Homework for Wednesday, April 4th

Response Paper #5

1. Read “Perfectionism” by Anne Lamott in your course reader, pp. 107-109.

2. Read actively: Mark passages that strike you. Note words, ideas, or images that resonate for you.

3. Jot down notes in response to the following questions:
o According to Lamott, how will perfectionism ruin your writing?
o What might be the value of “keeping yourself company” and learning “to be more compassionate company”?

4. Consider how Lamott’s views of perfectionism relate to your personal experience. Where do you fit on the spectrum between perfectionism one extreme and utter lack of discipline on the other? Do you hold tight to your work, fearful about making mistakes? Do you plunge in to your work willy-nilly, careless about what you create? Or do you fit somewhere between the two? How can you make use of Lamott’s ideas in your own work?

5. Freewrite for 15 minutes. (You may either write in direct response to Lamott’s essay, or use this freewrite to explore an idea for your inquiry paper.)

6. Read your freewrite. Find one phrase or sentence that gets to the heart of what you want to say. Write that phrase or sentence at the top of another sheet of paper.

7. Freewrite for 15 minutes, working from the phrase or sentence that you selected.

8. Read what you’ve written.
o Are your ideas clearly expressed?
o Have you supported your ideas with specific examples from your experience and/or reading?

9. Revise as needed. Proofread your writing. Make corrections as need.

10. Save a copy your paper on your computer, and print a copy to bring to class. (Your paper should be double-spaced, with one-inch margins. At the top of the page, please include your name, the date, “Seattle Arts Ecology,” and “Response Paper #5.”)