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Portfolio Content Reflection Questions :Venus DeMilo Finally Stretches
Why did you choose to include this piece?I chose to include Venus DeMilo Finally Stretches because I think itrepresents a turning point in my writing identity. Ive always lovedwriting creatively in many forms and genres, but too often, I felt thatschool required that I put my creativity aside and prescribe to a rightway to write. The creative writing class that I wrote this piece for,which was taught by the lovely and wonderful Marianna DeRaimo atManchester Community College, taught me that my personal style, myunique voice, could have value that exists outside of a journal or myown thoughts. She also was the first person to ever call me a goodwriter in this sense, not just in the academic or traditional sense. Shepushed me to submit this story to literary magazines for publication,which I did. It was a fantastic experience, putting myself out there likethat. I never thought I would have any purpose for that sort of externalvalidation, but it was rewarding in a way I never thought it would be.Moreover, the whole experience of writing, editing, and submitting thispiece for grading and publication was fantastic and truly helped mesee who I am as a writer.
How does this piece compare to others in your portfolio?
What I think most of my artifacts have in common is that theyrereflective in some way. Whether I use them to construct who I am as aperson or how I look at other people and things, it encompasses myunique outlook on life. This story, though, more than any other artifact,is genuinely me. There is no pretense, no guideline, no subscription toany hard line on my part. I curse, I use poor sentence structure, I talkfrankly about sex and religion, and I do so brazenly and without fear.Whereas some other artifacts had to follow rubrics and expectationsset out by teachers, this story was completely unbound. Its myfavorite in the portfolio!
What have others said to you about this piece?
Marianna loved it. She gave me perhaps the most unique andmemorable grade Ive ever gotten: A++++++++WOW!!! Verbatim.That was my grade. I also was asked to read the piece aloud on the
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last night of class, which I couldnt do without crying. It was well-received. Im not sure why, because I really didnt write it with anyaudience in mind. I cant explain what makes it good to othersonlywhat makes it good to me. Maybe it seems that this piece is somewhatimportant to me because of the aforementioned grade, but honestly, I
dont think the grade is relevant to how I feel about the story. Im gladits liked and appreciated, but I wouldnt need that validation for it tobe so important to me.
If you had a chance to revise or re-address this piece (or the issue it represents),what would you do?
Absolutely nothing. Sure, there may be some tweaks that may make ita little stronger in some literary respects, but this story is so much apart of who I am as a writer, I couldnt touch it. Thatd be like askingme to tear up a love letter or a drawing I did as a child. It is what it is,and it I cant imagine touching it.
What else should a reader know about this piece that might not be obvious?
Its semi-autobiographical. Not sure if that comes through or not, butElizabeth is me. Then again, I dont think a reader NEEDS to know thisper se, but it might be helpful in understanding some of the events andwhere Elizabeth comes from, literally and metaphorically.
What does this piece suggest about your strengths and weaknesses as awriter/teacher?
Something that I think describes both a strength and a weakness,depending on your perspective, is that I hate to follow rules when Iwrite. For pieces like this, it works. Elizabeth has a very distinct voice,and without the poetic license I granted myself to create her voice, Iwould have stifled her. However, my rule-breaking makes it harder
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for me to write with rigid and explicitly outlined rules or guidelines.Sometimes when I write the personal reflections I write for classes,knowing I will be graded on elements such as sentences structure,language, and grammar, I dont feel like the voice I take on is reallymine, my personal one. However, that could be a good or a bad thing,
depending on the style and formality of this piece. In this piece, I thinkmy voice shines through and its a positive thing.
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