Chapter 7 Profiles: Creating a Dominant Impression

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 2 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

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 3 Readings The chapter includes a number of sample profiles. Buhle, “Insurgent Images” O’Neill, “A Surgeon’s War” Rose, “I Just Wanna Be Average”

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 4 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 215.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 5 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, pages

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 6 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

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 7 Folk Songs for the Five Points Program in response to an invitation for “works that explore contemporary immigrant experience in New York City” (226). Section directs students to the Web site

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 8 Visual Design, Public Campaigns See the photo essay on pages 228 and 229. Richard Marsch’s photographs and Jason Berry’s essay on the American desert combine for one ad campaign on nuclear testing, pollution, and bombing ranges.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 9 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.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 10 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.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 11 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.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 12 Peer Commentary and Revising Exchange drafts with another student. Use the questions on page 236 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.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 13 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.

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.7 | 14 Student Companion Website Go to the student side of the Web site for exercises, chapter overviews, and links to writing resources for this chapter: