Assignment
Read, or refresh your memory of, a few of the works by Mitch Albom, Anna Belle Kaufman, E.B. White, Audre Lorde, and William Allen White. Using these pieces as models and inspiration, write a memoir essay that uses dialogue, dramatic pacing, and descriptive language to convey a specific experience you have had with death. While the topic of your memoir does not have to be about the death of someone you knew, it does have to be about your personal reaction to some aspect of death.
Questions for Invention
· Have you ever lost someone in your family to death, such as a parent, grandparent, sibling, spouse, or child? If so, what was your experience with losing this person, beyond the inevitable grief?
· Have you ever lost someone close to you, like a friend, teacher, or coworker? If so, how did their death affect you?
· Today’s technology allows us to see and hear events from around the world almost as fast as they occur—often in graphic detail. Have you ever seen or read about deaths in the media that affected you strongly, such as the tragic deaths at the Aurora, Colorado, movie theatre, the attack on the World Trade Center, or the wreck of the Costa cruise ship off the coast of Italy? If so, how did you react?
About Memoir Essays
As you begin to draft your experience with death, keep in mind that a memoir should:
· Focus on one specific incidence or memory;
· Use vivid, specific language that describes and recreates scenes, people, and meaningful dialogue;
· Provide an indication as to why this memory is significant to you.
Other Requirements
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This first assignment should contain between 800 to 1500 words and must adhere to correct MLA format. If you need MLA reminders, refer to our Praxis textbook.