When embarking upon this article, a rare "Home & Garden" piece that I read (not usually finding this section of the Times to be my cup of tea), I became wrapped up much more in the description of the characters in this piece than of the little Victorian retreat at the heart of the story.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/garden/24cottage.html?ref=garden
It felt to me like an "invisible person" story of sorts -- a look into a world not immediately visible to the average observer (though in this case, the invisibility was even more literal than in the case of a yoga instructor or a gas station attendant -- these people live in a wooden, hidden retreat).
There are moments when author Joyce Walder's descriptions bring these two characters to life in much the way many of our "invisible person" stories brought "the little people" around us to life. For example, this moment struck me: "Mr. Foster, 51, is a man whose chest gives the impression that he has to go through doors sideways." A vivid picture indeed.
I also wanted to point out that this article begins with the sort of moral/generalization/hyperbole that we discussed at length in Jason's pieces. What do you guys think of beginning the piece with this line?:
"THE most magical things in life are the ones that spring up where you least expect them..."
probably not surprising, but i like that beginning. statements like that to me, even in journalism, cause me to reflect as i read, and also frame the piece with additional perspective that gives the experience more value. it's why i often do it my own writing, and enjoy it when reading others. i don't feel at all like it detracts from the story or causes me to shift or lose focus.
ReplyDeleteJune made it clear that for the purposes of our course we're not to do this, as our focus is on the "nuts & bolts", which is fine, i'm speaking in general about journalistic writing.
I quite like the opening line as well. It set the pace for the slowly paced story about two people that followed, especially given the headline of a "Gingerbread house" set us up for a "moral" tale.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting!
Thanks for the input, guys! I am a little bit torn...I think sometimes this convention works well and other times not at all. I agree that here is is an extremely effective opener, however.
ReplyDelete