Category: Life Thoughts

What is the Writing Colleague Program? The Writing Colleague Program is unique to the HWS community. It prepares strong writing students to work with peers on their own writing through non-traditional tutoring methods. Upon completion of the Writing Colleagues Seminar, each WC is placed in a specific course where they work alongside and meet with … Continue reading Writing Colleague Brochure Rewrite →

Truth is variable. It can be seen in different tints, different shades, even with different textures. Something can be true in one context, and false in another. Sometimes part of the truth is better than the whole truth, and vice versa. Regardless, truth is a tricky thing to seek-- solely by seeking it you may … Continue reading Truth is Variable →

Having someone with an outside perspective look at your work tends to force you to look at it that way too. As I was reading my essay to Stephen, I realized, wow, he probably has no idea what the context is for this piece is, and I stopped my read through to explain what was … Continue reading Conference →

The class as a whole failed at the first draft of the third essay, and as I reread Coles, I see why. When I first got the assignment, I thought, "Oh well this question is about Coles, so I ought to at least skim it." And so I read the first few pages, focusing mainly … Continue reading Coles →

I was very surprised when we came into class on Tuesday and Cheryl told us to scatter. No professor had ever tried to get rid of me before! But when we'd made our way to a quiet spot in the library and our group had its best conference yet, I realized her point. Sometimes a … Continue reading Conference in the Library →

Paul Taylor's words are clear and cutting, without any of the posing or framing that we see in either Lange's photographs or Agee's prose. It is with an air of professionalism that he describes the scenes in which he and his wife find themselves, the issues that crop up in the tangle of human beings … Continue reading Second reading: Lange and Taylor →

Bell included a delightful adage in her book: "Writers like the sight of their handwriting like a man likes the smell of his own farts" (this is paraphrased, but I just love that idea!). I wonder if it's the same thing with voice; when you read aloud, you get distracted by the sound of your … Continue reading Conference →

Micro editing is my strength. I will happily spend hours going through a document, playing with sentences to change emphasis and tweaking details. So it was not difficult for me to micro edit my Holocaust essay: in fact, I'd already worked a lot of tiny kinks out of the material. What was really helpful about … Continue reading Micro Editing Workshop →

Bell's book is inspiring. Every bit of advice makes me want to run to the chipped mug that holds my pens and pull out a red one, so that I can simultaneously underline things I don't want to forget, and go to town on my story: analyzing characters' intents, looking for sagging points and uncovering … Continue reading I love you Bell →