READER’S CHOICE:
LEAVING A TRACE
By Alexandra Johnson
Three Big Ideas:
Why write?
Starting out
Single-Purpose Journals
Identify for each:
A comment, elaboration, quote, example
1. Why write?
a. Keeping track, contemplating the past, present and future selves.
b. Journal as a verb
c. Leaving a trace in the form of a diary/journal, a family chronicle, or memoir.
“But no matter why (people write),” Johnson writes, “how, or how often they wrote, every single person wanted to leave a trace of life.”
“I write so I know what I’m thinking.”
Vivien Horler
“All serious daring starts within.”
Eudora Welty
2. Starting out …
a. Three generations of Johnson’s family have kept journals/diaries.
b. Her grandmother was a chronicler – which included her year as an American Red Cross worker in Siberia; her mother kept a private journal; her aunt used one as a jumping point for more creative writing; and Johnson messed with each form beginning at 9 yrs. old “before finding its true shape in my late twenties.”
c. “Writing is the axe that breaks the frozen sea within.” Kafka
d. Buying the perfect journal – in the drug store, “the notebook,” or something quite fancy in a Barnes and Noble-type place.
“Writing is the axe that breaks the frozen sea within.”
Kafka
3. Single-purpose journals
a. Genealogy
b. Dreams
c. Family chronicles
d. Garden notebooks
e. Artist’s sketch journal
f. Spiritual journal
g. Letter journals
h. Joint e-mail journals
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read n the train.”
I love the quotes you've included. It really is amazing to find out how much you know about a certain subject if you just choose to write and write and write all you can about it.
ReplyDeleteI always love to be reminded of different ways to journal. Even though I am devoted to my blog, I still have those journals around also to write in, epecially when I go camping.
ReplyDeleteThe camping is a good idea - although I haven't been camping in years. I have journals all around - they seem to call my name, even if they're empty! But this blogging stuff - to write almost as fast as I think and much neater than handwriting, I think we're going to have to make some changes at home w/the dial-up! I have quickly learned how you can be so devoted to the blog-I really want to be writing more personal stuff, just for me, as opposed to classwork. another thing to consider! Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDelete