... was the main beneficiary of me not getting any prewriting or drafting down. I ended up coming home with nothing but a couple of books that looked good enough to get my mom off my back for a couple of hours. My mother was always hard on me when it came to schoolwork. She would ... even consider getting a passing grade. I can't do any papers the night before at twelve o'clock at night with Monster energy drink and still get a good grade. Peter Elbow discusses the two different types of order and how they relate to writing. Each kind of thinking has its own characteristic strengths and weakn...

• Word Count: 2024
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Critique: How I Learned to Sweep The poem "How I Learned to Sweep" is written beautifully. I like the rhyme scheme and the pentameter. I think its very unique how the author, Julia Alvarez, ties together the sweeping with the broom and the sweeping of the weeds from a helicopter dropping off troops. The lines " our soldiers were landing in their helicopters into jungles their propellers swept like weeds seen underwater- gives you a beautiful mental picture. You can actually see weeds underwater swaying and also weeds being swept down from a helicopter. Another visually strong element is this "...

• Word Count: 197
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... looks of the American girls but they wanted the freedom of choice as well. They were born into a culture that groomed girls not to have any aspirations other than being a good wife and mother. Later America's fashion changed and it was suddenly hip to be ethnic and different. Everyone wanted to be like Julia and her sisters, but it was too ... ...

• Word Count: 245
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School