Go back to the eavesdropping exercise and the character sketch you did after it; using the same people and setting, write a new conversation for the characters, a conversation that reveals a conflict at the core of their relationship.

Facing each other under the bell tower shortly after eight o’ clock classes had started, the pair stared at each other in recognition.  Deliberately the boy pulled a pen out of his pocket and threw it as intensely and swiftly as a blade aimed for the expanse of forehead between the girl’s eyes.  She darted and spun to the side just in time for the unlikely weapon to wedge itself in the wall that had previously stood directly behind her.  It was a conversation without words, but both knew that they were the two students, opponents pitted against one another to determine which was worthy of the ninja suit.

Read and respond to “An Interview with My Husband,” given to you in class. Pay attention to the formalism of the piece: how does the piece borrow from/incorporate various forms of writing? What is the effect of using those forms in the story?

I thought it was an interesting use of form to record the conversations like an interview for most of the story.  The present conversation carries this vein of banter, but the content is pretty significant.  The bluntness of the interview style feels more revealing to the reader because it is set up as “objective”, merely a recording of events.  She does something similar with her memories.  It is still minimal as far as the dialogue is set up.  Without the brief narrative introducing the speaker’s reflections, the reader would still be able to tell the past tense because each participants name is preceded with “And”, but you are not given more specifics about how the speaker said something.  It relies heavily on what was said.

My writing schedule tends to become less of a schedule and more of a impulse.  I write when I am required or when I fell like I need to.  I write when I need to explore how I have handled a situation or how I feel about something, often resulting in a short story describing the alternative to my decision or a typical journal entry.  I have noticed that I am always more at ease after writing and also that I write almost every day regardless of when in my day I find the time.  If I were to change anything about my writing habits, it would be to find time to write just because I use to enjoy it, not because a class told me to or because I need to see my thoughts on paper.  I would like to find time to write for myself, but there always seems to be something else that I wish I had more time to do whether it be exercise, guitar, sketching, or something else.

I praise the breaded chicken in honor of my mother,
Who slaved over the milk based gravy
Careful not to let it boil—though never sure why
Because it boiled once put in the oven,
Who careful placed the chicken in the pan,
Poured the gravy over the meat,
Blanketed it with swiss cheese,
Sprinkled it with bread crumbs,
And slid the whole mess into the oven to bake.

While the chicken sizzled in its goop,
The family celebrated in its unique and grandiose way,
For Mom only makes the chicken for special occasions.
The food covered the house with a smell
Of childhood my sister and I have tried to replicate
With marginal success—her for her own family
And me for my friends.

Gail White "My Personal Recollections of Not Being Asked to the Prom"

In her poem, she explores her high school self and her mother's expectations. The poem relays how she did not feel like she could be pretty and smart, and Gail continues to infer how she chose her mind over her body in the second stanza. She says her mom never had to buy her a dress for the prom and explains that because she chose her wits she came off as "stuffy". This heedlessness for expectations reflects archetypes for a rebellious teenager that broaden the scope of the poem. She tells her own story as an example and adds significance to the story with the last line "But I got married, Mother, all the same." With the direct address to her mother, it adds a sense of attitude or resentment for the expectations. It says that the author did not have to live her life as her mother saw fit, yet she still managed to get married which the audience is to assume was of up most importance to the mother. The poem makes a statement about family dynamics.

My favorite childhood toy was . . .my American girl doll
My favorite childhood game was . . .horses
The best movie I ever saw as a kid was . . .Beauty and the Beast
I don’t do it much but I enjoy . . .sketching
If I could lighten up a little, I’d let myself . . .stop planning and making lists
If it weren’t too late, I’d . . .have made my ex face me when he got back from deployment
My favorite musical instrument is . . .my guitar
The amount of money I spend on treating myself to entertainment each month is . . .probably about $100
If I weren’t so stingy with my artistic self, I’d buy him/her . . .a polar bear who eats only marshmallows? I don’t follow this one.
Taking time out for myself is . . .running and stretching, playing my guitar, or working with pictures.
I am afraid that if I start dreaming . . .I’ll forget the reasons why I walked away
I secretly enjoy reading . . .the new books in series I started when I was in middle school
If I had had a perfect childhood I’d have grown up to be . . .happy with imperfections because there’s beauty there too
If it didn’t sound so crazy, I’d write or make a . . .book explaining the time between March my sophomore year and about a month ago
My parents think artists are . . .talented
My God thinks artists are . . .full of potential
What makes me feel weird about this creative writing class is . . .the last question about God
Learning to trust myself is probably . . .a work in progress
My most cheer-me-up music is . . .avenged sevenfold
My favorite way to dress is . . .jeans, boots, and layered shirts

List five hobbies that sound fun: dancing, kickboxing, painting, cooking and baking, horseback riding
List five classes that sound fun: pottery throwing, interior design, belly dancing, the robin hood etc. special study class, simulated skydiving
List five things you personally would never do that sound fun: deep sea fishing (I hate boats), cliff diving, robbing a bank successfully, being part of the prank team that busts a bad guy (covert operation of some kind), flying a plane
List five things you used to enjoy doing: color guard, choir, band, dance, horseback riding
List five silly things you would like to try once: dirt biking, dying my hair black with purple highlights, going on a spring break trip even though I don’t drink or road tripping without planning, renovating a house even though I know nothing about construction, bungee jumping