Vivir La Vida By Kaity Rosenberry

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Table of Contents

Author’s Note pg.1

Godly by Kaity Rosenberry pg.2

Fate’s Draw by Kaity Rosenberry pg.3

Insane by Kaity Rosenberry pg.4

Pierced by Kaity Rosenberry pg.5

The Power of a Teacher by Matt Hoe pg.6

Dark Moments Bloom into Better Days by Leka Kiner-Falefa pg.7

Not a Funny Story by Emily Franklin pg.8

Columbine by Nathaniel Lee pg.9

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AUTHORS NOTE:

My theme of my zine is Vivir La Vida. Vivir La Vida is Spanish for living life or living the life. This theme represents life experiences or personal experiences in life. The criteria I use to select pieces is simple. I wanted a story that was an experience or a personal story that had some connection to their life. I also looked for writing that made me think or had great vocabulary. Through this project I learned a lot about the writing process. The writing process goes like this: pre-write/brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and then publishing. Also when you are writing for an audience you have to be aware the whole time of whom you are writing for and what would be most interesting for them. This semester I think I have established a “writing voice” for myself and also an “editor’s eye” which will help me with my writing and recognize other people’s good writing.

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Godly by Kaity Rosenberry

Religion should be something that you are allowed to have at all times. You should be able to believe in what you want and not be terrified of repercussions. In America we seem to be blind to that because we are privileged enough to have freedom of religion but in other countries religion can sometimes be a choice between life and death. There is one instance that clearly showed religious persecution that happened last week in Sudan, Meriam Ibrahim is a young Christian mother born in Sudan. She recently discovered that when she refused to renounce her faith she was placed on death row for allegedly converting from Islam to Christianity. After hearing the news she quickly left her homeland in search of religious freedom. She now lives in the United States with her husband and children and she is attempting to make a new life for herself and her family. This is just one instance of religious persecution. Why it's good:

This piece starts with an opinion and backs it up with a strong story. It has a startling statement at the beginning that is about a very sensitive and broad topic. They bring it back together with the saddening story that proves and supports their point. If they didn't have the story backing up the opinion readers wouldn't be able to trust the opinion as a valid one. It also shows the privilege in America and a view of the people who aren't so lucky. That makes the reader have a connection and feel empathy. %

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Fate's Draw by Kaity Rosenberry

I saw a book that I was drawn to. The City of Bones was sitting on display in the front of the teen section of the bookstore. I had just seen the movie a couple days prior and I was obsessed with the storyline and characters. I quickly snatched a copy off the glossy tabletop. I found a quiet and secluded corner and sat down to read the first few pages. It turned out to be more than the first few pages though. I had read the first 150 pages of the book before I could even blink. I was completely calm at this point and had lost my problems in between the many lines in this book. I started walking towards the cashier only to realize that I had no money and if I thought the way down the hill was hard the way up would be 30 times worse. I caved in and called my Mom to come pick me up. Why it's good: This piece is telling a simple story in very good detail. If you notice the story is just about her finding a book she liked. She makes it sound like some sort of grand adventure. Her diction and syntax really helps to make this story come to life. “I quickly snatched a copy off the glossy table top.” illustrates perfectly the scene she saw when she first looked at the book. She also explained her feelings she was having while she was reading and here situation very well. The way she explained the story helped you visualize her journey and the process of finding and reading the book.

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Insane by Kaity Rosenberry

College is another issue. Getting into college, paying for college, SAT’s, clubs, sports, GPA, are all things that are constantly on a high schooler’s mind. This is even truer when you get into the last two years of high school. Suddenly everyone is asking you what you want to do, where you want to go to school, and how your grades are. The stress of all of these things is astronomical. It’s so difficult to balance all the things you need. You need to do sports, clubs, and daily school on top of it. You have to do very good in school as well. For me, I do pretty well in school. I get good grades and stay out of trouble. I try my absolute best and that’s all I can do. But I don’t play sports and haven't started doing any clubs until this year. Even with all that sometimes you can’t get into the college you want. Even if you get in the college you want what if you can’t afford it? Why it's good: This piece has a great amount of lists that help you to categorize the responsibilities that a high school student has. The lists also help organize the writing and make sure it doesn't sound cluttered. This paragraph is also very focused and stays on topic well. She also put in some personal stuff about her school and activities. When she added the personal statement it makes a connection with the reader. Through the lists and personal connections hopefully it will make the reader see the struggles of a teenager in a new light. %

