Everything Starts in England!

Professor Allan Chapman visits the Bemidji State University (BSU) campus each fall to promote the Eurospring Program, the oldest international study program at BSU. This visit includes a public lecture given by Chapman, but also several BSU professors request his presence in their classes as a visiting lecturer. 

Until September 19^th, 2011 I had only heard rumors of Professor Chapman from other students who had either gone to Europsring or attended his lectures. I had been told that he had been really hard to understand, but eventually you caught on and he could lecture on any subject with very little to no preparation with the exception of a cup of tea.   

I was a junior at BSU, taking a literary journalism class where my own professor Louise Mengelkoch had earlier in the day asked Chapman to stop by the class and discuss the concept of literary journalism. Chapman, dressed in as professional as you can get wearing a faded black suit, a crooked bowtie, and a British flag pin on lapel, walked  into the basement of the A.C. Clark Library and quickly decided he would prefer a room with a white board. We relocated and after a brief introduction, Chapman quickly goes over exactly what a semester at Oxford entails during the Europsring program. 

Before he began speaking about literary journalism he took out his hankie from his pocket, blew his nose and said "My mother used to say when your nose is running you need to run after it."  Chapman lead into the history of literary journalism with the fact that this tradition started in England, everything important does. He started by writing “John Milton, Paradise Lost” on the board and discussesd that this man was a great poet who was also a professional news writer and news commenter. Chapman continued to inform us of the history including Oliver Cromwell, Salmasius, Joseph Addison, Alexander Pope, Sylvan Urban, and Charles Dickens.

As Chapman contiuned to speak, I started to notice odd things about this man. He was wearing a wedding ring on his right hand. Also he had large scar starting near the bottom of his left ear leading to the bottom of his chin. It was easy to get distarcted because his apperace was so regal along with his balding with sliver blonde hair. While noticing this different things, it was so easy to tune his and his heavy accent out.

Chapman’s BSU guide motioned that it was time for him to leave in order to have time to prepare for his campus wide lecture. Chapman asked if we have any questions, the whole class sat in silence stunned at how much information was given off the top of his head in less than thirty minutes.  Champan grabed his tea, said “good bye” and headed out the door.

Here is a video that one my classmates, Joe Moubry filmed during his presentation to our class.

Blog #3

“They Came Out Like Ants! Searching for the Chinese Tunnels of Mexicali”

“They Came Out Like Ants! Searching for the Chinese Tunnels of Mexicali” by William T. Vollmann was the assigned article for this week’s class. The article is about a man who is discussing the possibly of the Chinese having secret tunnels under the city of Mexicali. He first encounters the sisters Hernandez who claimed they knew that the many Chinese used to hide in the tunnels. They also discussed how during a great fire underground that caused the Chinese to flee and appear as a bunch of ants. 

The rest of the story is Vollmann continuing to search the town for these tunnels and to figure how if they actually do exist. Several sources say they don’t exist, but Vollmann proves they do and even gets to see one with this own two eyes. In the search for these tunnels, he finds much information relative to the history of the Chinese people in the area.  

This story is a sample of literary journalism because it tells the struggles that Vollmann had to go through to get the story. Lots of news stories take a lot of effort, but the audience never knows what the author goes through in a normal news stories, but a literary journalism piece can include all the struggles. Of all the articles we read, this one was my least favorite, it was a very slow story with not a lot action. The topic was interesting but it was hard to keep reading.

“My Crowd Or, Phase 5: A Report from the Inventor of the Flash Mob”

For an article of my choice, I read “My Crowd Or, Phase 5: A Report from the Inventor of the Flash Mob” by Bill Wasik.   The article details the story of how the flash mob came to be. Wasik started the first flash mob by setting up a fake email and forwarding himself an invitation which he then forwarded on to several people. He did this so he would not appear as the creator of the flash mob.  Wasik arranged several mobs, but the article also discusses his overlooking of Ford Fusion Flash Concerts. The company arranged different flash concerts in order to generate news about their cars.

 Overall, this piece is literary journalism because it directly informs you what exactly was going on in Wasik’s mind, rather than using quotes like a typical news story. We have discussed in class the concept of footnotes, and I am starting to think when footnotes are used in literary journalism pieces they tie in facts that are not directly related to the story but are very interesting.

 

My Own Ideas

Today technology is everywhere; even typing this I’m using my laptop and sitting next to me is my cell phone. My idea for a literary journalism piece would be go a few days without any communication technology, no cell phone, no laptop, no iPod, and no using school computers. I think this would be super challenging because basically whenever I forget my cell phone, I feel like a part of me is missing. I’m not always on my cell phone, but I think it’s my connection to anyone who isn’t in the same room as me, such my friends who attend different schools, parents, and siblings.

