There are several features of CNF. A parallel I notice throughout all of the essay's, is that they all possess descriptive language, some more vivid than others. The shorter narrative essays have a very fast pace, where the long essays are more drawn out and wordy.
Both of the shorter essays are told sequentially, but maybe that's because of the nature of each story–they both tell of a singular, raw experience, where the longer essays tell about Ebert's experiences with language loss and a very detailed description of Lopate's body.
In Beard's essay, I felt like I was in the car with her being chased by the crazy guy; I could imagine what he looked like, and what Beard must have felt like. The language was vivid and sentences were short, so the essay moved at a rapid pace. I felt myself reading at a faster pace too, and I felt very much a part of her experience.
Marquet wrote a very provocative piece on her experience with abortion. The sentences were short and to the point, moving the reader quickly through the piece. She opened the essay with a description that leaves the reader wondering what she's talking about, so that is what hooked me in immediately, craving more.
The first sentence or two of a piece always set the tone, and I'll know immediately if I'm hooked in. Beard and Marquet do an incredible job of hooking the reader, where Lopate and Ebert do not have the same effect.
Patrice,
ReplyDeleteI found your comment about the short forms having a fast pace true as well. I really noticed it in "Some Things About That Day." You comment about the longer one also true in "A Portrait of My Body."
You're not alone in that adrenaline feeling from Beard's reading. I also experienced that reading her piece.
-Christina