Reactions to Lott and Kincaid

Kincaid's, Biography of a Dress, I found to be not as interesting as the readings we encountered last week, yet it is still a very defining form of creative non-fiction. She is, similar to Out there, telling a story. A story about her life as a one and a half year old, and the events leading up to her wearing this yellow dress on her second birthday. She throughout the six pages is reflecting back onto the person she was when she was 1 1/2, which I must say I give her credit for, and comparing that person who who she is now. "( but I do now)" is repeated several times, it is as though she has to keep telling herself that she is now brighter, more aware, and better than her mother. She is the kind of woman who seems to have low self confidence and needs to continue to give herself self gratification. This is different from the previous stories I feel, because it is more personal. By adding her side comments, it becomes less like a story, and more about her accomplishments as she aged. It further shows that CNF takes on many forms, and that the readings and what we are writing are about, the reader and ME. I and me are the most important words in Kincaids writing, she just like us write for no one but ourselves, with hopes that others will enjoy and learn from our writing; but if they do not, it was meant for us and if no one shares our thoughts it is ok.

Lott:
" Rather, it is writing about ones self in relation to the subject at hand." Lott reminded me of this, it is not just about my life and my experiences; CNF is taking those things and relating them to such things as events in history. For example 911, it something that happened to our whole country, but doing a CNF piece on it would involve, a day in history and how I remember it. He also makes a strong point, to write CNF one must not be vain. It is about experiences and trying to discover who we are, and were, not to boast and brag. Creative non-fiction to me now, is like a short story book. It takes several different elements and events that occur, but no matter how long, short, interesting, not interesting, there is an underlying theme, YOU. There are moments in life that you are unable to forget or those you do not want to forget, so we write about them. It can be as simple as a dream that frightened us, or something as large as a war; but these memories and events define and make up who we are. Every individual will have their own definition of what CNF is, some ideas may merge and others may be extreme and no one can think of how it is related. Again though, there is no room for us to judge because when it comes down to it, there is no definite definition. It is your TRUTH and you thoughts, no one else's.