Eureka!

Whilst reading Montaigne, besides finding it to be dense, I also found it to be similar to Lott because of his use of qoutes. Montaigne references history and uses this for his own reflection. For instance he specifically begins with a tale of King Croseus in order to set the stage for what he is trying to put for to his audience. Therefore he is using other writers and points of references to build storyline. This compares to to Lott's more contemporary essay in which he uses block quoatations to make his point. Neither Lott nor Montaigne use plot, storyline, etc. It is purely an essay of an opinion that the author is trying to set forth and they have used validation from other writers to back their points up. Lott's essay is different as it gives more opinion to us and is more extended. Lott does not reference any history nor does he speak in another language. He is cyclic in his essay, thus making his point more round and poignant. I found Montaigne's essay to be have emotional and passionate tones whereas Lott's was strictly educational and opinionated.

Orwell uses more of a storyline in his narrative. He incorporates a plot, theme, setting, perspective, and dramatic plot. He also introduces characters. Orwell forms this true-to-life tale in the form of a short story. This is comparable to Beard's narrative and as well as Kincaid's. Kincaid and Orwell are similar as they are both memories in which the author reflected back on years later, giving it the story-like element. They both have raw emotional undertones yet Kincaid's are more apparent then Orwell. Beard and Orwell are comparable in the narrative is written from the perspective of self acknowledgement of a lesson learned. Yet, all the stories have one thread in common, there is an Aha moment, and that is the reason why the author is writing. They want to immortalize the Eureka they have found to be true and share it with others as well.

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.