Brush Strokes

Assignment:

1. copy/paste a chunk of prose from an old blog or old academic paper or even a new paper you’re working on into your blog.
2. copy/paste it again. Revise this second pasting (so we can see the comparison).
3. As you add in a brush stroke, please boldface the brush stroke, with the name of the brush stroke in [brackets] right after it.

In 1998, Rolling Stone assigned David Lipsky to write about West Point. He originally planned to stay for a couple weeks, but ended up spending the next four years writing his book, Absolutely American. Students who pick up his book will have a similar experience. They may expect a quick read-through, but will become engrossed with the characters in much the same way the author became attached to the military academy. Absolutely American should be added to the English 110 course syllabus, not merely because it resonates with college students, but because of the text’s compelling nature and relevance to contemporary society.

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In 1998, Rolling Stone, a magazine named for the 1948 Muddy Waters song of the same name [appositive], assigned David Lipsky, a writer of both fiction and nonfiction [appositive], to write about West Point. Lipsky originally planned to stay for a couple weeks, but ended up spending the next four years writing his book, Absolutely American. Students, black and white [adjectives out of order], who pick up his book will have a similar experience. Reading while simultaneously checking their Facebook and blogging [Participle], students may expect a quick read-through, but will become engrossed with the characters in much the same way the author, a graduate of Brown University [appositive], became attached to the military academy. Absolutely American, chocked full of imagery and characterization of our military which few civilians ever see [Absolute], should be added to the English 110 course syllabus, not merely because it resonates with college students, but because of the text’s compelling nature and relevance to contemporary society.