Call to Write, Third edition Chapter Seven, Profiles: Creating a Dominant Impression

Overview  Introduces the genre of the profile  Profiles focus on celebrities and ordinary people alike  Addresses the reasons for writing profiles as well as the methods used to gather information for them  Reminds us that profiles present the writer’s point of view, or dominant impression

Readings The chapter includes a number of sample profiles.  O’Neill, “A Surgeon’s War”  Rose, “I Just Wanna Be Normal”  Buhle, “Insurgent Images”  Blount, “Memphis Minnie”

O’Neill, “A Surgeon’s War”  O’Neill writes for The New York Times.  Profile of Dr. Susan M. Love, a surgeon at the U.C.L.A. Breast Center  See the essay on pages  An analysis follows, breaking down the essay into sections.  Series of questions, page 228.

Rose, “I Just Wanna Be Average”  Rose is a teacher, poet, and professor of education at UCLA.  He talks about his experiences taking vocational classes, and includes mini-profiles of several other students.  See pages for the essay.  Analysis follows, along with a set of questions, pages

Buhle, “Insurgent Images”  Buhle is a historian of labor and popular arts who teaches at Brown University.  He profiles Mike Alewitz, a muralist painter.  Several examples of Alewitz’s work are included.  See pages for the essay.  An analysis follows, page 236.

Blount, “Memphis Minnie”  Roy Blount Jr. is a humorist, sportswriter, poet, and author.  He profiles a blues singer in retrospect: a woman named Memphis Minnie.  See pages for the essay.  An analysis follows, pages

Visual design, public campaigns  See the two advertisements on pages 245 and 246.  The first one is about a young woman named Manal Omar, who is an American and Muslim.  The second one is from the AFL/CIO and features a young immigrant named Inmar Hernandez.

Writing assignment  Write an essay that profiles a person; the text gives five ideas to help you select someone to interview.  Your instructor will let you know whether your class will be doing this particular assignment, and provide you with additional guidelines.

Invention  Make a list of people you know.  Pick one that seems promising and contact the person to set up an interview.  See pages for help with clarifying your purpose and doing background research.

Planning and drafting  Decide on the dominant impression you want to create, and choose details that will help you do so.  Consider using figurative language, as well as compare and contrast, to help readers see your main points.

Peer commentary and revising  Exchange drafts with another student. Use the questions on page 255 to write a commentary about your partner’s draft.  See page for a list of five questions to guide you in your revision.  See page for techniques to help establish your perspective in the opening of your essay.

Quitadamo, “A Lawyer’s Crusade”  See the sample profile on pages  His commentary about his essay follows, on page  This student plans to become a lawyer, and so chose to interview one. He wanted to understand more about what it is that lawyers do who are working in the public interest.

Student Companion Website  Go to the student side of the Web site for exercises, chapter overviews, and links to writing resources for this chapter:  Click on the textbook cover, and then select Student Resources.