32 flavors of Creative Nonfiction

In addition to the simple eloquence that Kincaid uses to express her memories, she also adds texture to her reading. She brings in other characters in which she compares herself to, adding a fictional component to the reflective piece. This also gives vivacity to her memory. She describes each character in depth, from the girl of the finely scented soap to the photographer who smoothed his hair too often. She also uses the senses which enriches the writing and brings me back the moment Kincaid was experiencing. When she speaks of feeling her mother's blood pulse and smelling her skin, I am Kincaid as a child. It is as if she transports me back to the moment. In comparing Kincaid's piece to Beard piece, I find a different richness in each of these woman's memories. Kincaid expresses her memories through experience and sense. She brings you back to what life was like for a child and how they learn the world, and their place. Jo Ann Beard's reflection is more in your face and punctures the mind and heart through her emotional tones and metaphors.
Lott helped bring clarity to me about what Creative Nonfiction is and also gave me some new perspectives on what I already believed. What I found especially useful was the last paragraph on page 274 leading up to the next page. When he speaks of the writing with circumference and reflecting from all angles so as not to be flat it really helped give me perspective. So, I began thinking if I were to reflect on an experience I had as a teenager, yet only with that teenage voice, only with my only preconceived notions on what the experience gave me, then it would not have the air it needed to spark the fire. Also, I really found helpful the point he made about egotism and self-righteousness. As a writer I always believed that consistently writing about the self was self-centered and added nothing to the reader. Yet, now I see differently. I love the quote he uses to back it up by Thoreau from Walden. "A modest truthful man speaks better about himself than anything else, and on that subject his speech is likely to most profitable to his hearers..." That sums it up perfectly for me and takes away my fear of writing about myself. Furthermore, I love how he ends the paragraph, "..if we are rigorous enough, fearless enough, and humble enough to attempt this responsibility..." I am hoping that I can achieve that in my career as a writer.