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Readingandwritingareskillsthathavebeencollectivelyagreedupontobuildabasicacademic
foundationinnumerousculturesacrosstheworld.Itishardertopinpointacertainculturethatdisagrees
thattheyarenotnecessaryskills.Withthatbeingconsidered,myliterarycareerwasstartedevenbefore
Ihadsteppedfootinaclassroom.Myearliestmemoriesofformingandcommunicatinglanguagewas
whenmymotherandfatherreadtome,pointingoutthewordsandsoundingthemoutastheyreadthem
tome.InmyyoungerdaysIusedtoreallyenjoyreadingbooksbecauseitfeltrewardingtoreadand
learnaboutthingsIhaveneverevenheardofbefore.HoweveronceIgotolderIlostinterestinreading
anddidnotcareforitunlessIhadto.Writingtookasimilarpath,butIhavealwaysfeltlikeithasbeen
apunishment,andIfeellikethereisageneralconsensusamongmygenerationthatwritingisnota
pleasingactivity.
Throughoutmyentirechildhoodmyreadingcareerhasgonedownaverydifferentpaththanmy
writingcareer.WhenIwasinelementary/middleschoolIwasveryintimidatedbywritingpapers,
reports,etc.Ialwaysfeltasifmywritingwassubparthanmyclassmates,andthatfeelingofbeing
behindwasverydauntingandreallyhadanimpactonmeasastudent.Thatfeelinghasactuallynever
goneaway,tothisdayIfeelacertainlevelofincompetencetoanextent.Ihaveneverreallybeenfond
ofpeoplelookingandreadingmypapers,becauseofthatfearthatIhaveyettoovercome.Grammar
ruleshavealwaysseemedtootechnicaltoalwaysunderstandandapplythem,sooftentimeswheneverI
misspellwordsorforgetacertainpunctuationinmyessays,itisoftentimesbecauseIamunfamiliarto
therulesorsimplybecauseIwritetoofastformyowngood.
ThisfeelingofincompetencehasbeenapartofwhoIamasastudentformywholelife.Itisa


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combinationofthingsbutalackconfidenceinmywork,andmyinabilitytoaskforhelpwhenIneedit
seemstobethetwoprevalentthemes.WhenIwriteIalmostneveraskforfeedbackbecauseIam
insecureaboutmyworkandthereforeassumepeoplewhoreaditwilljudgemebasedsolelyoffofan
essay.Therehasalsobeenmanyincidentswherepeopleteardownmyworkwithoutanything
constructivetosay,andthisobviouslyaffectedmemorewhenIwasyounger,andevenmoreinsecure.
EventhoughnowIvetaughtmyselftobrushitoffandnotpayinganymindtoitbecauseitisinevitable.
HowevertherehavebeentimeswhereIhaveshruggedoffconstructivecriticismbecauseIwasbeing
toodefensiveandIrealizethatIwaswrongforthat.
Mywritinghasbeenimpactedbymanyteachersovermypast12yearsofschooling.Inmy
youngerdaysforexample,mythirdgradeEnglishteacherwasveryhardonmyclassaboutlearning
cursiveandintimidatingusabouthowifyoudontlearncursive,peoplewillnottakeyouseriouslyin
therealworld..MostofmyexperienceofherclasshasbeenforgottenbutIwhathasstuckwithme
sinceismyhateforcursive.Ithasalwaysseemedlikeanunnecessaryformofmanuscript,soIvenever
gottenmuchuseoutofit.
AnotherpersonwhohasgreatlyimpactedmywritingskillsismyseniorEnglishteacher.Before
enteringherclassIwasabelowaveragewriterwhowasstillreallyintimidatedanduninterestedin
writingupbigassignments,whichwassomethingwehadtodooftenforherclass.Shewasoneofthe
fewpeoplethathasactuallysatdownwithmeandhelpedmeimprovemywriting.Shehastaughtme
valuableresearchskillsthatIwillusenowincollege,andshetaughtmetheimportanceofplanningfora
paperbeforestartingtowriteit.Shewasveryharshwithgradingpapersandthateventuallymademea


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morehardenedwriter,whonolongersawwritingasaburden,butasameansofcommunicating
somethingvaluable.Shewouldmakeuswriteabouteverypieceofliteraturethatwereadina500750
wordessay,andseeingmyimprovementfromthefirstonetothelastonewasextremelyrewarding
becauseapplyingwhatIhadlearnedwithmyteacheralmostseemedeffortless.Thatwasthemoment
whereIfeltasifmywritingcareerhadtakenaverysharpturnforthebetter.
Readingwasactuallyabigfactorinmynewfoundeasewithwriting,becausethetextsshe
pickedoutforustoreadwereoftentimescontroversialandverythoughtprovoking.Shemademy
classreadtitlessuchas:NeverLetMeGoby:KazuoIshiguro,TheThingstheyCarriedby:Tim
Obrien,Hamletby:Shakespeare,InColdBloodby:TrumanCapote,andmanyothersmallerpieces
ofgreatliteraturethatprovokedaresponsefromtheaudience.Allofthesetextshavebeenvitaltomy
newperspectiveonwriting.

