #17 - Once More to the Lake (Written)

The imagery in E.B. White's essay Once More to the Lake is what drives the narrative and helps convey the author's intentions. This essay is about a father and son's nostalgic trip to their lake house. The father is the narrator, he guides the attention of the story and introduces old memories he has that help frame his relationship with his son.

The author describes the lake as a "wild lake", "fairly large and undisturbed...and there were places in it that, to a child at least, seemed infinitely remote and primeval" (180). This description helps set the scene for an adventurous discovery, or a deep, intimate connection between a man and his son. He later describes a thunderstorm as "a curious darkening of the sky, and a lull in everything that had made life tick" (184). These descriptions place the reader in the middle of the action of the piece, and allow them to see the world through the father's eyes, in the same way that the father sees the world through his son's eyes. This interpretation is confirmed by the ending line of the piece, in which the father puts a bathing suit on his son and feels a phantom chill on his own body. This poignant end to the piece suggests that the father and son have similar experiences and relationships to each other. It leaves the reader considering the repetition and cycle of life and how they themselves feel connected to others' lives as well.

White also uses positive diction to convey his enjoyment of spending time with his son. "Peace and goodness and jollity" are the words he uses to describe their trip (183). This positivity improves the tone of the piece, and gives the reader a sense of safety, such as they might feel on a trip with their own father. It also presents the state of mind of the father -- he is enjoying his trip, but he also feels a slight melancholy and disorientation at being on a trip with his son instead of his father. Overall, this piece uses devices that are mostly present in fiction (narrative mode and descriptions) and a more flowery than is usually found in nonfiction writing to help present a real account of how White felt on his trip with his son and the circle of life.