In a word, a slice of perspective...Mary Schmich

1. I think Schmich wants the reader to feel and think about what she is saying. In her first paragraph, she says, "words sometimes land in your mind like birds on a wire." Immediately, I am thinking of this image and what it means. It already makes her column stand out to me because of the relate-ability, and that's what I think she wants the reader to feel - relatable.

2. Schmich wants the audience to remember the last paragraph the most, because that is where her claim jumps out at you. Earlier in the piece, she compares the word portion, to "10 potato chips, 7 Triscuits and never quite enough ice cream." At first this didn't really stand out to me. I understood it, but it wasn't related to anything. However, in the last paragraph, she ends her piece with, "a lot of us have potato chips to spare." This was so cool to me, how she tied that piece of information into the end of her column, where she reveals what she is trying to say. That is why it was so memorable to me, and why it made her column that much better.

3. The purpose of this column was to tell people that though we think we don't have a lot, we all have a portion that we could give, to somebody who really doesn't have a lot. I think this was her whole claim, and the whole purpose for her writing this column.

4. Schmich utilizes diction and syntax to elevate her piece and make it more interesting to read. Some of the techniques she uses are asyndeton and anaphora. The example of asyndeton that I found was in the first paragraph. She says, "they flutter in, sit there, flutter off, come back, distract you at inconvenient hours." This is a great example of asyndeton because it engages the readers and gives them something interesting to read. The example of anaphora was in the last paragraph. She says, "a bigger slice of brains and beauty, a bigger scoop of fame and money, a bigger helping of love and time." This really emphasizes what she is saying, making it so much more memorable and meaningful, ultimately making her column better.

5. The value of this column to society is so huge. It may not seem like an important topic after reading all the paragraphs except the last one, but in that last one, you finally see the claim, and it suddenly hits you. It is saying that everyone has a little they could give, no matter how much you think you have, and society would be so much better if everybody gave a little bit more to people who really do need help. This is such an important aspect of society that not everybody sees, and thats why she wrote about this topic, to enlighten people about this issue.

Over Spring Break I finished re-reading The Lives of Tao. I enjoyed the great detail and action in this book. I previously read this book over the summer for my summer reading project. I think it is a very good book for boys entering high school because of all the intense action and attention to detail. This book is an Alex Award winner because of its excellence.

Some people may say that it is pointless to re-read books, but I think it is very beneficial because it allows you to see a different side of the book. Also you may have a different opinion of the book the second time you read it. Personally, I had the same reaction to this book as a did the first time, but I understood things better and more of the little details stood out to me and made more sense. So I think it is very beneficial to re-read novels.