Monday, May 17, 2010
Reflecting on Writing for The Gathering Place Project
After you turn in your piece for The Gathering Place, I’d like you to reflect on what it was like to complete this assignment. First, tell us about what it was like to conduct the research for this piece of writing. What did you learn about homelessness, poverty, or The Gathering Place from your interviews that you wouldn’t or couldn’t have learned from a text? Second, what was it like to use these interviews to tell someone’s story and generate an impression about The Gathering Place? How did you grow as a writer? Last, what was it like writing for this non-profit organization? What did you enjoy or find challenging about putting yourself in service to TGP in this way?
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Writing for a non profit was a little harder than expected. When you are in academia writing is always formal and usually given with definitions and examples of what point you are trying to make. However, writing for non-profit in a narrative style was harder. Conducting the research was not really a problem. I interviewed clients and took some parts of their stories incorporated into the narrative that I was writing. What I learned from the interviews that I conducted was how much enthusiasm and love the clients have for TGP. I mean you can always read about emotional appeals that I stated above, but you never get the true emotional feel that the women give off, unless the author does an exceptional job at capturing the client’s voice. I found it difficult to use someone’s story to generate an impression about TGP; again it was the whole narrative part that threw me off. I think my paper still sounds academic but it was so hard for me to push most of the quotes into my topic. As a writer I grew in the sense that I made an effort to consider how to adjust my writing to become more of a narrative style rather than academic. The push was difficult but with some adjustment I think I did pretty well. To write for a TGP was satisfying because whether TGP used some parts of my narrative or not, I know that they have a document that shows the opinions of others who aren’t directly affiliated with TGP. Writing for TGP was not easy but in a sense it was enjoyable to be able to attempt to tell someone’s story.
ReplyDeleteConducting interviews was interesting. Some was helpful, others were not so helpful, I learned so much about humanity and philosophy and the endurance of the human spirit--that I feel never can be translated into text. Letting people have choice is part of someone's most basic level of humanity is what I learned from this research.
ReplyDeleteTelling someone's story was hard. I wanted their voice to shine through, but to make sense within my topic. For me I think I grew as a writer in that I learned that sometimes my writing can turn out alright, and structured without a box to guide me.
Writing for TGP was challenging in that I wanted to talk about community, and transgenderpeople in my writing but I also felt obligated to write on the topics Lisa outlined for us. I hope that my writing will suite their needs, otherwise I feel like I will have let them down.
This was the first time I had ever conducted this kind of hands on research before. It was a little bit daunting but also much more reveling then just looking stuff up on the internet. This medium gave me a much more personal look at homelessness than any fact or statistic ever could. I saw the real ways that people were affected by homelessness, most obviously the emotional ways, which could only be conveyed through research.
ReplyDeleteTurning what I found in my interviews into a story was very challenging. First of all it was hard to pick something to write about, mostly because I was conflicted about whether I should write something oriented around the programs so TGP would be more likely to find it useful, or if I should write about something I found more compelling but that I didn’t think would help TGP very much. When I got around this and chose a topic, I then had to work out which quotes to use and how many to use. In a way this was like deciding how much of the story should be mine and how much should be hers. It was challenging as a whole because the women all had such good stories that I didn’t want to let them down by not portraying it good enough. I think as a writer I learned a lot about making choices in this project. The lack of boundaries and set guidelines was scary for me at first but in the end it really helped me. It allowed me to follow my instincts as a writer and to learn why that can be a good thing.
Writing for a non-profit was challenging because I felt as though I had to hold my writing to a higher standard because I knew it would be used for something. I had to make sure it was good enough. It was also challenging because I wanted to create something that they could use, so in a sense I felt as though I was limited by that. Also, it was hard because I knew what the women wanted to change about TGP but not necessarily what TGP hoped these projects could help change about TGP. So I felt I had a different perspective. I have written for non-profits before, but only ones that I have supported or been a part of organizing, and in those cases I knew exactly what I needed what I was writing to say. Here I was less sure, so I just had to do my best to tell a story and hope that TGP could use it.
