Literacy Narrative

       Tenth grade was my first negative experience with writing that has made me doubt my abilities as a writer to this day. I kept getting terrible grades on papers and combined with the negative feedback from my teacher made me feel hopeless. I wanted to write well but I felt as though I didn’t have the proper skills to get there.

I vividly remember my tenth grade teacher. Everyone loved her for her sarcastic personality and joke-telling abilities. I, however, knew her as the teacher who loved to pick favorites, and I was not one of the select few. I dreaded every assignment that came my way. I felt I was expected to know how to write a certain way that I was never taught. Every single paper that I was returned received a fifty or lower. The papers were normally all marked up with red ink and comments that made me feel poorly about my writing. I thought I was doing well but got shot down each time. It made me not even want to try to write because I was set up to fail. I definitely wasn’t writing to my full potential because I didn’t think I could get any higher of a grade.

The previous year, in ninth grade, my teacher quit within the first month of the school year. This left my class without a teacher, so we were given a long-term substitute who was dragged out of his retirement condo in Florida, I’m certain. We read some ridiculous story that was written in the eighteen-hundreds. It was the type of book that you might find fallen behind your bookcase all covered in dust. We answered some questions about it and that was that. After that sub finally left, we were given a real teacher. She was really nice and we read some interesting stories. However, there was no learning how to form a thesis. There was no learning how to construct an analytical essay. There was just poem writing. I felt very unprepared for what awaited me in the tenth grade. I didn’t have any basis of what I was doing and my tenth grade teacher was very unapproachable.

High school was a pivotal point in what shaped me as a writer today. My mom always tells me that I am a good writer and it’s just me doubting myself that’s standing in my way. I still can never find much motivation to write to my full potential because I feel that it will not be good enough. I can’t get past the feeling and my experiences will always be in the back of my mind.

"Lavish Worlds, and the Headwear to Match" Review

In the article, “Lavish Worlds, and the Headwear to Match,” the author, Jon Pareles, used rhetoric to appeal to an audience who was interested in popular music and everything Lady Gaga. The author writes enthusiastically about Lady Gaga, as though he himself was very interested in the topic. Jon Pareles also wrote to give information, on what to expect from the rising pop star, to the audience in a creative and quirky way.

The author’s voice and word choice had a lot to do with the type of audience he wrote for. Right off the back, in the first sentence, the author used very descriptive, put-a-picture-in-your-mind types of words. He mentions how, “When Lady Gaga finished her thumping, strobing, razzle-dazzle song-and-dance numbers at Radio Music Hall on Wednesday night, she held her pose and kept the stage lights on, delighting her many camera-wielding fans.” The author also quoted Lady Gaga freely, never sugarcoating or censoring her colorful words. He did this when he quoted Lady Gaga saying, “I’m a free bitch,” and also when Lady Gaga explained how her fans were “sexy.”

Jon Pareles also gave insight on what to expect from a typical Lady Gaga concert. He explains how, “Her opening acts reflected her two main source genres: R&B from Jason Derülo and glam-rock from Semi Precious Weapons. Lady Gaga’s songs are solid, most often pumped up by hefty Eurodisco beats.” The author also gave a taste of how the pop star sounds to him. He appraises her and states that, “While showpeople like David Bowie and Madonna established this career path, Lady Gaga is strutting along it with larger-than-life style and, behind that, actual musical gifts. Her voice is strong enough to expose in a cappella singing, and she backed herself up with her own piano playing, sounding like a female Elton John when she played (and belted) “Speechless,” wearing a huge black-feather shawl.” The author also gave detailed descriptions of what Lady Gaga wore, “Onstage and in photos on video screens, she wore Egyptian-deity golden armor, antlers, a shiny red chauffeur’s hat, a spiked black hood and an exoskeletonlike helmet, not to mention bondage-style rings connecting her head to a bar held up by two men.” In order to understand what the author is talking about with mentioning all of these artists that he compares Lady Gaga to, he must assume that the reader has some sort of background knowldege.

There is no doubt of who the audience with the details and care that the author has enlaced throughout the article. The article is clearly written for Lady Gaga fanatics and pop music enthusiasts encluding Jon Pareles, himself.

A Very Short Introduction

I am the type of person who will jump at opportunities to do new things. I look at the world with an open mind. Adventure intrigues me. Travel motivates me. Nature moves me. My name is Olivia Emmiline Lockett and the earth is my canvas. 

I may seem shy at first, but to my closest friends and family I am extremely outgoing. I like to have fun and try new things. Traveling is my favorite hobby. I love learning about new cultures and ancient histories. On average my family and I travel out of the United States every other year. I have been to Europe three separate times and to five different countries. That is not even half of the amount of countries that are on my to-do list. I am majoring in Spanish and hope to do multiple semesters abroad in Spain. 

Other than basically being a secret agent, I do have some normal hobbies. I have been snowboarding for several years now and I absolutely love it. I love the speed and the brisk air that comes with plummeting down an icy mountain on a plank of wood. When off-season comes around I turn my attention to the water. Although I learned to sail only a year ago it was one of the best experiences I ever had. It took a while to learn all the knots, points of sail and how to rig the boat but it was well worth the time.

When I’m not on the slopes or the sea I am most likely in my room. I love television, movies and video games. (I am such a nerd.) My sister thinks that I am a cinephile because whenever she can’t think of an actor or actresses name I am always there to help her out. With TV, movies and video games comes fan art and tons of it. I have always had a talent for drawing and I love anything to do with art and fashion--so much so that sometimes I wish I could dress people. I get most of my ideas from the internet or nature but taking trips to museums every now and then is very enjoyable.

I am somewhat of a picky eater. My favorite foods are butternut squash and anything that has to do with sweet potatoes. Being lactose intolerant and trying to become vegan means that there aren’t many foods that I actually can eat. Tree hugging is basically my side job. I love animals, including my cat Lilly, and the earth. As a Roman Catholic I believe God loves everyone and everything and that everyone should follow the same principles.

I hope to learn as much as I can from being in college and from the earth itself. I love my family, God and my friends and I love to do what makes me happy.