IfIhadtogointodetailaboutanyofthesegreatnovels,theanswerwouldalwaysbeInCold
Bloodby:TrumanCapote.ItisthenovelIconnectedthemostwithduringmysenioryearofhigh
school.ThemannerinwhichTrumanCapotewrotethisnovelwastrulyitsmostimpressivefeat.His
storytellingwasextremelycompelling,captivating,andverycinematic.Anoveltendstocaptivateme
whenanovelisverycinematic,andfullofdetail.Thebookiscenteredaroundtwomaincharacterswho
commitacrimethatwouldbeworthyofthedeathpenaltyinmostcivilizedcultures.Howeverthecrime
iscommittedintheverybeginningofthebook,andwhatthebookmainlyconsistsofisthemonthsafter
themurder.Itsplitsintotwomainstorylinesthatendupcoincidingwitheachotherattheend.Onestory


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followsthemurderers,andtheotherstorylinefocusesonadetectivewhoisworkinglonghoursofeach
daytryingtofigureoutwhathappenedtothefamilythatwasmurderedincoldblood,andmost
importantlywhythemurderersdidwhattheydid.
Theauthorclearlysideswithoneofthemurderers(Perry)andmakestheaudiencesympathize
withhim,becauseCapoteactuallywritesaboutallhelearnedfromPerrysbackgroundgrowingup.
ThiscarefulinjectionofinformationonPerryslifestorywassovitaltohowaudiencesperceivedthe
book,callingCapoteanunreliablenarratorandcriticizinghimfornotgoingmoreintodetailabout
Dicks(Thesecondmurderer)lifestory.Thisiswhatfueledcontroversyinmyclassroom,because
everyonesawitinadifferentway.Somesympathizedwiththekiller,sayinghoweventhoughhedid
murderanentirefamilyhecouldnothelphimselfbecausehewasanaturalkillerbecauseofhisharsh
background.Othersstillcouldnotsympathizeforthekillerandthereforebelievedthatheisstill
responsibleforhisheinous,andheshouldnotjustbeexemptfromhisconsequencesforhavingahard
background.ItwasadebatethatreallyshookmeemotionallybecauseIhadneverfeltthiswaybefore
aboutreading.Noreadinghadnevermademethinksoanalyticallyaboutitlikethatinmyentirelife.
AtfirstthiswasveryfrustratingbecauseIcaughtmyselfthinkingaboutthebookmorethanI
wantedto,andIcangoaheadandsaythatthisbookchangedthewayIenjoythings,notonlybooks.
AtthesametimeofreadingthisbookIwascurrentlywatchingaTVseriescalledBreakingBad,and
IrealizedIstartedtoanalyzethatshowthesamewayIwasanalyzingInColdBlood.Istartedto
viewtheshowinamoreobjectivemanner(Nobiases)andIrealizedthatmyperspectivehadchanged
dramaticallytohowIwaspreviouslywatchingit.AfteralltheargumentsinclassofwhetherPerrywas


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tobefullyblamedforwhathedidwithDick,Istartedtoviewlifeingeneralinmoreobjectiveway,that
therearealwaysmultiplewaysandbackgroundsthatmustbeaccountedforuntilmakingafair
judgement.
ThisbookessentiallyformedwhoIamtoday,andbecauseofthatbookIhavebeenmoreopen
toreadingmoreingeneral,somethingthatIpreviouslylackedinterestindoing.Myfatheralwaystold
mewhenIwasgrowingupthatsomedayIwouldsomehowpickupaloveforreading.Ineverwanted
tobelievehim,becauseofhowIpreviouslythoughtofreading(Asaboringwaytoentertainyourself,or
basicallyapoormansTelevision).InowrealizethatifitwerentforthatbookIwouldprobablystill
havethatsameshallowperceptionthatIoncehadaboutreading,andabouteverythingingeneral.
Takingeverythingatfacevaluewasalwaysoneofmymajorfaultsasapersongrowingup,andnot
lookingatthewholepicture.Istillwouldratherreadshorterarticlesorstoriesthanafullonnovelbut
thatisjustpersonalpreference.

ReadingandwritinghavealwaysbeenapartofwhoIamandIdonottakeforgrantedallthat
Ivelearnedalongthewayofallmyyearsofbeinginschool.EventhoughIhavealwaysbeenreluctant
todoeither,Inowunderstandthattheyarenecessaryskillstokeepprogressingintodaysmodernday
society.Havinganewfoundinterest/methodofapproachingreadinghasalsohelpedmebecomeamore
proficientreaderandwriter.ThemostimportantthingIhavelearnedthatapproachingassignments,or


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prettymuchanythingwithanopenmindgetsyoufurtherthanhavingaclosedviewonthesituation.If
wecouldallpracticethatskillwecouldbecomeamuchmoreefficientsocietyasawhole.