Monday, July 15, 2013

THROWBACK! Senior Portfolio: Letter to the Reviewer, 2007, Distinguished

“If you did not write every day, the poisons would accumulate and you would begin to die, or act crazy, or both – you must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” –Ray Bradbury

Dear Reviewer,

            Come with me. Let’s undertake a journey through space and time. We’ll travel through the stages of my life to discover the influences reading has imprinted upon my writing abilities. We will explore my experiences from the first time my mother read me a bedtime story to this portfolio, in order to obtain proof that the development of my reading skills has provided me with a true and everlasting necessity to express myself through writing.

            The Good Ole’ Days: The first literary works I was ever exposed to were those of Beatrix Potter. The Tale of Tom Kitten quickly became my favorite book. From repeated bedtime readings emerged an introduction to language, which would later lead to a better understanding of English literacy. “Once upon a time there were three little kittens, and their names were Mittens, Tom Kitten, and Moppet.” These words were my first wobbly steps into that cloud-covered, sparkling dream to write distinguished literature.

“Author: (definition) A fool, who, not content with having bored those who have lived with him, insists on tormenting the generations to come.” –Montesquieu

            Boredom Reigns, Imagination Soars: In elementary school, I exposed myself to simple books such as Goosebumps and The Babysitters Club. Although these books are not as highly regarded anymore, they were essential stepping stones for my enhanced understanding of the English language. In third grade, I was urged to write in a journal for the first time. Every day, I would re-create numerous parts of my life due to the fact that I never did anything exciting. Mrs. Kidd, my teacher, would encourage the class to express our standpoints about certain subject matters; this led to the discovery of how exceedingly opinionated I was and still am.

            Portfolio, Part One: Fifth and 6th grades soared away and now it was time for the most dreaded and difficult task of all: 7th grade. As you are aware, I was required to complete a portfolio. Not too bad, you may think, it’s only 7th grade. Oh, no. I was just as stressed then as I am now. But, my teacher, Mrs. Oldfield, made it all worthwhile. A new adventure always awaited me with her: a new novel, a new poem, a new idea. Her brain functioned in ways mine never could and she pushed me, practically shoved me, into completing the task at hand… with flare! She praised my poetry and instructed me to always follow my passion. To my slight demise, but overall pleasure, I received a proficient on my portfolio (I had longed for a distinguished).

“There’s many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.” –Flannery O’Connor

Things Get Rough: Dark poetry and sad songs rang from my fingertips as I was emerged into my internal great depression. Crying in my bedroom floor I discovered the… oh, why was I crying? Well, everything between freshman and junior year was difficult for me. My family was going through something you will one day read about in my autobiography. But I cried. And I was alone… alone with my thoughts and my rage. The only thing that helped me cope was my books, which brings me back to my story… how I love going in circles. I discovered the magical worlds of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and J.R.R. Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings. I soared on the wings of a hippogriff and fought to keep the “precious” ring from being discovered by the evil Sauron. When my adventure was over, so were the problems. When my adventure was over, I no longer hurt; I wrote again. I desired to create a magical world, one that would shine with creativity. J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkein rescued me from my sinister, haunting poetry and released me into the bright and beautiful countryside of fiction.

            Time for a Change: During my junior year in high school, I took A.P. English III. There, I was required to read all of the American classics; Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn, George Orwell’s 1984, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. My head was spinning. I had never read books before with so much depth and meaning. I began to wonder things like: What do I think about life? How do I see the world? These books had the biggest influence on me because they truly were fantastic. 1984 soon developed into my favorite book; George Orwell’s imagination had inspired me to think and worry about the future.

            Portfolio, Part Two: I have combined all I have ever learned from reading and concluded that I crave to be creative like J.K. Rowling, clever like Mark Twain and leave a lasting impression like George Orwell. My portfolio is compiled with artwork from a time when life was… let’s just say interesting. I want to be all the great writers of all time. And I will be.

“It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer soars over his fellows; he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. Growth is exciting; growth is dynamic and alarming. Growth of the soul, growth of the mind.” –Vita Sackville-West

                                                                                           Sincerely,

                                                                                           A Rising Star

No comments:

Post a Comment