In the essay "Why Me" Parker relies heavily on dialogue and secondary research to craft his profile of Baldwin. Why do you think these two things are used? What do they bring to the essay? Are they effective?
In addition, please write a brief summary about who you are profiling and three questions you plan to ask them. When you respond to your peers posts please provide feedback on their questions.
I believe the heavy dialogue and Secondary
ReplyDeleteresearch is used to give the profile come to life. The secondary research help him understand his background and how he came to be, and the heavy dialogue helps you understand his perceptions and how he feels. The secondary research probably led to asking better questions , to make the profile better. The research and dialogue provides answers in many different angles so the reader can truly grasp what Alec was going through, which is also why it would be effective.
- Sherley Sidney
I agree with everything Sherley said. I think that the secondary research is there to help the reader fully understand Baldwin and that the dialogue provides more answers with many different angles for the reader.
DeleteI am interviewing Alisha Andrews a sophomore at Bridgewater state university . I plan on asking her these questions : why did she choose to become a teacher of all other professions?
ReplyDeleteHow do you think being an African American will impact other students?
What do you plan on doing to bringing more accomplishment in the African American Community ?
- Sherley Sidney
Sherley, Could you say a bit more about Alisha and why you chose her?
DeleteIn the essay “Why Me” Parker relies heavily on dialogue to probably get a better sense of who Baldwin is. It is good to listen and add what he says, how he says it, and who he says it to, for the readers to understand Baldwin better. It helps the reader learn his attitude toward what he is doing, what he has down etc. Also, the secondary research helps craft his work better and give better background to know where Baldwin is coming from, what he is dealing with, and how he got to where he is now. Also, the secondary research is crucial to know what to ask Baldwin at the time, for the reporter to know what his or her subject is going through at that time, it can make for a good story if you have done your research and know what to ask.
ReplyDelete- Also, I am writing about my home town’s Youth Commission Director, Jeanne. She is new this year and I also work for her during the entire year. I am going to ask her, What are your future aspirations and goals for the youth commission? What have you learned since you have started working as the director so far(Seven months in)? And What would you say is your hardest and easiest part of your job and why?
- Leah O'Bryan
Hi Leah,
DeleteI like what you had to say about the essay. I also believe that the dialogue and quotes give the reader a better sense of who Baldwin is. It seems like secondary research is great to use within journalism.
Also, you have a really interesting person to interview! Your questions are great, and it seems like she has a very fun/challenging job.
Throughout the essay "Why Me" Parker relies heavily on dialogue and secondary research to craft his profile of Baldwin. I believe that these two elements are used in order to better describe what type of person Baldwin is. In a sense, it is more accurate for the journalist to use Baldwin's quotes rather than described him as stressed or tense. As a result, the quotes bring a more descriptive, accurate sense of who Baldwin really is. Instead of the journalist narrating who Baldwin is, he lets the quotes speak for themselves. Yes, I believe the quotes are the most effective part of the entire essay.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, I am profiling Alan Anselmi, a BSU alumni, who is an Adaptive Physical Education teacher at the May Center School for Autism and Developmental Disabilities in Randolph. I plan to ask him: Why did you decide to go into physical adaptive therapy? What is your daily schedule? What are the challenges of your job?
I agree with you about how the use of both dialogue and secondary research truly captured who Baldwin was as a person, a human being. Since there are so many opinions running around about him in the media, the only true way to let the readers know about Baldwin is to let him speak for himself.
DeleteAlso, your second question really intrigues me. At first I thought that this was rather a mundane thing to ask, but as I think about it more I can see why you wish to know this. Although, the daily schedule could lack in excitement (it might not, who knows) it provides a way to step into his environment and how he operates on a daily basis. I think that this will help capture who your subject is. Your subject also interests me because I have close cousins who have severe autism and I'm always wanting to learn more about how the people who take care, help, and teach children and adults like my cousins do what they do and why they want to do it.
