AS

1. C.J. Hill – ‘19 SP
EXERCISE 2 ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS
on a place
Over the course of this week, we will read examples of place-focused essays that detail and
mediate on significant moments of the writers’ lives and/or locations that have shaped who they
are. As we did with our objects unit, your task this week is to consider the places in your life to
continue practicing creative nonfiction techniques.
Your assignment this week is to respond to this prompt: consider a place or space in your life that
you have spent a great deal of time and/or holds a significant amount of importance to you. This
importance may be positive or negative, just as our example essays this week tend to vary
between. Either way, you are tasked with writing 250-500 words about it.
Although description of the place is important in this assignment, focus also on feelings and
memories associated with the place. This assignment should not just be an encyclopedia entry of
your chosen place, but a piece that allows your mazy mind to carry you beyond the location
itself.
Remember that the purpose of these first four short exercises is to get your feet wet in terms of
craft and subject. 250-500 words is not a lot of space and will more than likely not be enough for
you to obtain a fully realized arch like we see in our example readings. That is OKAY! These
short pieces may develop and find their way into some of the larger assignments given later on in
the class. Think of these assignments as snapshots or vignettes designed to get you thinking versus
full essay drafts.
THIS ASSIGNMENT REQUIRES:
• A clear, creative description of your place or space
• Narrative elements as detailed in classroom discussion and gleaned from the example
essays
• Effort toward thinking and writing beyond the place itself
FORMAT:
• Write in standard edited English, but allow form to develop organically
ASSESSMENT:
• This assignment is worth 25 points and will be graded by adherence to the prompt and
these listed requirements, as well as attention and participation in our class discussions
this week
EXERCISE 2 IS DUE IN CLASS ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST