Lydia's Story Response

1. Brideau's main point is that the hurricanes that ravaged New Orleans destroyed many homes, but in the process it showed the strength of the people. Lydia was the one that stood out for her, because of her age, and her surviving against all odds in her small home. This main point is revealed in the last two paragraphs of the story
2. Brideau's story is in first person, until she dives into the story of Lydia. In describing the story, she moves to third person. The first person point of view makes the story feel much more close and personal. It's a first hand account of someone who went to New Orleans in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, and helped many people. In first person, you get a much more detailed, and personal account of the situation. Especially through Brideau, who was in direct contact with so many of the people. 
3. She instantly makes the narrative "come alive" when she describes entering the VFW hall. She used words like: toxic, illuminated, and cackle. To boost Lydia's story, she used words like: horrified, bulky, precarious, and spurted. These words she uses appeal to my emotions, because when she says Lydia was horrified, there is no question what her true emotions are. I too would be horrified in that situation. 
4. The audience could be anyone in the medical field, or anyone interested in the affairs that took place after Hurricane Katrina passed. The tone is very bleak and worrying. It gives the piece a sense of the need for survival. It makes you feel like you are suffering with Brideau, and the people. Words like toxic, illuminated and cackle all asserted the tone in the first two paragraphs. 
5. One of my biggest supporters and idols in my life has always been my grandfather. He is a second generation Japanese-American, and was only 17 when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. On that very same day, his father, Jack Yasutake was arrested for suspected spying for the Japanese. Weeks later, my grandfather, Tosh, his mother, and two other siblings were all sent to an internment camp in Idaho. His father Jack was sent to a POW camp in Texas. In a brave and compassionate effort to reunite his family in the same camp, Tosh volunteered for the Army. He, along with thousands of other Nisei Japanese-Americans decided to fight for the country that had alienated, and turned their back on them. With this act, they showed their true colors. They should that they were true loyal, compassionate, and valiant Americans. My grandfather joined the 442nd Battalion, in the medics unit. He had had past medical experience, working at the hospital in his internment camp. Over the next year and a half, Tosh fought in some of the most brutal battles of the war. He saved many lives, cheated death, was shot in the leg, lost his hearing from concussive explosions, and ultimately proved his divine loyalty to the United States. He is perhaps one of the luckiest medics in the entire war; the medic deployed in his regiment before him was the first medic to be killed during the war. This was during desperate times for the Germans, so they broke the laws of war (killing a medic) in an attempt to turn the tables. After my grandfathers injury, the two medics deployed after him were both killed in the Battle of the Bulge; which was one of the most important and bloody battles during the end of the war. The 442nd battalion was considered the "expendable" battalion. They were sent to perform impossible suicide missions. So many soldiers were injured or killed that they were named the "Purple Heart Battalion". Despite their many losses, they became the most decorated combat team in the history of the military. However, the humble, quiet veterans never gloat over their medals. I've had the pleasure of meeting many of my grandfather's war buddies, and every last one of them never revealed having any anger towards the United States, or the Generals that sent them on their missions. They saw it as their duty to serve and protect, while proving their worth and loyalty. I look up to my grandfather as being the most humble and caring man I know. He still loves his wife of 60 years just as much as the first day they met. He showed me what it meant to love at a very early age; and I will never forget that. Despite all the horrible things he's witnessed, he still manages to always come with a smile on his face. He is an American Hero. He is my Hero. 

I just realized I didn't have to do 5.... well here it is anyways :P

My Rhetorical Situations

Writing I've done in that past week:

• Texting a friend
• Texting my boss
• Writing a poem for a class assignment
• Making a facebook post
• Writing an analytical paragraph about a previous assignment
• Evaluating my work compared to others in English class
• Making a list
• Writing a letter of instruction to a friend (in class assignment)
• Writing a reminder on my calendar 
• Taking notes in Political Science class

Texting a friend:

         Texting a friend is a very different type of writing from writing formally in class, or creating a poem. The tone of my texts are most often upbeat and positive, and using humor is more effective in reaching my audience. I use the knowledge of what my friend and I have in common to appeal to their personalities and opinions. I have much more freedom to be myself when writing to a friend, because they are already familiar to that side of me. It seems more normal to them for me to write like how I would speak to them. However, I don't always assume my audience is interested, so I try to always keep the conversation flowing, and changing so they do not get bored. My purpose most often is for entertainment, catching up on their lives, or making plans to hang out. Often times, I will include emojis and photos to further get my message across. For example, if I am talking about what my dog is doing, I will try to take a picture and send it so they can fully grasp the situation. Emojis help to avoid confusion as to my mood or emotion towards them. Sometimes, people's emotions can be misinterpreted through text, and feelings are hurt. 

Making a Facebook Post:

        Making a Facebook post in some ways can be similar to texting a friend. Sometimes I want a specific group or individual to see this post, so I can tag it in them, or tell them about it. Depending on the content of my post, the tone can change. Most often, I try to remain upbeat and humorous, but sometimes the content of the post requires a more serious tone. For example, if I share an article about a tragic accident, or a ridiculous publicity act by Donald Trump, I will likely be more harsh and critical in my tone. It is important to be aware of my audience, because on Facebook I am friends with all kinds of people: close friends, family friends, parents, relatives, teachers and so forth. It isn't always wise to use the same language you would with a close friend on a post where a parent or teacher would see it. Therefore, I use more appropriate words when writing on Facebook. My purpose when writing or posting on Facebook is always to entertain, or inform. Pointless posts like "I'm going to get a cup of coffee with my mom" are never seen on my dashboard. When sharing a controversial article or video, I always make it clear what my stance is. I don't want people getting confused, and thinking I'm a Trump supporter, or someone who wants the government to de-fund Planned Parenthood. The medium and design of Facebook posts varies. Most often I share videos or articles with my opinion or input above the link. 

