Comments by Anthony Califano Most recent public comments by Anthony Califano https://nowcomment.com/users/12976 The metaphor of life applies to all 3 stories as the journalist and their subjects form a bonding relationship to not only create the story but to get to know each other. It is like an affair because they spend so much time together like a couple. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44650?scroll_to=525606 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44650?scroll_to=525606 Fri, 20 May 2016 18:28:01 -0400 I agree that there is much irony. Trust and being objective are conflicting with each other. The subject is being used in a sense that trust is wanted to gain a story. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44650?scroll_to=525603 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44650?scroll_to=525603 Fri, 20 May 2016 18:26:06 -0400 McGinnis decided to stay with MacDonald to gain his trust and in the long run, would help him write his article. It's interesting to see how it is two sided and both can either win, both lose, or one with and one lose. But ultimately, both want to succeed https://nowcomment.com/documents/44650?scroll_to=525600 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44650?scroll_to=525600 Fri, 20 May 2016 18:14:18 -0400 I agree with you that it is risky but a possible gain could come out of it. You could lost the trust of the other party or you can gain full trust. it is a matter of taking a risk. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44649?scroll_to=525598 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44649?scroll_to=525598 Fri, 20 May 2016 18:11:26 -0400 Wambaughis putting his cards on the table because he knows the game is not over. He does not fear of following his gut and writing the way he sees it. Unlike the relationship between a reporter and editor, he doesn't want MacDonald to conform his writing. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44649?scroll_to=525595 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44649?scroll_to=525595 Fri, 20 May 2016 18:08:10 -0400 The drafts don't do justice. Throughout the process of editing, the personal tastes of the editor are forced upon the reporter into conforming his or her article to fit those personal tastes. By doing so, the style of the reporter is lost. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525588 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525588 Fri, 20 May 2016 18:00:42 -0400 The reported sacrificed his creative freedom and changed his writing to fit the mold the editor was asking for. The editor expects in return for his drinks to show appreciation for his sacrifice of limiting his writing. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525587 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525587 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:58:47 -0400 The second draft appears to more similar to an article in a newspaper than a chapter in a novel. The writing is not too extravagant and specifics are given like time and names. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525585 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525585 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:55:42 -0400 The copyboy might think he is reading literature because the plot of the story unfolds itself like a novel and not like an article in a newspaper. The reporter scraps the draft because he feels as if the writer does not fit what he is looking for. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525583 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44121?scroll_to=525583 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:54:16 -0400 We learn that the role of a journalist is significant to revealing what is news and what is not. Whatever they release to the public will be taken and in and believed as true so they must take this process very seriously. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525582 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525582 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:50:38 -0400 It wasn't news because it wasn't novel or new to the reporter. News is suppose to be relevant and consistent with time and the fact that she was promiscuous and slept with other men was a known fact. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525581 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525581 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:48:58 -0400 The reporter didn't find any humor in the joke because it was all a blue to him. He appeared to be confused or indifferent to what they had to say. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525580 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525580 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:47:51 -0400 I agree with my classmates above me about the joke that the woman has spare men who she can used as back ups. I found it amusing how the reporters did not laugh at her comment, but were rather cynical of the story. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525579 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525579 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:46:17 -0400 I also agree. A build up of intensity not only in the scene but also a build up within the character. The build up of the feelings he was experiencing and where the feelings will guide him. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525576 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44058?scroll_to=525576 Fri, 20 May 2016 17:43:31 -0400 The reporter has gotten so emotionally invested in the people that make up the story and the editor can't comprehend this. The editor has a different role than the reporter and he can't understand his perspective. https://nowcomment.com/documents/44057?scroll_to=488781 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44057?scroll_to=488781 The story has become a part of the reporter's life and for the editor, it is simply part of his job. Thu, 19 May 2016 20:49:21 -0400 A reporter could bring back what he or she saw but that would be the same as an eyewitness account. The editor is looking for something that's different and has more of an edge to it that will grab the reader's attention but still understand what happened https://nowcomment.com/documents/44057?scroll_to=488780 https://nowcomment.com/documents/44057?scroll_to=488780 Sat, 05 Mar 2016 17:11:08 -0500 The editor is patient with the reporter because he knows he has to have a helpful relationship with the editor since they'll be in constant communication with each other. If he offers advice and guidance, it'll make the process more smooth. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43909?scroll_to=488779 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43909?scroll_to=488779 Sat, 05 Mar 2016 17:38:21 -0500 The editors of the newspaper are interested in pieces that will bring honesty, informativeness, and un-biased information. The editor wants information that will stand out and will take less than 30 seconds to get why the story is important. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43909?scroll_to=488777 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43909?scroll_to=488777 Sat, 05 Mar 2016 17:37:19 -0500 Journalism is more about gaining credible sources to write informational truth. The main objective is to to include reliable facts and to let communities, countries, and the world, what is going on around them. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43909?scroll_to=488771 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43909?scroll_to=488771 Although creativity is used in writing an article, it does in a matter that doesn't take away from the news that is being presented. Literature has more of a focus on creativity that includes similes and colorful language to bring out the plot. Sat, 05 Mar 2016 17:36:04 -0500 I believe reporters are portrayed as untidy because they are constantly trying to get their work done that they forget about their own personal lives and personal upkeep. They are also under a lot of stress and pressure to get their work in on time. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43908?scroll_to=474301 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43908?scroll_to=474301 Fri, 19 Feb 2016 08:37:24 -0500 I think this comparison was done because an aquarium is gloomy but there is still a dim presence of light. Also, it gives a feeling of no escape; fishes cannot escape the water and neither can the reporter and editor from their office. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43908?scroll_to=474300 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43908?scroll_to=474300 Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:36:29 -0400 The "downfunnelled light" gives more of a dramatic image of the light beaming on the desk. It also gives an image of the shape of the light; how the light starts wide and gets more narrow as it is projected. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43908?scroll_to=474299 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43908?scroll_to=474299 Fri, 20 May 2016 23:35:52 -0400 The editor is treating the reporter with high expectations/standards. He sees a lot of potential in him and wants only the best out of him. The reporter is probably not accustomed to someone treating him in this matter and is having difficulty adjusting. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43907?scroll_to=466435 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43907?scroll_to=466435 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 08:04:26 -0500 This shows that a reporter will do just about anything to get a story out of an event, even if that means assisting a homicide. But when you come out of the event, you bring back information. So are you coming out as an eyewitness or a reporter? https://nowcomment.com/documents/43907?scroll_to=466433 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43907?scroll_to=466433 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 07:52:52 -0500 I agree with my other students about the symbolism of the font and hints of yellow journalism. I think it definitely is a perfect example of the mainstream journalism today. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43903?scroll_to=466430 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43903?scroll_to=466430 It is fascinating how media outlets are able to craft and manipulate a story that doesn't have much importance in regards to worldwide issues and make it sell. Thu, 19 May 2016 23:30:47 -0400 The world the writer lives in has many sides just like the folded paper. It includes a world of color where life seems to be more positive and exciting than the other side. The other side is full of darkness and mystery, where reality is more revealed. https://nowcomment.com/documents/43903?scroll_to=466407 https://nowcomment.com/documents/43903?scroll_to=466407 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 08:08:10 -0500 In the 12th paragraph, more is expressed about his the lows in his career and how many people criticized him. Then the tone of the piece changes in the 14th paragraph and it shows that the critics were a stepping stone to the successes he gained. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=331394 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=331394 Basically what I'm trying to say is that because it is an obituary, it looks at the negatives with a positive perspective. If it wasn't an obituary, it would have continued to stay in the tone of the 12th paragraph, more critical. Fri, 27 Mar 2015 17:57:38 -0400 If there were no statistics, it would lack credibility and would only include his personal journey. It wouldn't be as compelling and credible to read. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=331389 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=331389 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:54 -0500 Obituaries are one of the most unique forms of literature ever written. One of the advantages of obituaries is that they can really capture someone's life, if written well. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330741 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330741 However, if not written well, they won't do justice to someone's life. I believe writing your own obituary would be the most compelling than if someone else writes it for you, but sometimes you need that outside perspective. Overall, the disadvantage is misconstruing someone's life and not getting their successes and failures across to the reader. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:53 -0500 Miller didn't want to follow the status quote of how a typical writer should live his or her life. I believe his personal life and his writing life were two separate worlds but they influenced each other. In other wards, his life influenced his writing. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330736 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330736 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 If not an obituary, the phrasing might have continued to leave Mailer's life open to argument, but the author switches gears from the previous paragraph and states that his life and worth suggest otherwise from his novels. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330734 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330734 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 The phrase "it could be said" gets the reader into the argument. Just like a rhetorical question, it gets the reader thinking and it also shows that the author is not bias. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330731 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330731 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 Tristram Shandy wrote "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy" and he tells his life in a humorous way. He does not explain things simply and there is a lot of context in his story. I believe Mailer treats himself the same way in his writing. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330729 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330729 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 Elephantine in regards to writing might mean that it was clumsy and many mistakes could be found and not enough flow. Mannered writing might be unnatural and writing that is attempting too hard to impress people. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330726 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330726 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:49 -0500 The first paragraph establishes to the reader a great loss of an American novelist who had much success during his career. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330723 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25275?scroll_to=330723 One other beginning I could picture for this obituary was maybe providing a quote by Normal Miller that would then tie into his legacy and what a loss it is to lose such a prolific novelist. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:48 -0500 Spurlock makes this film personal by sharing his weight loss journey. The triumphs of his journey and the pit lows were all expressed while still maintaining the argument of the film which was: eating super size meals from McDonald's can ruin your health. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=330720 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=330720 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:51 -0500 I liked the insert of this rhetorical question here. It really gets the reader thinking and looks at both sides of the argument. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=330718 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=330718 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:51 -0500 This review if full of statistics because it involves numbers such as pounds and cholesterol levels. These statistics bring truth to the fact that eating McDonald's for one month can be detrimental to one's health. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=330717 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30608?scroll_to=330717 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:54 -0500 Flaherty may be talking about the Inuit lifestyle as a whole, but his main focus is on Nanook and the different obstacles he comes upon and how he conquers them. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30240?scroll_to=323361 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30240?scroll_to=323361 We get to witness the different sides of Nanook. His loving and family oriented side, his hunting side, and the side of him that fights but comes to a tragic ending when he freezes to death. This was the best way to tell the story because it captures not only the Inuit lifestyle, but also what it was like for a human like Nanook to live in the harsh circumstances he lived in. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:42 -0500 Ebert idea of "authenticity" doesn't necessarily mean it is happening in real time because it was staged, but it shows the viewer what life was like for the Inuits. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30240?scroll_to=323358 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30240?scroll_to=323358 Through the struggles of finding food and the freezing weather, contrasted with the love and joy brought by family and animals, we get a feel of how life must have been like for the Inuits. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:42 -0500 Dates are used to increase the drama of the narrative by taking the reader on a virtual walk up to the very last days of the tragic ending of Sylvia's life. Although the title of the biography is a spoiler, the dates add the drama that is needed. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=321792 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=321792 Some other elements that give drama are the vivid details that are provided, especially the ones that revolve around Plath and her emotional state. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:35 -0500 Aurelia Plath is introduced as someone who cares, as a mother, for her daughter. She is presented as an eyewitness of her daughter's downward spiral to her eventual suicide. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=321791 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=321791 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:34 -0500 The chronology takes us with Sylvia that day and makes us imagine how she must have felt when she received that phone call. It also foreshadows what's to come and in what direction Sylvia's path is heading. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=321790 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25279?scroll_to=321790 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:34 -0500 This paragraph fits in the theme of the diary because it supports the overall theme that two cultures can be completely different on how they govern their societies. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317507 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317507 For example, there is no such sign in American train stations, because the culture is different and maybe this "rule" is more self explanatory for the American people that they don't need a reminder. This sentence: "I recall my friend last night noting how much her British fellow employees drink just as soon as the workday is over" ... goes to show that the British people like to drink after a long day of work and for that reason, there are signs in train stations that prohibit drunk behavior. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:29 -0500 There are several set ups provided by this paragraph. The main one revolves around how other cultures may view cultures different from their own. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317505 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317505 So even though Ted liked that Sylvia was the complete opposite of him, a go-ahead American, his friends didn't understand and couldn't relate to her personality. What the author is trying to set up here is a connection to his own personal experience in another culture and how people view him differently. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:29 -0500 It was noticed that the city "held out some kind of stimulation" that Plath could not obtain from back home. For the author, it was kind of the same thing. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317503 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317503 Unlike New York, the author noted the cultural difference of the right of way in NYC and the opposite in London. Drivers would not yield when pedestrians approached the street, but rushed right past. The author is very observant of the differences and is open minded about them as well. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:29 -0500 This paragraph tells us that the author is taken back to memories of New York, particularly referencing NYPL and taxis picking up people on the street. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317502 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317502 I liked how there was contrast noticed by the author between London's order and New York's lack of order, otherwise stated as a "free for all". Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:29 -0500 The use of chronology in the first paragraph makes this like a diary entry. Words like: yesterday, today, and then, are all words that express the passing of time and give the reader a sense of direction through the writer's day. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317501 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25283?scroll_to=317501 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:29 -0500 In the beginning of the biography we get a hint at her personality as being high strung and very analytic of her surroundings. Then as the narrative progresses, the reader is able to use his or her own interpretation to make sense of who Sontag really is. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=315738 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=315738 This especially occurs in paragraph 7 when it is stated: "What Sontag wants to tell us ..." Here we get a sense of doubt or uncertainty in Sontag's speech. As readers, we can fill in the blanks ourselves and try to imagine how her life might have been like at that time in her childhood. Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:25 -0500 This paragraph introduces yet another change that is thrown at Sontag where she will either adapt or struggle with the new change. The reader will only find out by reading the next narrative. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=315734 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=315734 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:25 -0500 This paragraph sets the scene for the rest of the biography. It prepares the reader and introduces him or her to a young girl who is not just like any other ordinary little girl. Because of this, it makes the reader wants to read more and discover more. https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=315729 https://nowcomment.com/documents/25280?scroll_to=315729 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:24 -0500 The witness instills a sense of honesty in the piece, which helps the read trust the subjects. How is a writer able to make their audience trust him or her is a major task to fulfill and by providing a witness to the narrative helped the biographer. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=314018 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=314018 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:17 -0500 The dialogue plays a significant role of supporting the narrative provided by the biographer. Once the biographer sets the foundation of his thoughts, he then backs it up with dialogue which helps the reader gain an understanding of the big picture. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=314017 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=314017 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:18 -0500 The biographer is crafting how the subject's life should be told. He/she is making those small choices whether it's grammatical, a narrative choice, or a vocabulary choice, the biographer is putting their voice into the story whether intentionally or not. https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=314014 https://nowcomment.com/documents/30636?scroll_to=314014 Sat, 20 Feb 2016 08:46:17 -0500