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Pierced by Kaity Rosenberry

My sister and I went to get piercings on July 26th this summer. The day was as hot and sweaty as an old man running. My mom, brother, and brother's girlfriend came with us. The tattoo shop had soothing light green walls and a worn old couch in the front that I quickly slumped into. You could hear the faint thrumming of the tattoo gun all through the shop. We collected the necessary papers and before we knew it we were asked who was going first. I was a scared deer so my sister went first. She was in the piercing room for approximately 10 minutes. The time whizzed by like a dodge ball in gym class. All too soon it was my turn. I went into the piercing room, which had a black curtain as a door. The room was cramped like the trunk of a car on moving day but was surprisingly organized. My piercer introduced herself to me and asked where I went to school. She also complimented my hair so I started to relax around her. My piercer was an older woman with blond hair and a happy but wise smile. She quickly marked the spot where my piercing would be on my ear and once I approved, put the clamps on. The clamps pinched my ear tightly to keep it in place while she was piercing. When the needle went in I could hear it pop in my ear. Why it's good:

This piece has many good points. There are plenty of similes and metaphors that can help the readers visualize the object better. For example, “The day was as hot and sweaty as an old man running.” makes the reader visualize and feel the unpleasantness of the hot weather. She also used very good diction to describe the piercing shop and what her piercer looked like. She also described what the day was like outside and how she was feeling before, during, and after the piercing. She also used words that could describe the sound of the needle going in which made the reader feel like they were getting their ear pierced too. %

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The Power of a Teacher by Matt Hoe

Before I could read, I would ask my mom to read me science encyclopedias as bedtime stories. I figured that I didn’t need fairy tales when reality was just as amazing. But then I started going to school. For me, school became a minefield of wrong answers and smudged graphite. It was a place where I learned to look down, conveniently avoiding the gaze of my teacher as she threw questions like bombs. On one occasion, my teacher confiscated my project because she said that I “wasn’t good enough to have made it myself.” School wasn’t a place of learning and wonder; it was a place of fear and programming. I eventually moved schools, and thanks to some amazing teachers, regained that sense of wonder that I had lost as a kid. But not everyone is as fortunate as I have been. Many fall through the cracks. I know this, because I almost did. This is the power that a teacher has. Why it's good:

There are three clear parts to this story. There is before he started school, during his first school, and during his second school. The word choice or vocabulary is extremely good and really adds to the story. He says words are like bombs and sentences like that help you get a better understanding of what it feels like to be in his position. His piece really shows his growth as a student throughout the years and the bad experiences he's had. The use of dialog makes the situations seem a lot for real and relatable. Sometimes it's not enough just to describe the situation well, you have to add a piece of real life like dialog. %

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Dark Moments Bloom into Better Days by Leka Kiner-Falefa On a rainy Saturday morning, I woke up smelling my moms home made Poi Pancakes. I came out of my room, tired and drained. I looked as fussy as a hungry 2 month-old baby. The smell of the poi pancakes kept me sane. I quickly ran to the blue plate with 4 perfect Poi pancakes and uncontrollably started to feast. I devoured the Poi Pancakes in minutes. I started to check all my social media apps. I wandered into my twitter feed and crossed a depressing story that helped me to realize how blessed I am. The story of Hilary was life changing for herself and myself. Why it's good: This piece starts out just describing her morning and as a pleasant piece. Later she adds that she found a story and helps tie the story to her life. Her descriptions are very good and you could almost smell those pancakes. I also like how she includes small details like the flavor of the pancakes and what color the plate was. Although there are small typos it doesn’t take away from the story too much. in the end she really tries to connect herself and Hilary and that makes this story interesting and personal. %

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Not a Funny Story by Emily Franklin in 2012

Say it’s sixth or seventh grade and say you’re one of those girls who is not quite in one group and not quite in another. You can’t be categorized. You don’t know this at the time, but some girls find this a problem. People like to have you fit neatly into one social heading: alpha girls, bookish girls, poor girls. You—h happily—float from one group to the next. Why it's good:

In one small paragraph she helps you experience the entirety of high school and being a teenage girl. The dense language makes every word become important and juicy. They also use lists to make it easier to understand and fit make examples to broaden your understanding. She is trying to put you in the position of a high school girl and explain to up you exactly what it would be like. Even though this is a short and concise paragraph it’s dense language and examples make it an interesting read. %

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Columbine by Nathaniel Lee in 2014

They were beating on the door. Huey could hear it rattling, see it shaking in the frame. They were going to take him away and lock him up like he was crazy. And this was only fair, Huey reflected, edging a little further out onto the ledge. The cars below looked like droplets of blood wending their way through plastic tubing. He kicked off his loafers and watched them tumble in the cross-drafts. Why it's good:

This writing is amazing. He is telling an extremely hard story to tell about attempted suicide. He is telling you his thought process and letting you feel exactly how he felt in that moment. It also makes the anticipation really great and gets you excited or scared for what is going to happen next. With his word choice you feel as if you are standing right next to him on the ledge and watching the door shake. This piece of writing makes you very interested in reading the rest of the story and is an incredible starting paragraph. %

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