 Another idea would be to not talk for a whole day, and I don’t just mean sit in front of the television all day, and write notes to people in the room. This idea would require the individual to get out of the city and spend the day where there are very few people. The day would involve just the person and their thoughts.

 New York Times Examples

An example of literary journalism in the Monday, September 12, 2011 issue is titled “Closing a Nursing Home and a Chapter of New York History” The first time of the article sets the tone for making it a sample. “Her 98-year old father lies under white sheets, frail and incoherent, attached to a feeding tube and a catheter. But Rose Lauria visits him nearly every day..” The story continues to discuss the effects the move will have on her father’s condition and several other patients. The article also discusses this move closes a chapter of New York because the nursing one was one of the last major Jewish Institutions.

Another example of literary journalism is from the Dining section of the Wednesday, September 14^th issues of the NYT. The title of the article is “Italy, So Close You Can Taste It.” The article details the author, David Tanis, who is attempting to cook an Italian meal. He starts at the supermarket and continues until the meal is complete including dessert. 

Misinformation Intern: My Summer as a Military Propagandist in Iraq

This week we started reading a new book containing examples of literary journalism. The book is called Submersion Journalism: Reporting in the Radical First Person from Harper’s Magazine. The article that we read was called Misinformation Intern: My Summer as a Military Propagandist in Iraq by Willem Marx. The article tells the story of Willem Marx after he graduated from Oxford before he started journalism school. Marx had an opportunity to have a media internship in Iraq. Marx main job was to make the military happy by choosing news stories that were written U.S. military members had written by combing wire stories and their own reports from the field.

Marx would give the selected stories to Muhammad and his team, so they would be translated into Arabic. Marx would also select the Iraqi newspapers that the stories would be run the stories, all with different prices. Marx successfully maintained this role during his time in Iraq, including dealing with a situation of an employee of the company not being one hundred percent honest.

I think that this piece qualifies as literary journalism because right off the back, the reader will realize that the article (and all from this book) is written in first person. Secondly, the author uses personal history to tell the story. For example, he mentions John’s Simpsons, Strange Places, Questionable People and describing its content because it inspired him to become a journalist.

The article also involves the concept of how scary the real world can be, especially in a war zone. Marx references this point when he questions why a copy of his dental records are needed, and then realizes that he might get so injured that he could only be identified by his teeth. Also within this point, something to consider is how much is it worth risking for your career. 

Another concept that deals with literary journalism is how Marx describes people when he introduces him. Instead of just including a person’s name and job, he includes specific details which typically wouldn’t be included in a news story. For example, when Gia, another worker is Iraq, is described as a fair skinned woman in her late twenties. Overall, this article has many components that combine to make an excellent sample of literary journalism.

A Foreign Affair: On the Great Ukrainian Bride Hunt

The second article from the same book that I read was called A Foreign Affair: On the Great Ukrainian Bride Hunt by Kristoffer A. Garin. The article details Garin’s trip to Ukraine with a tour group consisting of thirty men all ready to participate in a two week bride hunt. Garin didn’t tell anyone that his true profession was a journalist, but he used this experience to write a literary journalism story.

This article is considered literary journalism because it details tells every experience that Garin and other go through in their attempts to find the perfect woman. Garin also address everything that their trustful leader “Dan the Man” tells him in regards to what to expect from the woman and the culture of the country. Also I think the topic of bride hunting and mail order things is somewhat scandalous for a typical newspaper, but can lead to a wonderful literary journalism piece.

New York Time Examples

  In the Thursday, September 8^th edition of the New York Times there was a great example of literary journalism involving the upcoming tenth anniversary of September 11^th, 2001. This story was in the Styles section and titled, “A Bond Forged in Tragedy.” The story details how ten years ago, there was a fashion show where young designers were supposed to be starting their careers. They would be interrupted with the events that good place on that day, ten years ago. The article gives several different points of view of people who were to be involved with the fashion show.

My Ideas

My writing partner (while at Bemidji State University, we have competed several projects together, we make a great team) DJ and I were discussing what we write together for our own literary journalism. Several days ago, we were sitting in DJ’s dorm room looking at old comic books. In one from 1994, there was a section of letters written by readers to the comic, one of them contained a message from a man who was going for a pen pal and left his address. We decided to write him a letter, hoping that he still lives there and will write us back. Sticking with the superhero comics theme, we researched an event held in Minneapolis this year called the Fallcon Comic Book Party. We are planning on attending this daylong event and doing a literary journalism piece similar to the piece on the State Fair.

