Category Archives: Uncategorized

AJ Liebling

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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 that Back Where I Came From is a love letter to the city of New York. The style that Liebling exhibits is very much like the pace and lingo of a New Yorker, and he admits to not having anything other than his New York roots to turn to. Many of the things he mentions about the city, whether it be the undertaker or tummler, Liebling describes people that make up the New York culture. Its sense of timelessness makes it something that can be referenced in todays society, even though the piece was published in 1938.

By describing people through their routines and how they associate with other people, Liebling is able to draw the description that allows him to describe characters that define New York City culture. The people he writes about are more than just their name and their niche in the community; they are all symbolic of what makes New York City so busy and rich in culture.

Tourists in Queens

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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

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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.

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott

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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

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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.

American Girl

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What is the theme of Ta Nehisi-Coates’s profile?

The theme of the profile circulates around the idea that Michelle Obama embodies true American values and goals. The writer touches on Obama’s history and childhood to show that she has American culture deeply rooted in her from her humble beginnings.

Is there an overarching narrative?

The article starts with Obama’s beginnings in order to show the reader that she comes from a humble background, just like most of us. The writer includes information on the black population in Chicago as well as information on blue collar working families.

What surprises Coates about Michelle Obama?

Coates is surprised by how open Michelle Obama is about her past and how real she is in her speaking. She does not try to smooth over anything, and states exactly how she feels.

How does Coates conceptualize Michelle in the context of his own background growing up in Baltimore?

Coates notes in his piece that Michelle has not been negatively affected by racial and economic issues around her area. He sees that Michelle Obama’s family was able to remain stability even through hard times and is admirable of how unaffected she is of negative happenings. Coates believes that Michelle Obama is very fortunate, and has prospered even though hard times, making her the embodiment of American goals and values.

 

Battle in Black and White

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Both Fox’s and Bagli’s pieces tell how Stuyvesant town housing is inaccessible to different groups of people.

Bagli’s piece explains that the pricing situation of the apartments is the main factor that is driving out minority groups because they cannot afford to stay in the area. This is interesting in that Stuyvesant town was specifically oriented towards housing minorities, but is instead pushing them out of it. Fox’s piece discusses the way that Stuyvesant town was meant for low income families and veterans, but did not include black families. Black families were even excluded even if they were war veterans.

Both articles touch upon the problems faced in the housing industry in which raising rent prices makes it hard for families to maintain stable homes and forces them to move out. What separates the two writers is that Bagli’s focus lies mainly on present issues, while Fox chooses to look back into the past to remind readers that this has been going on for some time.

A.J. Liebling

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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?

Philip Hamburger is correct when he describes “Back Where I Came From” as a “love letter to the City of New York” since he goes into precise detail about all aspects of New York. He clearly has paid a great deal of attention to the tiniest things that make up the city, making it easy to infer that he has a great passion for the city. Liebling goes into detail with the description of buildings, daily tasks of New Yorkers, as well as using street numbers and landmarks to give his readers a precise location of the place he’s bringing to life with his words. From the details Liebling provides, he definitely uses techniques of imagery and scene in order to bring life to his “love letter to the City of New York.”

Class Photo (December 10, 2015)

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So sorry that some of you arrived after we shot this photo.  It was a wonderful class. Do make sure that you upload your Conflict Stories (published and tagged) and that all of your posts have your name on them. Add multi-media, too.

Happy Holidays (almost) to all! And Happy New Year!

Roslyn Bernstein

FeaturesDecember2015

Photo credit: Glenda Hydler

Proposal for Business piece

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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.