We then had to pick one topic that may inspire the direction of our writing project, and share with the class. "The manufacture of glass bottles," I said happily. "What about the manufacture of glass bottles?" the prof asked. I froze, having not anticipated further questioning. After all, he hadn't asked Alisha, "What about cheese?" Actually, he did, now that I think about it clearly. But now I sat staring at a classmate's giant Dasani bottle as a few meager thoughts trickled around my head, finally culminating in a pathetic, "Um, I'm really interested in the shapes and design.............yes."
He was kind enough to move on.
But I am still disappointed in my inability put two words together properly, so I want to share my actual answer here.
I want to look at the manufacture of glass bottles as the designs and molding techniques changed throughout the last hundred years. When I was younger, my Dad and I would roam the woods around our house and find little dirty glass bottles, which led us to believe a bottling company may have once existed somewhere nearby. Maybe it was just a trash heap that existed nearby, but I would like to somehow connect these adventures in the forest with the history of those bottles we kept as souvenirs.
I took one day of Creative Nonfiction. The professor called on me to answer the question "What do you think Creative Nonfiction is?" to which I responded, "I'm here to learn that." Then my phone went off, I was too startled to remember how to re-silence it, and I believe I returned to my room in a cloud of shame.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a really cool project. Lots of sort of unconventional research, though.
ReplyDeleteI was supposed to be in the class that Alexis went to one day of, but I dropped it before it started.
I win. I never even read the course description.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love old glass bottles. There was an old dumping area near my house where my mom and I would scavenge for old bottles. I think you have a lovely and unique idea. Old bottles are suc simple and easily forgotten things but they are also frequently used for scores of artistic purposes. I imagine they would adapt well to writing. It reminds me of something you once said about wine bottle labels. I think you said it.
Are you using a textbook? You might want to try to get your hands on _ Writing True: The Art and Craft of Creative Nonfiction_ by Sondra Perl and Mimi Schwartz. Also, Peter Elbow's _Writing With Power_
ReplyDeleteYour bottle idea is interesting, because there is something about finding random things in the woods. I personally imagine people going to drink in the woods, as if the woods are some kind of place where you can get away with anything. Yet, there is something about how an empty bottle, filled with some soil and rainwater (perhaps), can take on a new meaning that is not one of youthful rebellion (but one of decay--man's littering of the earth--&c).
Your idea about the life cycle of the bottle (manufacturing to sylvan death), could be something you can play around with too.
See if you can find those books.
Make sure to draft a lot.