Blog Prompt #5

Description

In your final project, your team will create a multimedia Biography that addresses a significant social issue related to the concept and practice of citizenship in the United States. Like we saw in the writings of John Dos Passos and George Packer, the individual that you select for the Biography is a symbolic figure who represents this larger issue, but the form of that representation can vary. Your symbolic figure may be a victim of the issue, like Tammy Thomas, associated with the cause of an issue, like Robert Rubin, an icon of a topic, such as Peter Thiel, or even an advocate who is working to resolve a social issue, such as Dean Price or Nelini Stamp.

Activity:

To help you begin this process, you will each select a social issue that interests you and a representative person for whom you will write a short biography in the style of Packer and Dos Passos. Remember that the individual you select can come from any walk of life: an artist, a celebrity, a politician, a major business leader, etc.

1)      Pick your social issue and then think about different types of people who could represent it. You may think of your person first, which is fine so long as you can clearly tie that person to a social issue.

2)      Experiment with free and indirect discourse with some free writing. Remember that you are trying to capture and communicate an impression of that individual.

3)      Consider how you want to portray your representative individual. What will the tone be? Remember, however, to be ethical in your representation even if you are focusing on something negative about that person. Packer, for example, often keeps his biographies somewhat balanced in content even when he is criticizing his subject.

4)      Write a 300-500 word biography. Since your next project is multimedia, include an image of your chosen person. Keep in mind that your image should fit the tone you have established in your writing. Post by noon on Wednesday (4/16).

5)      Include any sources that you use at the bottom of your post.

6)      Comment on two groupmates’ blogs by noon on Thursday (4/17)