You might also consider questions that look at the wide range of disabilities the students have that Alan works with. Perhaps what is most difficult and also most rewarding about the job.
DeleteIn "Why Me" the author, Ian Parker, profiles Alec Baldwin, an actor who can sometimes seem controversial. I think that the author's use of secondary research was mainly for providing the readers with an accurate background, void of personal opinion. As Parker mentioned in his essay, Baldwin faced public scrutiny over a leaked voicemail he left to his young daughter. With that evidence many people can form an opinion, negative or otherwise, about him and I believe that the author wanted his readers to know true information about Baldwin despite the public's negative connotation about him. I think that Parker's use of secondary research was effective and crucial for this essay because when dealing with a public figure that has been scorned it's important that the reader has the facts and the background on the subject before making assumptions. The author also used dialogue to capture Alec Baldwin in writing. Baldwin seemed confusing to me as he didn't find much joy or happiness within his fortunate life, but it was not because he was greedy or selfish. I think that dialogue helped me and other readers figure out who Baldwin is. The dialogue provided insight into how he spoke, his behaviors, and how he interacted with others off stage and camera. I found that Parker's use of dialogue proved effective. Although the essay was long because there was the secondary research and dialogue it made me want to keep reading because of all the information the author provided.
ReplyDeleteI am profiling Dr. Tahir Albakaa, my professor for Elementary Arabic I. The three questions I plan to ask him are: What was it like to work for the Iraqi government? How did you end up here at BSU? What has inspired/driven you to accomplish all the work that you've done?
Emily,
DeleteThese are really good questions. You might also think about looking at the cultural aspects and opinions of the struggles those from the middle east are enduring in this country now. Perhaps any challenges he faces daily?
The essay relies on heavy dialogue and secondary research because these elements help paint a picture of Alec Baldwin’s character. The secondary research helps the readers form a perspective about Baldwin and help them better understand who he is and how he worked his way up to success. The heavy dialogue helps readers learn about his strong opinions and why he feels so strongly about them. The heavy dialogue and secondary research help make this profile more personable, and helps Bladwin be relatable to every day Americans. Parents can relate with him about how their children are their world. People who were not born wealthy, can relate with him because of his upbringing.
ReplyDeleteI am profiling my friend Douglas who is a war veteran, who served in the marines. Here are the three questions I plan to ask him. 1.Why did you choose to serve our country? 2. How has the transition been for you since coming back to civilian life, and how is civilian life different from serving? 3. Why are you contemplating to become a police officer now?
Sean Burwell
Sean, profiling a veteran is a great idea. They all have such interesting and different stories to tell. However, it can be a difficult task because many find that they are not able to talk about some things, even when they thought they could. So your tone and questions will be important.
DeleteI think interviewing a veteran is going to make for a very interesting piece and I think your questions will definitely provide you with great feedback. Your second question is really deep and I think the answer you get will be very beneficial to your profile. I also agree with Professor Williams comment because reliving something so serious can be very hard for them so tread lightly.
DeleteI think the author relied heavily on dialogue when writing this profile because the words of the person you are writing about tell more about them than your own words can. Their words tell the reader their diction, their tone of voice, and their grammar which can tell the reader more about them than if the author were to put it in their own words. For example, looking at someone's grammar and diction can tell the reader where they came from, the type of education they received, the type of work they do and so on. I think the secondary research is hugely important because it allowed the author to not waste their time with questions that can be answered elsewhere and it allowed for a source of information on background information that wasn't skewed by the interviewee or interviewer. I think these two elements made for a very effective piece that kept the reader enthralled throughout the piece.
ReplyDeleteI am profiling my high school art teacher that I was a teacher's assistant for my senior year of high school. My original plan was to interview my english teacher, but I have not been in touch with her for some time now and felt more comfortable interviewing someone I was closer with. He is a very skilled potter with over 50 exhibitions of his work, along with teaching full time for middle and high school. My three questions are: 1. What has ceramics given you? 2. How does teaching influence your work outside of school and vice versa? 3. What have you learned about yourself through your career of art and teaching?
