Day and night, from Friday to Sunday, I am stuck inside this dark bag next to dirty cleats, a worn-out glove, and crumpled-up water bottles. I can’t wait until Monday when I finally get taken out for a few hours. I really like going out– it’s exciting, and you never know what each day will bring. Today I woke up …
Your journey begins at Vermont and Hollywood, the easternmost corner of the East Hollywood community. Adjacent to Los Feliz, East Hollywood is a neighborhood desperately caught in a war of worlds between the emerging hipster culture around the Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz neighborhoods, and the long-existing Thai, Armenian, and Central American immigrant communities which have settled in …
Exercise Prompt: In response to George Ella Lyon’s “Where I’m From,” construct your own poem in the same format. I am from the land of the Quetzal, from where you can feel volcanic sand flying through the air vegetation around you. Spanish is flowing from north to south east to west sometimes the neighbor knows more about your life …
Exercise Prompt: Describe your space in detail. Make sure you use words that evoke at least 3 of the 5 senses. Choose a clear organizing strategy for your description (see Oregon Writes) such as inside to outside, top to bottom, front to back, or oldest to newest. I miss my home, I’m stuck in this two bedroom apartment. I would …
Exercise Prompt: In response to Claudia Rankine’s Citizen, describe a racial/ethnic microaggression experienced by the speaker and its impact on the self. Make sure to use rich, vivid, sensory detail as Rankine does in her text. Study her words closely. How do words evoke feelings? You are going out with your friends on a Friday night in Los Angeles. You …
Exercise Prompt: In “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” Sedaris explores themes of identity, insecurity, class, and belonging. Describe a moment when you dealt with one or more of these issues. Was there a time or situation that made you feel insecure? Was there a time or situation where you felt you didn’t belong? I have always had my fair share of …
Exercise Prompt: Write a creative scene about your space from the point of view of a person or object different from yourself. Imagine who might be visiting this space and why? How are they different from you in terms of race, class, age, gender, ability, or other factors that might influence their perception of the space? What would their impressions …
Exercise Prompt: Describe your space in detail. Make sure you use words that evoke at least 3 of the 5 senses. Choose a clear organizing strategy for your description (see Oregon Writes) such as inside to outside, top to bottom, front to back, or oldest to newest. When entering the space of my home, you will notice the family photos …