Eudora Welty and Me

Eudora Welty writes in Clamorous  to Learn about her principal Miss Duling and how she scared her into learning and how she never  appreciated words and reading until her first year Latin teacher in high school, Mrs. McWillie, didn’t scare her but encouraged her to learn and love words and reading.  I relate to this in a way because growing up, my mother always wanted me to be the best and tried to force and scare me into reading. Much like Welty’s mother and Miss Duling. It wasn’t until my uncle Knat read with me and made me discover that reading could be fun. I eventually started reading and writing on my own, and would have never done this without the kindness and encouragement of my uncle. This quote from my literary narrative relates to how I interpreted this piece by Welty. “Reading and Maine became an escape from the darkness and separation that loomed at home. Because of my Uncle I began to associate reading with laughter and happiness.” I think that my experience as a reader growing up was a fixed mindset. Once my uncle had opened me up to the world of reading and learning  my mindset changed to a more open mindset.

Habits Practice 2 (pg.162)

My personal writers workspace is my desk in my room. In my own little space, I have all that I need to create and write efficiently. All my tools are there at my disposal. I have all my books, papers, pens, pencils, highlighters, post-it notes, and most importantly my laptop. I have pictures of my family and friends, and letters too. Having those there allow me to step back and calm myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed. While looking at the writers at work page, I noticed that many of the writers had cluttered work spaces much like my own. I like to write in my room because it allows me to feel comfortable and in control of my surroundings. I can play music if I please, or keep the windows open to hear the noises and feel the breeze from outside. If I choose to have more privacy I can close my door. Personally quite spaces make me uncomfortable. I choose to steer clear of libraries because I tend to concentrate on the silence and not my work. It reminds me of nothingness, and that scares me in a way. I like to feel connected with my surroundings, not like I’m the only one there.

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