-Olivia Griswold
I agree with you a hundred percent about the dialogue and secondary research. I like when you talked about the dialogue and mentioned how some ones grammar and dictation can tell where they came from. I would have never thought about dialogue can tell so much about a person. I also like how when you discussed secondary research that you talk about not wasting their times with questions that can be answered else were. That’s a great tip that all writers can you when they are writing a piece of work just like this one.
Delete-Kayla Hession
Parker does use dialogue and secondary research often in this profile. (which was done nicely I must say!) I think his reason for the secondary research is to give us an understanding of Baldwin's background, and how he's grown over the years. I believe Parker used dialogue a lot in this because from what I get is that Baldwin is a rather unique kind of guy, and if you just wrote your interpretation of his words, you might not have gotten that vibe. When you hear Baldwin say things himself, you really get to see what kind of person he is and it's more on a personal level as well. I also like that they used Alec's brother quotes on him as well. They obviously have the second most knowledge of him and have their own outlooks on how Alec lives. It was nicely written.
ReplyDeleteAlso- I am writing my profile on a man named Jim. He was a former alcoholic/drug addict and got totally sober around 10 years ago. He now owns his own business and helps guide younger kids who are struggling to get sober. The three questions to ask would be 1) How do you feel about life now versus how you felt about it when you were using? 2)What had made you want to change your lifestyle and get sober? 3) Does being in recovery make you look and people or the world differently from others who don't know the struggle with drugs and alcohol?
- Sarah Despres
Sarah i agree with the way you analyzed the secondary research and i like your profile it seems very interesting can't wait to see the final product
DeleteSarah,
DeleteYour questions for Jim are very interesting and I am sure you will be able to do a nice profile on him with the questions you intend to ask. Maybe you could ask him how he guides younger kids to get sober as well?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn “Why Me” Parker relies on dialogue and secondary research for many reasons. I believe these two things were heavily used because it gives the profile more detail. You really understand who The character in Baldwin.. You can actually picture yourself in his shoes. I believe if the profile didn’t have these two elements it wouldn’t be as good as it is, it would have been boring to me. It brings life to the profile; it shows me as a reader that there are different ways to bring details to an essay bedside giving visual details. Also shows me other techniques that I never knew could be possible to do in an essay and that there are other ways to show details. If done right I can put it in my essays now. I believe it is effective only if the writer does it the right way to make sure the reader understands what’s going on and not confused while reading the story. It also makes the story more enjoyable and keeps the reader’s attention.
ReplyDeleteThe Person I’m doing my profile on is a good friend that I met my sophomore year of high school and have been friends with ever since. I chose to do this person to profile because they had a hard life growing up and I want to learn more about it and understand more because I had family, friends growing up and made my childhood great. It’s hard for me to understand that not everyone has a perfect family like I do, so maybe doing this profile it will make me understand more. Also to show me that not everyone's life is easy like mine, and that some people have to work twice as hard to reach goals. The questions I will ask, one great memory you had as a child? Where do you see you future going in ten years? What is one great accomplishment right now that you feel great accomplishing and why?
Kayla, I completely agree. The techniques bring the profile to life, while also demonstrating to the reader the different ways to bring details to an essay and make them interesting.
DeleteThe "Why Me" profile of Alec Baldwin is a very interesting read, because at points it feels like you're reading about a birthday clown complaining while he's on his cigarette break. The way Alec Baldwin is depicted in the profile makes him feel like a normal person whose failures outweigh his success. Despite having won a number of awards since his 30 Rock role, he still wonders "Where did everything go wrong?" His outlook makes sense when you consider all the non-titular or main roles that he's had. The best argument for a lead role he has is The Hunt for Red October, but even in that Sean Connery stole the show, so I can see where his self-disappointment comes from. The dialogue used in the piece comes of as candid and does a good job of feeling like Baldwin is actually telling us how he feels, as opposed to giving us a canned response. Alec has always been the most successful Baldwin, and when you read the quote about how Alec always has something to whine about, you really get some insight into how his demeanor is, especially when it's coming from a "lesser" Baldwin, that knows first-hand of his brother's success.
