Through Pen and Lens

I was on my way to my friend Laurie’s home where, among other things (preparing Halloween decorations), we were to stage documentary photographs, when I saw Bryan hitching south on SH 146. A woman alone, I drove past him, but as I studied him in my rearview mirror, I wondered if photos of a hitchhiker would be better than anything staged. I made the two u-turns and went back to inquire if he would oblige. Bryan and I talked about five minutes, as I explained the project from the safety of my truck, and he told me a small bit of his journey. His talkative cat, Princess RD (Road Dog), who I did not see until Bryan walked to the truck, decided she would enjoy the cool air inside with me. Bryan and I agreed on the photograph as document. Unlike diCorcia’s “carefully contrived photographic tableaux” (Lowry), I attempted to remove signage from the frame to reduce the possibility of a commentary I was not trying to make. Winogrand “aggressively rejects any responsibility for his images...

Tell me, was I too harsh with my ENGL 1301 online class today? "The Profile essays have been graded. You will find your grade in one of the comment bubbles in your paper. Please review all the comments in your paper, as I will look for these issues in your other assignments. Overall, there has been improvement in your writing. (Yea!) But there are some problems that continue to appear: First: (And yes, I am going to fuss here. You have been warned.) I should not have to remind you to use proper MLA format. Following this simple requirement is not difficult. You have explanations and examples in your textbook and online. You can also email me - that's one of the reasons why I'm here. So, FROM THIS POINT ON, IF YOU HAVE NOT PROPERLY FORMATTED YOUR PAPER, IT WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU, UNGRADED. If you can't bother to follow this simple instruction, why should I bother to grade your paper? If I review it after the due date (I generally wait until everyone has s...

I blame Dan. My wonderful husband was so worried about me worrying about him that he had the kids neglect to inform me that he was in the hospital. He finally told me yesterday afternoon, much too late for me to be driving to Crosby from Dallas when I have to be back for class Monday morning. But I knew that the longer I brooded about not being there, the more likely it would be that I would drive home anyway. He joked about the liquid diet that they’re going to start him on, so I added that I would start my own liquid diet: wine, beer, whatever the hell was in the apartment as long as it was in a liquid state to make sure that I didn’t get behind the wheel of Big Bertha. She’s a good girl, but unforgiving. He says he’s fine. But that’s what he always says. He told me to wait to come home just in case I have to come home later. The fewer classes missed and all that. So, I put up the readings I had to do for the week, put in Sense and Sensibility , again, and preceded to put dow...