Taking notes in Political Science Class:

        The genre of taking notes is often in bullet point form. I find it is easier to read and understand my notes when they are organized that way. The tone is very neutral and factual, because all I am trying to do is record information in a quick, but effective and understandable way. Given that I am the audience, it is easy to write for myself. I can write in a way that I will understand, and that is not too long. The soul purpose of my taking notes is to use them for future assignments, and papers. Therefore, I always try to get the most important information. The medium and design varies as well. Sometimes I will insert drawings, graphs, tables, or quotes to my notes. These are used to further my understanding of the content.  

Genres of Writing

2. Between the three of us, all of our writings say essentially the same thing in different ways. We all agree that today, the definition of an author is blurred with the introduction and popularity of the internet. The creative process has been boosted immensely, because we are given access to a wealth of information, stories and opinions. It is easy to reach a wide audience in minutes, because on the internet, nothing is hidden, and anyone can publish anything instantly.

4.

Writers:	Authors:
Can write privately - like in a diary	Authors must publish their work to be an “author”
Based off an original idea that fuels the literary piece.	Original work (plot, concepts, content)
Writing can be completely individual, or shared with a specified audience. (writer's choice)	On the flip side, publishing yields your work available to anyone.
Writers may try to hide their work from the public eye or protect it from any possibility of that happening, like a diary or top secret document.	Sometimes people become authors inadvertently, the perfect example of this would be Tamim Ansary’s email sent to a few friends went public.
Disconnected from the critique of others.	Work is public, therefore open for discussion.

5.

Type of Writing:	Why you Enjoy/Despise it:
Poetry	Creating flow and rhythm is satisfying. It can be difficult to express real meaning in poetry, and hard to have the writing flow smoothly.
Personal Narrative	Gives author the ability to express his/her own experiences
Persuasive Writing	Requires rhetorical listening, researching, learning, and writing. Takes more time, but is satisfying when you’re successful in making your point.
Original Fictional Story	It is difficult to create your own original ideas, but it is rewarding when accomplished.
Letter	Can be somewhat informal, but also sincere. sometimes difficult to write formal letters.
(Shopping) Lists	Simple and to the point, assures thoroughness

6.

Letter:

Dear Johnny,

I’m writing to you regarding the party next Saturday, and was hoping you maybe lend me a hand (you're invited of course). So far I've gathered some plastic utensils, plates and cups (for easy clean up), but have not bought any food. I was hoping you could make your famous spaghetti and garlic bread ;). I sent out the invitations that say the party starts at 4:00, but I was hoping you could show up around 2:30-3:00 to help set up the decorations. Speaking of which… could you bring your boombox and TLC mix-tape? Also ask your daughter if she would be interested in babysitting the kids for the night. If you think of anything else don’t hesitate to ask.

Thanks Johnny!

• Louie

List: Things for party - Will you buy utensils, plates and cups at Party City? - Can you help me set up the chip table? - I need help cutting the watermelon in star shapes. - Tie the balloons Bob’s chair, please! - I will put the candles on the chocolate cake, if you will cut the cake after we sing “Happy Birthday.” - Thanks for your help! :)

Shopping Haiku's: Hello, John. Please buy Forks, spoons, knives, plates, and napkins. Thank you very much. Please go get flowers From the flower shop for Bob They are red roses To Party City For balloons and confetti It smells weird in there Stop by Sluy’s for cake Bob likes gooey chocolate cake Thanks for doing this.

Is Everyone an Author?

Everyone is an author in the respect that today, with the internet, anyone can publish their writing for the whole world to see. We can publish college essays, recipes, movie reviews, research articles, fanfiction, and everything in between. With our technology, any small piece of writing can reach a much larger audience than many accomplished authors could in the past. With the whole known world at our fingertips through the internet, researching topics has become much easier. Anyone can become educated on any topic; and with that power, they can spread their findings in a unique way. Research is the most important part of being an author today. If you deliver falsified information, anyone can do their own research and critique your writing accordingly. So the only fault to having so much information available, is that some of it is not factual or accurate. Part of being an author is doing your research through the right channels. Anyone can be an author today. All it takes is the time and effort to create, and publish. With this wealth of information available to us, it is our responsibility to be an active student. We must continue to broaden our horizons, make connections, discover new ideas, try new things, and be active in reading trustworthy sources. As authors, it is our responsibility to expand our writing abilities, and appeal to many different audiences.

Collaborative Writing on Writing

 Writing is essentially talking through paper with a pen or keyboard.   You can use it to communicate and document important ideas.  Types of writing include stories, essays, poems, and personal narratives.  You can also communicate through songs and ballads.  Your formality will shift depending on your audience, for example, you may use more formal language when writing for a professor or an authoritative figure.  However, you may use slang when writing to a person familiar to you.