ReplyDeleteMy profile is on a new stand-up comic named James Corbett. He's 26, from Brockton. I had originally known of him in high school, but never really became close friends with him at the time, but remember him getting kicked out of band on multiple occasions. Having never really gotten to know him, now that he's out and about doing comedy, I'm fascinated about what entering that world is like. I want to ask him when and how he had the moment where he realized doing stand-up is something he could do. Also, knowing that he's a warehouse worker by day, I'd be interested to know where he gets his comedic ideas from. Is he observational, or does he craft puns? I also have a morbid curiosity into what it's like when a comic bombs and has a bad show, so I would ask for details about the worst show/venue he performed at. It'll be interesting to hear what it's like from someone who is just breaking out into that business.
The "Why Me" profile of Alec Baldwin is different to say the least the way the story is written depicts him as a person who has struggled and his struggles had landed him worse off then where he started. What I appreciated most about the article is the secondary research is for his background which was very helpful for me as the reader to get more insight on Alec Baldwin
ReplyDeleteI have chosen my profile to be a young aspiring rapper called Kyle Bent. He is 19 and is starting a hip hop career he already has an album out and i first met him through a mutual friend last semester.
I am going to ask him what he wants his message to be?
I will also ask him what are his plans for the new year?
I will also ask him who is the person that inspires him the best?
-Gabriel Montero
In the profile "Why Me" on Alec Baldwin, Parker relies heavily on dialogue and secondary research because this helps support the kind of person Baldwin is. By using the direct quotes of what not only Baldwin has to say, but also what others have to say about him, it gives a direct look to showing the kind of man he really is. The dialogue shown shows who he is without having state it exactly how it is. The research used is significant because it shows the author looked up background information on the person being profiled. Like talked about in class, doing your research makes for a better profile of the person, and that is what parker did. Both the dialogue and secondary research created a nice flow to the profile and was an interesting read.
ReplyDelete- I am profiling Melissa Bonomo. She is the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation and Intramurals and BSU. Three questions I plan to ask her is, What made you come to BSU for this job? What are your least favorite and favorite parts of this job? Did you always intend on working in this field?
I believe Ian Parker’s reliance on both dialogue and secondary research are exercised in order to create a casual and conversational tone, and also to have the reader experience the voice of Alec Baldwin in the way the interviewer does. This dialogue sewed in throughout the article brings Baldwin's story to life, creating a personal relationship between the reader and the actor himself. Such techniques are effective in that by choosing secondary resources like Baldwin’s two younger brothers and his closest of friends, the reader gains access to some of Baldwin’s most intimate feelings and also how those nearest to the actor view him. Overall, the techniques create a style easy to read, but also highly intriguing. In the worlds of Zinnser, “his own words will always be better than your words, even if you are the most elegant stylist in the land.”
ReplyDeleteFor essay #1 I am profiling Bridgewater State professor of public administration, Jodie Kluver. In addition to her teaching profession, professor Kluver also works with non profit consulting. I plan to ask Kluver more about her work outside of the classroom with questions like, who or what has inspired your career choices? If you could work with one non profit, which would it be and why? and what advice would you give to students interested in careers like yours?
Your explanation of the use of secondary sources and dialogue is very well said, and I agree with all of the points you made. Also, your quote from Zinnser perfectly illustrates what this type of writing is all about.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the writing piece "Why Me" by Ian Parker, Parker creates a profile of American actor Alec Baldwin, and he uses secondary research and dialogue to provide us with a very specific and detailed image of what kind of person Baldwin is, and to thoroughly describe his story that has seen its fair share of twists and turns. I believe the dialogue is used quite heavily in this profile because there is no better way to learn about someone than to hear them describe their story to a writer, as opposed to writers seeking people who have seen what he has gone through from a distance. The secondary sources are also used however because it is vital to a profile about someone to have first hand witnesses that can give their opinion on someones story and explain what they saw someone (In this case Alec Baldwin) going through.
