Round Two = Deb Smith

1) I read the article about Smith and her son in Rome on a rainy day. To tell you the truth I learned a lot about the culture of Italy just from reading this short essay. Smith writes about walking into the restaurant and immediately being welcomed by the owner of the restaurant, something that would rarely happen in America. Then Smith explains how a man came into the restaurant and sang; "he walked halfway into the Trattoria, stopped amid the tables, smiled and began to sing. Several patrons gave him a Euro when he finished. After two or three wonderful songs, I tossed in a Euro too." This would be unheard of in America but it seems as if it is relatively common in Rome. She then goes on to explain how after her and her son finished the meal the owner came over to ask how the meal. Then Smith explains about their departure from the restaurant; "In from the rain came a concertina player. He squeezed out a tune as we made an exit in the downpour." Most of the things that Smith described that happened in the restaurant wouldn't happen in America. In the essay Smith really shows how nice and friendly the Italians are and she really paints a mental picture of the whole experience and a lovely sounding culture.

2) I listened to Deb Smith talking about going to the dentist. It was about her getting nervous about going to the dentist and finding a suitable dentist to have her procedures with. I feel like listing to the audio essay was nice. It was very much different than reading an essay and I felt like it had pros and cons compared to a written essay. One thing that I prefer about the audio essay is that you get a feeling of connection with the speaker. A connection that you cannot get with a written essay. You can hear the speakers tone and pace of voice which helps make the story come more to life than a written story in my opinion. An example is when Smith says; "Can you tell dentistry provokes instant dread in me." When she this you can hear her voice get a little higher and her pace of voice get a little faster, showing that she is actually scared of going to the dentist. Also in my opinion audio essays are better at painting a mental picture than written essays. An example of this would be when Smith was describing her dentist. Smith says his slogan is "I don't treat teeth, I treat people." Now I don't know about you but just from that line I can already picture the dentist. Without even describing him a get a mental picture of what I think he looks like, something I can’t do with written essays.


 Questions:
1) How has writing affected your life?
2) Why do you write?

1/6 speaker = 2 stars