Blog #2

“Top Ten State Fair Joys” – By Garrison Keller

I truly enjoyed this article and example of literary journalism for a few reasons. First of all, I can relate to all the concepts mentioned regarding the highlights of a fair including people watching, enjoying all the options of delicious food offered in an order that will allow you to ride as many amusement park rides. Also this article was a unique sample of literary journalism because it used the second person point of view which immediately involved the reader.  The article described the highlights of the fair with all the smells of the food, people, and places with plenty of details. I think that this piece of literary journalism seemed much more possible for me to reproduce, especially compared to the hospital story. This story gives positive feeling that I will be able to write my own piece.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/07/15/midmorning2/

“Wired” – Evan Ratliff

After discussing this article in class, I really wanted to read it so I could experience it for myself. It tells the story of how a reporter, Evan Ratliff, attempted to run away from his life with the only person knowing his plan was his editor. He didn’t even his family or his girlfriend but he did change his look by dying his hair. Ratliff even changed to name to Donald Gatz. After he had left, the magazine posted on their website that one their authors had vanished. There was a $5,000 prize for whoever could find the author within a month. Both Facebook and Twitter accounts helped people figure out clues to find the author, however he made sure to use different IP addresses to confuse searchers. However these accounts ended up having ended the search for Ratliff, when he started following certain business in the New Orleans area. To end the search, all a person had to say “fluke” and the money would be there. Ratliff had been   riding his bicycle and yelled, "You wouldn't happen to know a guy named Fluke, would you?" The author had been found, but he also proved how easy it can be to quit your life and with the help of the internet create a new one. Besides being literary journalism due to the fact that Ratliff was the main focus of the story. He also changed from first person to third person depending on whether he was being Evan Ratliff or Donald Gatz. The picture along with this article displays all the looks that Ratliff used during this time as not himself. 

My Own Ideas –

After our discussion in class today, a few friends and I discussed totally crazy things that we could do to create our own literary journalisms piece. However some of these things were silly, I think that all these ideas could make a good story to read. We discussed everything from only eating pickles for a week, to posting “wanted” signs around campus and having that person walk around campus, staging a car accident and keep track of the reactions of the people who saw it, and several more. I don’t think these ideas are really meant for an academic setting such as this, but I think they really helped me to figure out that literary journalism can provide someone with a new life experience.  

New York Times –

While looking through the Tuesday, August 30^th, edition of the New York Times during the business section, I found a great piece of literary journalism. The piece was called “The Mystery Of Job’s Public Giving.” The piece discusses Steve Jobs, a major player in the Apple Company, and his ways of donating money throughout his life. The piece is an example of literary journalism because it discusses Jobs in a very personal way. At one point the article says, “I have long been a huge admirer of Mr. Jobs and consider him the da Vinci of our time.” The article was also written in a very casual way of writing a news article, it was very simple to understand how what Jobs had done with his private anonymous donations. Another story from the same paper was called “Smart Choices to Ensure Safety at Lunch,” in the personal health section. The story discussed the best ways and safest ways to pack a lunch and to maintain the food that is perishable. The article uses a lot of statistics and personal stories of the author that are related to the subject. The story also used sources of parents of children who have been affected by E. coli from food that wasn’t stored properly. Overall, I think the New York Times can provide multiple examples of literary journalism in many different subjects.

Blog #1 - "Deadly Choices At Memorial"/"Trial by Fire"

"Deadly Choices at Memorial"


ln the article, “The Deadly Choices at Memorial,” the author Sheri Fink informs the readers the truth of what occurred at Memorial Medical Center after Hurricane Katrina had destroyed the city of New Orleans in 2005. The article uses many doctors and hospital workers as sources, but also tells the hard work that Fink contributed to figuring how exactly what had taken place. Memorial Medical Center had dealt with power outages and flooding, but the most shocking part of the story dealt with the decisions made by overwork doctors and nurses.

Anna Pou, a surgeon with a strong work ethic but also considered funny and sociable, was one of the doctors that had to make hard decisions very quickly. The team of workers was using a system to rate each patient according to how sick they were, category 1 for healthiest, 2 for in between, and 3 for the sickest. The goal was to get as many patients evacuated from the hospital due to lack of supplies available in the hospital. It was clear that patients labeled with category would not be going anywhere for a while, maybe they would never move.

Pou started to make some of the patients feel more comfortable by infecting with morphine and midazolam. However these drugs did their job which resulted in die and therefore Pou and other workers were considered to have committed a crime of euthanasia by administering the drugs. The part that shocked me the most was when there was a man who had been given multiple doses but he had not died yet, the doctors placed a towel on his face which eventually smothered him to death. The jury on Pou’s case decided not to indict the doctor.

