Talk around Town Sample for class 10/17/2011

Today, I read an article in the New Yorker called "Paying Attention" by Edward Conlon. The piece visited feelings of heightened awareness as a state and country since the attacks on 9/11. The article, as told through the eyes of a police detective, gives way to a sense of appreciation as the author takes notice of his citizen's alertness locally, as well as, the consciousness of the men and women in the fire, and police departments throughout New York City to make sure their services are contributed efficiently and for a unified purpose as  people make their way through catastrophic and life altering events daily.

Book Club Notes: Why New Orleans Matters-Week of October 10

As a group, we collectively set out to read the first three chapters of our book. As I started to read, I immediately noticed a strong commitment to New Orleans culture, and a sense of proving value to the area through thorough depictions of landmarks or even a story of his own encounters (which are made note of countless time throughout the book). While Piazza does do an amazing job depicting the "soul" of New Orleans through the first few chapters, I do find that at a few points he tends to force a few sessions of trivial rants about items that should have been left out. 


As I read, I have found some amazing quotes that I hope will give a sense to the writer's style, as well as, the feelings of intrigue and aspiration that have overtaken me while reading this book


One of my favorite quotes so far, although not necessarily earliest of other great quotes from this book is brought about when speaking on the "soul" and culture of New Orleans: “It amounts to a kind of cultural synesthesia in which music is food, and food is a kind of choreography, and dance is a way of dramatizing the fact that you are still alive for another year, another funeral, another Mardi Gras...”

Book Club: Week of October 3rd

 As we prepare to read Why New Orleans Matters, I decided that I would attempt to use Kindle for PC this semester, and buy the e-book. This will be my first experience with Kindle and an e-book novel, and I will keep you updated on my experience with the software. 

As far as our book club progression, I am hoping we all meet the goal of purchasing the book for our first meeting, as we try to develop a reading schedule starting today. 

My New Yorker Profile Choice

In this link you can find a profile piece on Millard "Mickey" Drexler, The CEO of J. Crew. I originally chose this profile simply because I enjoy J. Crew clothing. However, the introduction is one that really grasps you as a reader, and leads into a description which is very admirable in the way that is written. I enjoyed the piece, and the way it was written.

Check it out and see how it compared to the article you chose.  

One of My Favorite Profile Articles of All Time

Hey guys,


This article  is a great profile by Matt Crossman on Houston Texan's running back, Arian Foster. Every last sentence of this article was truly enjoyable. After my first read through, I found the article seemed to pertain greatness through the subject (Foster) at hand. After meeting him personally, I knew he was a unique character. However, it was through a more in-depth personal analysis of the article that I found this piece was so much more enjoyable due to the descriptive (even illustrative at times) style Crossman brings to the table.

Just check it out, even if your not a huge football fan. This profile was a great read and perfect for what we're doing in class right now.

Selecting a Profile Subject

It was when I originally discovered the story of John Methia that I truly knew who I would choose to write a piece on. John, currently a Director of Broadcasting at ABC Six News in Providence, Rhode Island, is someone you would consider an inspiration who aspires for the greatness in others. Whether it is his news anchors or lighting crew, John pushes for every last ounce of perfection in every person, but makes them feel good about themselves in doing so. Although I have not created a concrete list of questions for John, I have decided to work along the ideas of how he became interested in the broadcasting/production field, as well as, a few steps in his journey to where he is now.

Potential Profile Ideas

As I started to look for potential subjects to profile, I found myself looking for the most dramatic personal stories that I already knew. From mistaken youths, to war veterans, I found myself grasping for something that would appeal to the rest of our class.

It was while pondering the perfect profile that I then came across an old friend, Peter Bruce. Peter is a twenty year old student from the Philippines. As a young child, Peter was the victim of a landmine incident in which he lost three of his limbs including both of his hands and his left leg. Once discovered and nursed back to health from the accident, Peter was brought over to the United States, and adopted by the Bruce family. His story is one of hardship, perseverance, and absolute miracle as I watched him overcome every obstacle throughout high school.

I also thought of doing a profile piece on a veteran of the Vietnam war. John Masker is a close friend to the family. His stories of eliminating insurgents, and working his way through "Nam" just to declare the war as a loss, are tales that have matriculated down to every last one of us through the years. While I do admire John's efforts and compassion for what he accomplished, I feel that I could not maintain an unbiased stance while writing about him due to our relationship.

My last potential subject is John Methia, a Director of Broadcasting at ABC Six News in Providence, Rhode Island. His story is one that could be considered odd, but truly unique from what I have heard from my brother, an employee at ABC Six. I believe that John will be my choice simply because this will be an opportunity to learn about someone knew, and create a piece with an unbiased perspective.