American Paradox, in Contrast, Is An Analysis of An Essay Written by Historian Edmund S

Joel T.
Carpenter
1016 S. West Street
Stillwater, OK 74074
November 30, 2016
Dear Mrs. Davis,
One of the most fundamental aspects of my personality is a desire for communication connecting
with another person. A desire that has been an integral element in my love of music, art, theatre
and the written word. This collection of writing is a small part of my journey over the last two
years. Each piece individually is, in its own way, representative of that desire to communicate to
tell a story and draw the reader in; yet as a whole the collection shows how my voice and
technique have evolved and offer a glimpse of what the future will bring as I continue to refine
my writing process and develop as a writer.
Choosing which works to submit was a difficult undertaking. My hope was to show the progress
I have made since returning to school last year while, at the same time, offering a variety of
writing samples. The first piece listed is titled Not My World: Reflections on Baltimore. I have
submitted this work as it was originally written, although I feel that it could be edited in content
and structure. This was one of the first writings in my English Comp I class at Tulsa Community
College. While the use of language is not as eloquent as I would like it is indicative of my
storytelling style and in some ways has a poetic feel I enjoy. Slavery and Freedom: The
American Paradox, in contrast, is an analysis of an essay written by historian Edmund S.
Morgan. It was originally written at the end of the semester at TCC for an American History
course and shows a pointed difference in the expressive use of language. Here, the style and
subject are also notably dissimilar to the majority of my written work. The third submission,
How was the Trip? is arguably my favorite piece in the collection. Although it was the first essay
written for my English Comp II class I find it evocative, humorous and personal. A trio of
qualities I enjoy in reading yet often struggle to replicate in my own work. Next is a letter written
to President-Elect Donald Trump. The differences in writing correspondence versus writing an
essay are a substantial reason for the inclusion of this letter in my portfolio. The letter discusses
the challenges faced by non-traditional students and opens the conversation for education policy
changes that will benefit this growing group of Americans. Finally, The Privilege of Education
elucidates the relationship between education, privilege and the achievement of success in
America. This correlation is the reason I returned to school after twenty-five years in the
workforce. It is an excellent example of my personal homiletic structure and shows a good use of
source material. Each piece in this portfolio reflects, in part, my influences as a literate person.
Sunday sermons, creative prose and countless hours reading anything that peaks my interest have
colored the way I use my words. I take pride in the work I have written. Each also is a work in
progress and, as such, there are small things I want to change. However, that is the nature of my
writing process, I am in constant revision.
Some would call my method of building an essay freewriting, however, my mother always called
it Throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. She often used the same process. I have
always disliked trying to write an outline prior to working on a piece of writing. My writing
process has evolved little over the years. That may not be a good thing, but it does seem to work
and I feel the spontaneity of how I write creates an essay, letter or story that carries more
emotion. Most of the time I will write an entire essay, only to throw everything away and start in
a contrary direction, or on a completely different subject. The letter I am currently penning is on
its fourth revision (that number may go up in a minute). To the casual observer it may seem
chaotic and without direction. On the contrary, writing out the wrong words gets them out of my
mind and allows the right words to come forward. Each revision I read out loud and try to listen
to my voice. I will also read more final copies to my spouse. She does not pull any punches and
is a talented technical writer. Often I will paraphrase my own work and try different speech
combinations; I try not to overuse words in a paragraph and look for the most accurate phrase to
make my point. Reading has greatly added to my vocabulary and is one of the strongest tools in
my toolbox. My biggest challenge with writing involves the subtlety of grammar and
punctuation. Unloading my brain onto the page while a benefit to my creative voice does not
take much time to consider the importance of punctuation. Not the big things, such as
capitalization, periods, quotations and the like, but the details of commas, semi-colons and some
phrasing. Becoming more adept with this detail of writing will be the focus of my development
in the years to come.
In the coming years I will be required to write more often and over differing subjects. The
technical issues in my writing will need to be addressed, as well as, my skill at writing in a more
clinical tone. Much of the writing will be more similar to Slavery and Freedom, however, I never
underestimate what new adventures writing will bring. I will continue with my creative writing
and hopefully spend more time working on childrens books and short stories. In all cases I look
forward to the experience.
Thank you for taking the time to read the works presented in this collection. I hope you have
found them entertaining and insightful an I look forward to your comments. Additionally, thank
you for a wonderful semester and your role in helping me develop as a writer.
Sincerely,
Joel T. Carpenter

American Paradox, in Contrast, Is An Analysis of An Essay Written by Historian Edmund S

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

American Paradox, in Contrast, Is An Analysis of An Essay Written by Historian Edmund S

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

American Paradox, in Contrast, Is An Analysis of An Essay Written by Historian Edmund S

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Joel T.

You might also like