Michael Craig's Journal

It’s 11:15 PM and I’m back to work. I haven’t finished the Shannon Elizabeth post but I have an assignment that’s much more important. It came from my wife Jo Anne.

Jo Anne has started teaching middle school this year. She signed on to teach social studies part-time. Just last week, they added a pair of language arts classes so she’s now teaching full-time and a subjec that, while she is qualified to teach it, she didn’t know she WOULD teach it until just last week.

The writing class is stalling on how to SHOW things rather than TELL them. Admittedly, this is a vital concept but a difficult one to describe, much less accomplish. Even if it takes readers more time, it is much more rewarding (for the reader and the writer) for readres to figure out where the writer is taking them than for the writer to say, “Here is where we are.”

This is done with description. Jo Anne decided, because they have already done a couple writing assignments, to give some examples. She came up with something from James Thurber, “Mr. Preeble Gets Rid of His Wife.” That’s a great story but I told her “The Night the Bed Fell” is better. I recommend you read it; it’s one of the great American short-stories, wickedly funny. I’m sure I can count on both hands the number of things I’ve read that really influenced my writing and “The Night the Bed Fell” definitely makes that list.

Before suggesting this story, Jo Anne had told me that she had the kids write a description of their bedroom. I offered to do the same and here it is: [She is using it as an example for the class, so I have to get it typed up so she can take it to school tomorrow!}

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The bedroom is a busy place, cluttered wtih items from the busy lives of the people who supposedly sleep here. The king-sized bed is unake. One nightstand has a pair of empty water bottles, a lamp, a bright red American Girl Doll gox, and a pair of blue, doll-sized slippers. The other nightstand holds a tin alarm clock, an empty water bottle, a paperback novel, a notebook computer (non-functioning), an oversized plastic cup full of change and a rumpled five-dollar bill, and the manuscript of a partial chapter describing how to play poker online.

A large dresser has one of the few uncluttered surfaces, but it still carries two large dollars and two large bottles of water. The water has been there for at least a week. The length of residence ofr hte dolls? Unknown.

A large cabinet opposite the other side of the bed is missing its doors. The large area bheind where the doors would be has a giant box that says “LATVIA,” CDs, a looseleaf, and a pile of papers and blank magazine subscription cards. The top shelf has been converted into a bookcase for forty-one books and one looseleaf.

A red desk against one wall has a computer and a small television. It has some teaching supplies and papers, but is overrun with moisterizers, a giant hair brush, colored pens and pencils, a cookie wrapper, plastic cups, and colorful printouts from Disney and Nickelodeon websites.

The thick carpeting shows that more than two people use this room. Duffel bag full of (clean) clothes. Giant doll house. Small garbage can. A box of sixty-four crayons. A surge suppressor wrapped in a jumble of cords. A bin of doll accessories. Three purses. Two bath towels. A bin of family pictures. A West Highland White Terrier named Harpo.

In fact, this must be his room, because the overwhelming sensation upon entering the room is not the disarray but the smell of urine. A large overhead fan runs at all times. It keeps the room cool but still smelling of dog urine.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 17th, 2006 at 1:27 am and is filed under My favourites:.