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Tourists in Queens

Describe the reporting and interviewing techniques used by Kirk Semple in this story.

The reporting technique that was used is pretty good it is clever and weaves in the landmarks in Queens. The statistics are also well woven into the article giving it a level of objectivity. The interviews cover on both ends from executive chiefs and presidents of companies to Tourists in queens with their thoughts about Queens

Battle in Black and White

Recently, the NYT ran a story with the headline, “Stuyvesant To be Near Deal to Preserve Middle Class Housing.”  See link below

Amy Fox’s story on Stuyvesant Town focuses on another theme–its history.

How is the recent story related to the Fox’s piece?

They are related because both talk about how people are trying to live in the Stuyvesant Town and are encountering difficulties in moving there. Fox’s article is about a racially charged issue and how the citizens try to overcome the staying in their neighborhoods. In Bagli ‘s article however it talks about a type of solution ten years later by blocking 5000 apartments for 20 years for “traditional families” no matter their race but focused more so on their income families like construction workers teachers and firefighters as well as other rational jobs. With the history of Stuyvesant town which is mentioned in this article from Fox’s article after ten years since the article and 65 years after the battle black veterans went through to live here seems to finally be resolved with the mayor’s 10 year plan to provide affordable housing for residents.

A.J. Liebling

Critic Philip Hamburger has described Back Where I Came From as a “love letter to the City of New York.”

Do you agree or disagree? If so, how and why does Liebling express his views? What techniques does he use as a reporter/writer?

I agree. In a way Liebling isn’t writing to uses readers but the embodiment of new York itself the that can read it and if we are one of the three types of New Yorkers in a way we can somehow communicate it to the spirit of New York. The writing talks about the New York he grew up in fondly retelling the memories like one would retell a story of their summer as a child. Or good memories of ones childhood.

Joe Gould’s Secret by Joseph Mitchell

What do you think of New Yorker Editor Harold Ross’s calling Joseph Mitchell’s profiles: “highlife-lowlife” pieces? The profile is that in a way. The profile on Joe Gould is a high life- lowlife due to how the profile of Gould is written, I wouldn’t say like the way Fitzgerald writes his characters but it is written with care about almost like Gould is this character in a novel that the narrator who is also in the story is like Caraway. Like when he discovered the origins of Gatsby after befriending him. T still has a low life element to it though. Since Gould is homeless and struggling to have purpose in his life other than just surviving. Gould holds a level of being a loveable character. His eccentrics are something that is enthralls the reader with interest but also with pity not only for Gould but also for Mitchell as we read on. Both of these men were at points in their lives well respected. And they have gone down the worn path of the artist. The dark rode no one wants to trod after falling. Falling from the leap of trying to articulate their genius to have something to showcase to the world be for their inevitable death.

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott

Readers expressed praise and criticism for the NYT Dasani series by Andrea Elliott.

Comments included: 1) Criticism that her last name was omitted. 2) Story ran too long 3) Times did not disclose the extent to which it was involved –months of following her every move 4) Not enough attention to the policies and politics of how homeless people are treated in New York City 5) Risk of relying on a single story. Did it become a caricature of larger and more complex issues?

Please comment on these criticisms and add your own criticism or praise.

The story has to run long. This story is nt just about Dasani. This story talks about the secret world of the homeless. It is a success story before it gets big. Dasani on the surface is a student a sister a daughter. But her struggles as a person who is fighting for the American dream is realized through this Article. The article also gives a history of how new ork is changing how it alludes to the changes that are happening and how it effects the residents that are here. People who have experienced displacement and the story of how children can still fight for something better. The details amazing and the times not disclosing the amount of time it took seems unimportant from a readers perspective. If the reporter was present for questions I would probably ask her how long it took and some tips for covering this type of magnitude of a story. I don’t think it became a caricature of a larger more complex issue that happens. Articles focus on the macro and how it effects multiple people using quotes to tell their story. These series of articles I believe is a rare refreshing delight to tell about issues on a close up view. Homelessness is difficult to cover as a whole. Getting people to talk openly talk about their lives in this way isn’t easy for getting cooperation as well as the protections that are placed on them for privacy that could affect their lives. So this story is a jewel for allowing us to see into this rare issues through a child striving upwards. It holds a level of realism talking about the parents the environment and just as it is.

American Girl by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Please answer the following questions on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ American Girl, a profile of Michelle Obama. Answers are to be uploaded by 6PM on Monday, November 23rd.

What is the theme of Ta Nehisi-Coates”s profile? Is there an overarching narrative? What surprises Coates about Michelle Obama? How does Coates contextualize Michelle in the context of his own background growing up in Baltimore?

Note: Coates has just received The National Book Award for Non-fiction for his new book, Between The World and Me. Do read it!

The theme of Ta Nehisi- Coates’s profile is the distinct difference about Coates’s impression of Michelle Obama based on her history as well as her father’s history and past as a former Black Panther. Michelle Obama constantly seems to surprise the writer. Breaking down his expectations as a Black woman. Particularly about how event though she talks about her past it doesn’t make her sound bitter, or encouraging a certain type of people. Even though Michelle Obama sounds like she is not trying to talk about a certain type of America she is the bridge between the black American story that adds to the melting pot. Coates contextualizes Michelle as being a product of Chicago. Lots of things made that black America is proud of, publications ,insurance companies, banks and congressmen. Where Michelle comes from as well as her awareness of what black is and how it defines in this society is shocking since not many people can experience that. It sounds like being in that bubble as the refers it. Is a good feeling in the sense of not limiting yourself to stereotypes but leaving that place cripples the individual.

Proposal for Business piece

Since reading Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Gets Its Turn It showed how Crown Heights has two sides of it. I got interested in the idea of two sides of a neighborhood  and how people who may have lived here for a while are adapting to the new tastes that newcomers from different neighborhoods or different boroughs have. The idea came from walking down Franklin Avenue and  St.John Pl street. On the Right hand side ( St. John Plaza side) looked very different from the left side where I was walking which  had  either closed down restaurants and stores and I wondered how are some stores still surviving? Vee’s Jamaican restaurant has been one of the oldest there and it’s still crowded with costumers while still staying humble in decor and design and it’s flavor. Then there is another business that sells breakfast and lunch items with vegan and vegetarian alternatives and I wanted to do a contrast between them.

Pitch for Profile on Richard Green

Richard Green has been a member of Crown heights for many years he would be described as an activist due to his influence in calming the troubled waters in the Crown Heights Riots in 1991. He would be the best person to talk to about the changes in crown heights as well as his experience as a longtime resident in Crown heights. He is also part of the Crown Heights youth collective on 113 Rogers avenue. I want to know what he sees for the future of crown heights and Newcomers to Crown Heights. As well as if he dealing with generations of residents particularly black youths in the neighborhood how his teaching methods might have changed with each new generation.

Pitch for Battle in Crown heights

After seeing flyers about meetings with MTOPP around the Empire Boulevard and hearing about the district manager’s removal from the community board and research I decided to cover how a battle that has been dragged out over a year between the community ( or rather MTOPP) and community board nine in crown heights was about. Going in I really didn’t know what was going on but after reading articles from DNAinfo.com I got the idea of it. Two key figures Pearl Miles and Alicia Boyd who is the founder of MTOPP.