ReplyDeleteFor Essay #1, I will be profiling Marshfield Police Officer and Assistant Principle Bill Battis. In 2014, Bill Battis was awarded the "Hero Among Us" award for outstanding work in the community and was honored at a Celtics-Magic game during the first tv timeout during the second quarter. It was a very significant moment in his life, and I have asked him many questions thus far, three notable ones however are:
1) What got you into the teaching and criminal justice careers that you have chosen
2) What were your feelings during the standing ovation you received from over 18,000 people at the Celtics game?
3) What was your reaction to the news that you would be receiving this prestigious reward?
I think Parker uses secondary sources and dialogue because these are two useful tools for writers when they are creating a profile on someone they do not know personally and therefore can't speak about from experience. For example, he used dialogue from Baldwin's brother which lets the reader know that not only is this information credible, but it is intimate and personal because it is coming from people who are close to Baldwin. The use of these tools was definitely effective in writing the "Why Me" profile because as a reader I walk away feeling like I dove into a certain aspect of Baldwin's life and have learned something about him.
ReplyDeleteI have chosen to profile David Bernard, who is a police officer, an Iraq war veteran, and a big family man. I was interested in picking his brain about how his experiences have affected his life and molded him into the person he is. Some of the questions I plan to ask are: 1. How do you separate your role as a police officer from the role of husband and father? 2. What is the scariest experience you have ever faced and how did it change you? 3. Does your job cause any stress or strain within your family and personal relationships, and if so how do you cope with this?
These are very personal questions that can provide for an honest and in depth story. However, keep in mind that the subject may not be comfortable answering them all or in the way you hope. Your tone and approach will be important.
DeleteZoe Wyman
ReplyDeleteI believe that Ian Parker's use of secondary research and dialogue was extremely effective in his piece "Why Me", a profile about Alec Baldwin. Secondary research helps provide readers with background information regarding the person being profiled, and also allows readers to create an image of this person in their head. Considering this research collects actual facts about a person, it eliminates any room for bias. Direct dialogue from Alec Baldwin regarding himself, along with direct quotes about what others have said about him, gives readers a strong sense of his personality and his character as a whole. I believe that the combination of these two elements results in a well developed profile.
For Essay #1, I have chosen to profile my cousin, a 24 year old recovering heroin addict. Although you mentioned in class that family members are very difficult to write about without being biased- I believe I can effectively profile her because her addiction has caused us to be very distant from one another. Some questions I have decided to ask her are:
1) What's something you wish non-users knew about addiction?
2) When did you first try (heroin), and did you feel immediately addicted?
3) At what point did you decide to seek recovery, would you say you were at "rock bottom"?
I really like that you chosen this person as your profile. This is a topic that should get more recognition, and the questions that you've picked are great as well.
DeleteIn Ian Parker's profile "Why Me," the author brings Alec Baldwin's stern and witty personality to life through dialogue and secondary research. Parker uses these elements in a skillful way and the reader truly gets to Alec Baldwin in a humanely way and as an actor. Through dialogue from the actor himself, and from his peers and family, the author presents Baldwin's tumultuous life from his upbringing to the man he is today. In order to get the questions to receive the dialogue, the author had to do secondary research on the actor and this gave readers a better comprehension of Baldwin's background. Dialogue and secondary research made this piece quite intriguing.
ReplyDeleteI am doing my profile story on Debra Cave. She is the former administrator of City Roots Alternative High School in Roxbury, MA. Three of the questions I plan to ask her are - 1. What made you get into alternative education? 2. What attributes make a good student? 3. How has your experience with alternative education impacted your life out of the classroom?
Andrew this sounds like a fascinating profile. I do notice though, that your second question is different from the other two in that it focuses on students and not the interviewee's path. Think about the goal of your essay.
Delete