New assignment for next Monday

Hi everyone. This is just a reminder of what I asked you to do in class last Monday, and an update for those of you who weren't there. We talked about how both Lori Moore and Nicholson Baker are good at observing small details and describing them in fresh and original language. Baker especially has a talent for making you consider tiny everyday things in ways you haven't considered them before. How does he do this? By observation and imaginative language (especially using metaphor). For example, he describes an empty matchbook, saying that the row of stumps where the matches were feels like "a row of children's teeth just coming in." Or when he talks about eating an apple, he gives a very detailed description of biting into it and worrying that his mouth will get stuck, and then wiggling the apple from side to side so that the piece breaks off. Your assignment is to write a short (one page) piece about a simple, everyday activity: writing on a piece of paper. Describe everything you notice about the process: the colour and size of the paper, the weight of the pen, the way the ink flows, how your hand feels, etc. Try to use original language to make your description more vivid. For example, don't just say, "the ink is blue"; try to think of a metaphor or simile or other way to convey the colour of the ink: "the ink is the colour of brand new Levi's." Also, this is not an exercise in writing whatever comes into your head. (Don't write, "Now I'm trying to think of what to say. How am I supposed to write a page about writing on a page?") It is an exercise in careful observation and description.

We got some really good examples of dream-writing (or dream-like writing) last week - if you still want to give that a try, please do. But I'd like everyone to try this exercise over the weekend, and post to the blog.

Corey