Biography journals

Journal #1: Think about the subject of your biography. Describe that "character" in terms of physical appearance and "essence". Try to think of small details that will bring that person into focus. It could be facial expressions, gestures when they are particularly angry, sad or excited. It could be based on a memory too, especially if that person has died. It may include a description of that person in a particular place (a lazy boy recliner or tree stand, the mini-van covered in trash, the back porch of a cottage). Think about the exemplars I read and try to make this person come to life for us. For now, don't worry about weaving in dialogue; that will come later.

Journal #2:

What strikes you about these initial interviews? What can we tell about the subject through them? What surprised you about the interview(s)? What follow up questions can you think to ask which would give more detailed information? (A good beginning to a follow up question: Can you tell me more about...) Can you find a snippet which shows personality? Write the actual section of the transcription here and then your brief reflection about what it could eventually show us.

Journal #3:
What big idea questions do you think will guide your biography? Brainstorm at least three. Perhaps from these questions, what do you see as the "themes" of this person's life so far? Which themes or questions are most interesting to you? Why? Do they interconnect? In what way? What thoughts do you have about the "arc" of your paper? How will you shape the transcriptions you have to make it a story? In other words, how will you avoid just writing the "facts" of your subject's life and instead, transform it into a narrative that paints a complex portrait of the person? What possibilities do you see for structure? This should be a journal where you might not have any definite answers yet, but you are exploring possibilities. One page, at least, double-spaced.

Journal #4:
Like we did with Lebron James, I would like you to notice what the writer is doing in your profile that you chose to read this week. (See weekly blog for choices). In addition to annotating, I would like you to identify the following types of sentences and paste them into your journal:
Part One:
1. A sentence which describes the subject physically.
2. A quote, either from the subject or a secondary source, which tells us something about the subject's character.
3. A sentence that uses facts to add to the profile of the character.
4. A snippet from an anecdote the author has included (a partial excerpt is fine)
5. A reflection from the writer which gives the reader a sense of the writer's point of view or opinion.

Part Two:
How does the writer portray this subject? What are the writer's most effective literary moves from the above five. Choose no more than two and then write an analytical paragraph which explains HOW the writer portrays the subject. Think about the analytical paragraph you wrote on Lebron James and review my comments and then build on the work and thinking you did in that paragraph.