Essay Two: Interviewing CCII Stanford

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Essay Two: Interviewing Someone About Writing

Assignment: Over the next weeks, you will interview a member from the community you selected for the observation essay and discuss how writing is important to that person and community. Your interviewee may be a family member, friend, colleague, or perhaps someone you’ve yet to meet. Remember to “aim high” and try to choose an interviewee whom you might not have access to otherwise. What should I be asking? This interview will allow you to see how your interviewee defines writing and what kinds of writing he or she enjoys, understands, or discredits. For example, how does a sports writer gather information before writing a column? Do employees at Starbucks have to memorize a specific kind of short-hand when writing on the coffee cups? What’s your favorite blogger’s writing process? Does a local pastor write out his or her sermon in its entirety or simply speak from bulleted notes? As you plan your interview, aim to ask your interviewee about 10 initial questions; we’ll work on developing and refining questions together in a forum. How do I record this information? Also keep in mind that you’ll need to take careful, detailed notes during the interview because you will submit a transcript with this project: Representing your interviewee accurately is your ethical duty as a researcher (and this is hard to do without good notes). You could also record the interview (secure permission from the interviewee in advance of the interview) and transcribe it later to ensure that you don’t miss or forget any information. Keep in mind you will still have to submit a transcript, not an audio file of the interview. Choose your interviewee thoughtfully because this project may help you springboard into your Research Essay; your transcript can be used as one primary source. What do I include in my essay? In addition to your essay, include your transcript so that I can see what was said in its entirety and compare that to decisions you made about what to include and exclude while still retaining your interviewee’s original meaning. That said, not everything that you obtain and transcribe will be relevant once you decide how to focus your essay. It's always better to have more information than what you'll need, and it’s possible that some of the "extra" information will be helpful during your research essay. In its entirety, Essay Two should be at least three pages (not including your reflection, Works Cited page, and transcript) and properly formatted according to MLA guidelines.

Essay Two: Interviewing CCII Stanford

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Your paper should address each of the elements below.

¨ Background: Include some background information, things like who you interviewed and why, how you know the person, etc. ¨ Your interviewee’s thoughts: Tell your audience about the details and information that emerged from your interview. Also, be sure to

include your responses to the interview. I’m looking for you to integrate the three formats that are used in this type of writing: narrative, paraphrase, and direct quotations.

¨ Reflection: Reflect on how the information you gathered relates to the community and your own ideas about writing. What, if anything, have you learned about the power of interviewing and of writing? What broader social forces and events have affected your interviewee’s life? What kinds of questions do you have about those forces and events (perhaps to explore in your Research Essay)? What kinds of information did your interviewee provide that you might need to corroborate with outside research?

Your essay should:

q Include an introduction, body, and conclusion to structure the essay. q Be comprised of a minimum of 3 pages (3-4 page requirement). q Demonstrate your ability to use grammar, punctuation, and formatting suitable for college. q Integrate (introduce) quotes from your interviewee:

§ L Avoid floating quotes: “I don’t get easily distracted when writing.” When Tim said this, I realized that not everyone needs complete silence when writing.

§ J Use integrated quotes: When I asked him about his ability to concentrate, Tim said, “I don’t get easily distracted when writing,” which helped me realize that not everyone needs complete silence when writing.

Format:

r Include a header (i.e., your last name and page number in the upper right corner of every page).

r Include a heading (i.e., your name, my name, the class, and the date on the upper left side of the first page of the essay)

r Use Times New Roman in 12pt size.

Essay Two: Interviewing CCII Stanford

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r Set line spacing at 0pt. r Double space your essay.

Reflection: Along with this essay, please include two paragraphs that will serve as your reflective writing. This is intended to direct my attention to specific portions of your essay and to explain your composing process. This reflection should be no longer than one page. In the first paragraph, consider what worked well, what could have been more successful, what you’re most proud of, any unforeseen complications that arose while completing your project, or any remaining questions that you may have. Use specific writing concepts that we’ll discuss all semester: introduction, conclusion, thesis, transitions, focus, details, etc. In the second paragraph, discuss the success of each workshop: What benefits did you reap from this workshop? Who was most helpful? Did anyone fail to participate? Your actual essay (with the heading and title) will begin on page 1 with the reflection page attached to the back of your essay. When you reflect on your writing, you can do a better job of assessing your essays. J Remember to include, in this order:

¨ Essay (at least three pages of content) ¨ Transcript: A typed copy of your interview needs to be attached to your completed project. Keep this as a separate document and turn it in

with your completed project. ¨ Works Cited Page: Include a Works Cited page with your interview citation as well as any other citations (images, quotations from other

texts or people). ¨ Reflection (two paragraphs, but no longer than one page)

Learning Outcomes:

r Effective Communication (Written/Oral /Reading/Listening) r Information Literacy r Critical Thinking r Global and Diversity Awareness r Civic, Professional, and Ethical Responsibility r Rhetorical Knowledge r Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing r Knowledge of Composing Processes r Collaboration r Knowledge of Conventions