This article is considered to be literary journalism due to the facts that there were such vivid details provided by Fink but also the narrative voice which she used throughout the piece. This article really had me picturing all the patients and hospital in my head, but after I was done I really wanted to find what exactly Pou had looked like. I found very different types of photos of Pou, it was either her doctor identification photo or her mug shot. Both pictures of clearly the same person, but difference between the photos are her attitude. In the professional photo, she appears proud with her broad shoulders and looking directly at the camera. While the mug shot, she appears to be looking towards the ground. 

"Trial by Fire" 

For my second article, I chose to read “Trial by Fire,” by David Grann. The article tells the details story of Todd Willingham, who was convicted for starting the fire that killed his three children and the next twelve years of his life. The morning of the fire, Willingham’s wife Stacy, had left the house early to go Christmas shopping for the children. Willingham awoke to hear his daughter screaming, without thinking he attempted to rescue his children but couldn’t. He ran out from his house, screamed at a neighbor to call 911 and attempted to save his children again. When help had arrived, Willingham was handcuffed so the fireman and police could do their job. All three children were announced dead.

The house was investigated and detected that the fire was started by a human, by pouring liquid accelerant on the floor of the bedrooms and along the hallway to the door. Willingham being the only one who survived soon became the prime suspect. Willingham past was studied and it was discovered that he had a rough history and was being interrogated. The main reason for believing that Willingham was guilty if the floor was on fire right away to the liquid accelerant there would have been no way to prevent the bottom of his feet being burned, which they were not as proven by medical records. Willingham was arrested and charged with murder of multiple victims which meant he was available for the death penalty in Texas.

A fellow prison mate told authorities that one night Willingham confused to placing some sort of lighter fluid on the ground to start the fire. He was given an option to plead guilty and would have a life sentence. However, he refused and when he went to trial he was found guilty and placed on death row.

Years later, divorced, a lady named Elizabeth Gilbert and Willingham started writing letters back and forth and she had even visited him twice. She was curious in the fire and had gone to the court house to look at the records and noticed some inaccuracies. She was curious and started to interview people who were involved with the case including Willingham’s parents, wife, neighbors, relatives and prison mates. The neighbor who called 911 still believed he was guilty, but others had doubts. In a final attempt, Willingham appealed to the governor of Texas and Dr. Gerald Hurst review his case.  He found some things on the originally investigation were true and some were false.

Hurst had worked with a very similar case to this one in the past and he was working towards being able to prove Willingham not guilty. However after all this work, the petition was denied and Willingham would be executed. In December 2004, the case was examined again because questions began to arise and each and every indicator used was proved to be invalid.

The reason I believe this article to be literary journalism is similar to the reason of the hospital story, because there was so much detail provided in way things burn, the way fire works, historical evidence, and the fact that duration of time that had passed throughout the entire story.

New York Times

A story from the New York Times that has the concept of literary journalism applied was on the front page below the fold on Tuesday, August 23rd’s issue. The title of the article was “Weighing Race and Hate in a Mississippi Killing,” the article discussed the killing of a black man named James Craig Anderson that took place in June, but asked hard questions such as “Was the killing of Mr. Anderson premeditated racial violence?” or “ An act indicative of a deep cultural divide?” Also the article started with a lead that had described Anderson in a positive way and later in the article spend multiple paragraphs informing the reader on the good things that Anderson that done throughout his life. Besides focusing on Anderson’s death, the article discussing how this man’s death has caused other people, both black and white, to reflect on their own race. The article also made a connection to the past and movie world mentioning “The Help,” a movie which focuses on black maids and their white employers. I really like the quote at the end of the article by B.J. Quick, a black man with a white girlfriend, “It’s still here, it’s just under the surface more.”

Another article that a bit of literary journalism was from August 24^th issue, titled “After Stillbirth, Courts Try to Put a Price on a Mother’s Anguish,” the beginning of the article started with two tales of women who dealt with stillbirth and incorporated their stories in throughout the rest of the article. The main reason why I believe that this article deals with literary journalism is because I was hooked to the story to continue to find what exactly happened to these women. Literary journalism really brings stories to live when they are live real people involved and emotionally you can feel for them through the article. 

My Ideas

After reading these impressive stories, it’s hard to picture that I could muster anything that would result in such a detailed, “I can’t put this book now, till I finish reading” feeling in my own literary journalism piece. I’m not really sure if I even like my own idea, but I could possibly to a piece on being a family member of a person in the military. Having one parent suddenly gone for an extended period of time can make living life hard. My own family has been affected by topic, but I’m hoping with continued thought I can think of more ideas.