Rhiannon Pinson

How did the reading go for you this week? What struck you the most in this week's reading? Were there ideas you struggled with?     I really liked this quote from one of the readings  “As a writer, you’d be foolish if you weren’t pushing yourself to get to the heart of things,” she says. “Our surface feelings – the ones where you rant and rave at people, and glorify and denigrate yourself – aren’t the most interesting. Where did you do your best writing this week — in this class? In another class?  Have you discovered some good strategies for helping yourself focus on writing for this class?      My favorite writing this week was for one of my History classes where we had to write an essay about a book we just finished "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl."     Did you read something excellent written by someone else in the class? What made it stand out to you?       I read several posts for this class a...

     Josiah Royce wrote about the early settlements of California and the atmosphere within the built up cities. He speaks of the structure of businesses and working men within these cities. What drives them, their vices, their motivations and their downfalls. We get a glimpse into the lives of early California settlers and the San Francisco area before it became the area we know and love today.      John Muir writes more about the landscapes and the beauty of untouched nature. Lands that have been previously undiscovered like Yosemite Valley. His many journeys throughout the country undoubtedly left their mark, but the Sierras also left their mark on him. He says the Sierras should be known as the “mountains of light.” He says that every rock in Yosemite seemed to glow. His connection to nature clearly drove him to continue exploring so that he may appreciate more of the lands untouched by men.      George Sterling also seemed connected wi...