Daily Log Thursday, June 25, 2009

Delores introduced us to the Six-Word Memoir. She gave us several topics on which to write them. Afterwards, she distributed two typed pages of Personal History Questions from Real Simple magazine November 2005 and tips for getting to know people better through conversation. Both are great resources. Of course, she's a librarian!

Each person on the Bret Lott book review team asked the class a question. This was my best-ever book discussion.

Our mini-lesson centered on voice. Amy gave us suggestions for improving voice:

• go to a cafe and listen to the way people speak
• talk to the person you are writing about and listen for their speech patterns
• circulate and listen at a cocktail party (She didn't say this, but it sounds good.)

Lilless provided memoir food for snacks: Fig Newtons, ginger snaps, applesauce, orange slices, and gruit cocktail (grab a cherry!), all mentally stimulating.

After response groups, we wrote and blogged to prepare our final piece and meta-text.