Conferences on Tuesday, Nov. 2

Remember we won't meet in the classroom on Tuesday, Nov. 2. There's a sign-up sheet on my office door (208 FOB). Please sign up for individual conferences. The conferences aren't mandatory, but they're highly recommended. During the conferences, we'll go over your work one-on-one. Please be sure to bring any of your old stories with you if you'd like to review them; I'll have your profile piece on hand. I can let you know where you stand mid-term grade-wise.

Extra credit roster

The following folks will receive extra credit for attending the Written/Spoken series on Tuesday, Oct. 26:

Nicole H., Tiffany B., Phoebe N., Natalie S., Corey Fl., C.J. S., Jordan H., Eric R., Michelle W., and Justin M.

Happy bonus!

Extra credit opportunity!

If you'd like extra credit for our class -- or if you'd just like to enjoy a great night with wonderful writers -- please come to tonight's Written/Spoken reading. It's at 7 p.m. in the coffeehouse. We're celebrating Alumni Night, so all the guest writers will be graduates of Pitt-Greensburg's Writing Program.

The line-up includes our own Corey Florindi as the opening reader. Guest writers incude nonfiction/memoirist/poet Adam Matcho; poet/fictioneer Carrie Smith; and Dave Newman, whose novel Please Don't Shoot Anyone Tonight was just published by World Parade Books.

The reading is free and open to the public. Village credit. A reception and booksigning will follow the reading. We'll also have a raffle -- you can win signed copies of books by Pitt-Greensburg's faculty authors.

Your extra-credit points can buy your way out of one news brief.

Hope to see you all there!

The Art of the Interview -- Oct. 26 -28

This week we'll focus on the art of interviewing. A powerpoint lecture will advance your understanding of the basics, and we'll watch and listen to some of today's greatest interviewers at work.

We'll watch Larry King tangle with Jon Stewart, and compare King's style with NPR's Terry Gross' technique on her show "Fresh Air." We'll watch Barbara Walters as she re-visits Fidel Castro 25 years after their first interview. More!

On Thursday, we'll trace everything back to the master -- Studs Terkel. Over the weekend, you'll practice Terkel's interviewing technique with a subject of your choice.

Terkel Assignment details:

* Choose a subject whose job interests you. Preferably talk to a stranger.
* Record your conversation.
* Transcribe your conversation using Terkel's technique (as covered in class; use the handout as an example)
* E-mail your transcription -- complete with a "bingo" moment -- to me by 5 p.m. next Wednesday. E-mail your piece as a Word attachment. Put your name on your e-mail and on your piece. Send to: lljakiela@gmail.com.
* We'll use selected transcriptions for workshop in class on Thursday

Keep your edited transcription short -- 500 words. Use good grammar and AP Style. Be sure to meet the deadline.

Sample Profile Pieces

Here are the samples/models we covered in class. Also, check out Lillian Ross' Portrait of Hemingway for a book-length example (and to learn more about those 52 cats).

Standard Profile: Novel Explores Desperation of Teens

Q & A: Breakfast with Shannen Doherty

Class Schedule: Tuesday, Oct. 19 and Thursday, Oct. 21

On Tuesday, we'll be workshopping your profile pieces. Please be sure to bring an electronic copy of your work as well as one hard copy. I'll collect your hard copies. Please be sure to also bring your AP Stylebook to class. You'll need it for workshop.

On Thursday, we'll have a quiz on Rick Bragg. Please be sure to finish reading the book. You'll be able to use your book as a reference for the quiz. The quiz will also include concepts we've already covered in class re: Bragg's technique.

Be sure to bring your book and Stylebook to class on Thursday.

Class canceled for tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 14

I'm out with the flu. We won't have class tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 14. We'll pick back up on Tuesday.

Thanks!

Week of October 4: Rick Bragg, Possum Trot and Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

This week, please read Rick Bragg's "Somebody Told Me." I'll lecture on Bragg and his work on Tuesday.

For Thursday, please come to class with the following:

* The name and contact information for someone you'd like to do a short profile piece on. The person should be newsworthy (per all our discussions about what makes news). The person should not be related to you or be a close friend. Please be aware of your own biases. Remember objective method.

* The name and contact information of at least one (more is preferred) secondary source you can use for the story. This person/these persons should have insider knowledge of your story subject. Try to go for both expected and unexpected sources. Again, this person/these persons should not be directly connected to you in any way.

* A rationale for why your subject is newsworthy now. (A few sentences addressing the 5Ws/1H; what this person is involved in now that's newsworthy; what makes this person interesting/extraordinary; etc.)

* A rationale for how you'll do the interview and where/why.

Once your subject is approved, you'll write a short profile piece. Your piece will be due in class on Thursday, Oct. 14. Bring an e-copy of your piece and your interview notes to class. You'll work with one of your classmates and with me to polish your story for The Insider.

Your story should be structured something like this:

First paragraph: Lead (you can be more creative/follow Bragg's style/color)
Second paragraph: Follow-up information for lead
Third paragraph: Quote from primary source
Fourth paragraph: Weave (we'll discuss in class -- background info)
Fifth paragraph: Quote from primary source
Sixth paragraph: Weave and introduction of secondary source
Seventh paragraph: Quote from secondary source
Eighth paragraph: Weave
Ninth paragraph: Final quote from source

Approximately 500 words. AP Style. Grammar counts. Accuracy counts.