The Grotesque is Beautiful: Alexander McQueen’s World of Fashion
Posted by Zeewan Lee
This piece started out as a response to a text: an X4. Initially, I had written a response to an article about theories of a noted urban planner. While I learned a lot from writing the original version of X4, I found the piece did not had have much potential to be further developed into anything. So when I had to write revision 3, I wrote an entirely new X5, this time, responding to a fashion show put up by Alexander McQueen, my favorite designer who committed suicide earlier this year.
What started as a belated homage to Alexander McQueen evolved into my Project Two where I explore the notion of the grotesque — or rather, McQueen’s version of the grotesque — in the designer’s world of fashion. I had fun in doing research for the piece, and I have learned so much in the process of planning and writing this piece. I hope you learn something from reading my essay as well — if nothing else, the fact that Lady Gaga wore McQueen’s monstrous heels in her music video. Enjoy 
Project 2: (Still) Not Dead
Posted by Grace Kohut
This piece came from our R9 assignment. I had not understood the directions clearly so I used our readings as “inspiration” for this piece. The Monson readings started me thinking on concepts like memory and the Egger readings had me thinking of form. Egger’s last line in his own mini-biography is “They had no pets.” This is what sparked my memory of my own mini-biography that my parents had uncovered this summer. This probably makes no sense to you, so just read it : )
PS. I decided to keep the design as simple as possible. It just didn’t feel right to make it look like anything other than what is written there.
My Life in the Words I Remember and the Ones I Don’t
Posted by Margrette Kuhrt
My Life in the Words I Remember and the Ones I Don’t
This piece began as my X4, a response to a text. The text I chose was a poem I encountered in third grade. The only part of my original X4 that remains is the story entitled “This is just to say.” The rest of my piece was inspired from the pure truth I found myself revealing in that one story.
I stumbled across the idea that there are many, many things that happen in one’s life and many ways to tell the life story. The way I tell my story is through my memory for words: the written, spoken, unsaid, and the wished-were-said.
Project 2 really gave me a chance to tell some of the stories that have greatly contributed to who I am today. It feels good to have come to terms with these events so much so that I can share them with you the best way I know how: through my own words.
Ind(y)ividualism
This piece, like many before it, has kicked my ass. For some reason this semester, I keep wanting to be very intellectual and my essay gets caught in the mix. No thanks to Eggers and Monson for that!
Anyways, this revision of my X4 stems from my love of music and where I find it—from family, friends, self, etc. I think I have found it most from myself (and maybe you can relate).
If I was to continue working on it, I could probably make a long piece about my musical taste evolution. It hasn’t gone far from the weird spectrum, but it definitely has shifted over the years.
Hope you enjoy! And gobble, gobble!
A Talk About Tibet
Posted by Tim Xue
My Project Two grew out of my X4, the interview assignment. As you may recall, I interviewed Duojie Cairang, a Tibetan international student who lives in a block below me with some friends of mine (however, none of us know him too well). I wanted to take the opportunity to just have a conversation and get to know him better. One issue I wanted to talk, in addition, was Tibet.
My first draft basically chronicled our conversation itself. For revision three, I added an ending that many felt was dark, mysterious, and pseudo-ambiguous. In short, my workshop group liked it. However, I needed to ensure was that Duojie was okay with the ending. For the final project, I switched to a script format to allow for easier interjections/comments, added comments regarding Duojie’s tendencies and my thoughts, added dingbats to “bracket” the interview, expanded the ending, and added a photo.
Duojie has read the piece, and is satisfied that I have represented him accurately. His only request is for it to remain unpublished. Due to the touchy nature of the subject, he is worried that, should my piece somehow become widely circulated, the Chinese government will take action and deny him re-entry to the country (worst case scenario). His request will be honored.
Enjoy.
Project Two: On the Job
Posted by Janet Li
This piece about my boss Jai, the RC (residence coordinator) for Keohane, actually began as my Revision 4 (which I wrote two weeks ago). My first draft of the essay was a little unorganized, as I could not figure out what direction I wanted to take my piece. I needed a more cohesive theme. With the help of my writing group and Professor Harris, I decided to focus on how Jai’s professional/work life was always present in his personal life. When he gets off work at around 7 PM, he isn’t actually getting off work. Instead, he continues to work. By emphasizing the relationship between Jai’s work and personal life and by changing the format of my piece to be, in Lawson’s words, “more conducive to its sequentiality,” I hope to have painted a clearer picture of a day in the life of a residence coordinator.
BLACKOUT
Posted by Lawson Kurtz
This piece began as a meandering, unfocused exploration of the societal ramifications of alcohol for Revision 3. As I was beginning the process of drafting my Revision 4 late on a weekend night—yes, this is what I do on the weekends now—a belligerently drunk acquaintance stopped by my residence on his way back from Shooters II. Upon letting him into my house, he immediately began watering all of my house plants with a grape-flavored can of Four Loko while repeatedly shouting “Blackout! Blackout!” I shook my head in disapproval and annoyance and wondered to myself, “How is behavior like this okay? Why do we do this to ourselves?” Before I could scold him for distracting me from serious work, however, I realized that he had just cured my inability to focus in on a single, specific alcohol-related topic. I ran upstairs to my computer and before long, had written this piece.
Blinded By the Light
Posted By: Brea Davenport
This Project was a lot of fun for me to do. If you want to get to know me and a bit of what I like/my hobbies, then this piece is the place to start. It was originally one of our first pieces that we did, I think it was the one about an event we attended – X3 I do believe. It was a little difficult to develop it into something that told a story from the actual event and at the same time give background on how I ended up at that event, but I think I was able to do it. I hope you agree.
Blinded By the Light From the Land of the Rising Sun
The Christmas Party
Posted by: Rachel Revelle
This piece came out of our interview assignment in which I decided to speak with Mrs. Nancy Copeland, a good friend of my grandmother’s and a major presence in my town. Her Christmas party is a special memory for me, but the work of writing this piece has been more fulfilling than I expected. I feel as if it is an embodiment of the sentiments I have for home, and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the reactions of the class towards such a way of life! I originally had a long phone conversation with Mrs. Copeland and crafted an essay about her party, but highlighting the interview aspect foremost. I was trying to show the history and evolution of the party through Mrs. Copeland’s words, but through several revisions I realized that I should focus more on the party itself. So, I hope this finished product is a glimpse into a Christmas Eve in Murfreesboro, through the eyes of both the elegant hostess and my own.
Denied Entrance
Process Note
This piece was a re-write of my X4, the response to a text. My first draft emphasized the direct impact of the email, that is what occurred before and after I opened it. My final version better clarifies the aftermath. Honestly, it was difficult for me to verbalize its short-term and long-term influence, but I think that sifting through motivational quotes allowed me to obtain a more definite grasp on it. Additionally, I altered the structure of the piece. My beginning paragraphs revealed too much of the ending.