Transcript What if you overheard a student or friend say…

The Odd Object
Essay
“PostSecret: Not so
Secret”
by Kelly Giffear
Biochemistry Major, Spanish Minor
from Mantua, New Jersey
English 110 Assignment
Professor Paula Patch
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References
Introduction
What if you overheard a student or friend say…
“I’ve hooked up with 3 A.L.E. Agents”
Or
“PEZ tastes so much better from the
dispenser”
Your reaction depends on which one you heard, right?
Well PostSecret is a project that allows anyone to write any secret, regardless of
the severity, on a postcard and then publish the postcard.
But what is the deeper meaning?
Is it for self-healing, communication, narcissism, or are there other problems
associated with the project?
That was my goal- to explore PostSecret on a deeper level.
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References
Project Description:
The Odd Object Essay
•What?!
The Odd Object essay was a challenge to choose any object and explore the larger
meaning behind it. The object could be used as a metaphor or it could help explain
a larger issue. It was a very open essay assignment that was designed to sharpen
analyzing skills.
•My project…
I included the original PostSecret project as well both Elon versions of the project.
One was done through The Pendulum and the other was created by a senior for a
leadership project. (examples from The Pendulum are above)
•Why?!
To inform the Elon community (students, faculty, police) of the potential dangers
and problems associated with the project that most people do not think of at first.
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References
My Writing Process
•
Biggest challenge- finding a purpose and
audience. [answering the “So what? Who
cares?”]
•
I originally wrote the essay with the sources that
I found and allowed my findings to guide my
writing.
•
Just a few days before the assignment was due I
saw website about a PostSecret being used as a
healing tool for sexually assaulted victims on
The Pendulum.
•
So what?! I had a current topic to work with,
and audience to write to (the Elon community).
•
The product- a reaction to the article I found.
•
By editing and researching more on my topic, I
gained the confidence to pinpoint what I
wanted to discuss in my essay and then
complete it.
•
•
Strengths
– The subject
• PostSecret, it is not only well-known but it is
integrated in Elon’s campus in multiple ways.
• This allowed me to create an essay that would
draw people’s attention and that someone
would care about.
– The argument
• When most people think of PostSecret they
think of the pretty postcards with ridiculous
secrets that they can laugh at.
• I wanted my audience to see the potential
dangers that accompany the revealing
postcards. T
• How? Through different examples and
opinions, I was able to introduce a new and
relevant argument.
Weaknesses
– Finding a good audience at first
– Quickly making an argument from my research
• It took a long time (just up until the essay was
due for me to find the right direction that I
wanted to take my paper in.
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References
ENG 110 Objective-“A more sophisticated understanding of the relationship
of purpose, audience, and voice, and an awareness that writing
expectations and conventions vary within the academy and in professional
and public discourse.”
•
Audience – Elon Community
–
–
–
•
Why? PostSecret has gained global
status but I global audience would be
very difficult to cater to.
I started off general and then
narrowed my paper to my audience.
Elon has 2 versions of the project so
that it where I took my paper. The Elon
community should care about what is
going on.
Purpose – To inform Elon of
PostSecret’s potential dangers.
–
–
PostSecret has been said to be
therapeutic, but after examining all of
the possible effects it could cause
more damage.
It could ruin author’s reputations and
causes dilemma’s like should Elon
police take the postcards seriously
and investigate certain issues?
•
Voice – My own!
–
–
•
Since I am a member of the Elon
community, I maintained an informal
voice that everyone can relate to .
I wanted to connect with my audience
and use the same language that they
use.
But…
–
–
–
Not all essays can have these
freedoms
I chose a more informal style because
I saw my essay as a newspaper article
and not a scholarly journal for experts
Either way, it was still liberating to not
have to follow a lab write-up
procedure!
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References
Lessons Learned
About my Writing
• I can have fun with my writing
– By choosing a subject I like
– By doing research because I
want to
– By writing a paper that includes
my own opinion
• I can be engaged in writing
– When I care about something I
put a lot more effort and work
into it..
• It can be interesting
– If the subject and audience fit
together and answer the “Who
cares?” “So what?” question.
About PostSecret
• The multiple ways the
postcards are published
• The multiple reasons why
people create the postcards
• I saw emotions such as
happiness, fear, sadness,
anger, and relief in the
postcards
• All of the effects (healing or
dangerous)
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References
References to Postcards
All postcards were from The Pendulum’s website and
can be found at this link:
http://stream.elon.edu/pendulum/postsecret2.pdf
For more Information on PostSecret visit:
www.postsecretcommunity.com
Home Introduction Project Description My Writing Process
ENG 110 Objective Lessons Learned References