In order to conduct the research for this piece of writing, my partner James and I interviewed two volunteers from The Gathering Place, a daytime homeless shelter for women in downtown Denver. From these interviews, we were able to hear the personal stories of these two women, how they have impacted TGP and how TGP has impacted them. Although I could have learned about The Gathering Place from brochures and possibly other texts, it was wonderful to see and hear the perspective of people who actually worked there. It was also helpful to see The Gathering Place first hand because it is such a unique environment and I don't think I could have fully grasped that without experiencing it for myself. For one of our interviews, we actually lost the recording due to technical difficulties and had to write completely from memory. This posed a huge challenge because we had no direct quotes to use, but we still wanted to make our narration as accurate and lively as possible. I grew as a writer because, while I was used to using quotes in much of my writing to back up my ideas, here I had to rely on what I could remember and how I could make it work to the best of my abilities.
ReplyDeleteKnowing that I was putting myself in service to TGP put pressure on me in a good way, because I knew my writing could mean more and be put to more use than simply a grade for my WRIT class. Using these interviews to tell someone's story and to generate an impression about The Gathering Place posed a challenge, because while I knew I was writing for this class, I also wanted to make a good impression for the people at TGP. I wanted to make sure that the way I told the stories of my interviewees was not only correct and interesting, but that they would feel comfortable reading about themselves through my eyes. I wanted to help provide a fresh prospective on the work being done at TGP, as well is reiterate what my interviewees saw as important aspects of their own work.
I really liked conducting research for this because I was able to be there and listen to how the women answered. I also think that being present in their “dining room” was helpful because it gave me a bigger window into their lives. I saw a new facet of homelessness that I hadn’t realized before just from reading texts. I saw the emotional effect it has on people that is not clearly conveyed in readings. I really enjoyed using the interviews to tell a story and describe The Gathering Place because of the enthusiasm and passion I could see in any response. The women really were thankful to have TGP. I almost was able to understand the stage they were in right now just by immersing myself into The Gathering Place. I was able to tell a story, but I had the opportunity to first step back and analyze the atmosphere around me. I was able to carry my voice strongly into my writing piece and show my experience somewhere. I really liked that we strayed from solely academic writing, but we still had a challenge. I liked writing for this non-profit organization, but it did make me a little more conscious of my writing. It was also hard to stick to the topics that were needed to be talked about. Nevertheless, I felt that this challenge made me a stronger writer and I needed to be more focused in my topic, but more free in my style.
ReplyDeleteConducting the research for this assignment was challenging yet very informative, for we were given insight of volunteers from their experiences with the homeless women. Hearing what they had to say really revealed the emotional aspect of what it is like to be associated with these women in difficult predicaments. The two women that me and Brooke interviewed both shared the concern that the toughest fact to face is that their one-year commitment will eventually end, therefore they would have to let go of the relationships they have developed and the community that they have come to know. These interviews distinguished what can and cannot be taught through text; if I solely used text as my method of learning, I would have never known what it meant to become so close to a community based off of the tone in their voice. Or I would not have known that homeless women actually enjoy human interaction, and that volunteers build friendships this way with the clients every day.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came to writing someone else’s story I wanted to make sure that we (Brooke and I) were doing it justice by capturing multiple aspects and key points of the interview. The same applies to The Gathering Place; it is loved by many women and that needed to be portrayed in our writing. This assignment helped me learn that writing for a purpose presents a great privilege and importance, for I have the power to educate. I loved writing for this non-profit organization, for it is worthy of being praised and it was very refreshing to see that there are organizations such as The Gathering Place that support women undergoing the struggle.
Before starting this piece for The Gathering Place, I was a little uneasy about the process and the methods I would have to go through for the finished work. However, I found that conducting interviews was not only very beneficial for the piece, but also a learning experience as well. It was extremely enlightening to conduct these interviews with the volunteers from TGP. Rather than feeling disconnected from a textbook from the library, these interviews allowed me to feel connected to the research firsthand because I was able to interact with these volunteers. I feel as if this connection made me more passionate about the piece and gave me that push I needed to complete it. I was able to interact with women experiencing homelessness at TGP as well as see the viewpoint from the volunteers. This firsthand experience gave me more insight into homelessness, poverty, and TGP because I wasn’t just reading about it in a book…I was there. After conducting the interviews, it was a little nerve-racking trying to write the narrative. When you interview someone, you experience feelings and emotions from what they say to you. I wanted to be able to convey those same feelings and emotions to the reader, and I found that to be a difficult task. However, once I read through the interview and was able to pick out major findings, it became easier to write. I found that using quotes was what drove my piece forward. It was also difficult because you want to do that volunteer justice, so you work harder and take more time. I learned that going with my instincts is one of my strongest tools in writing. If I second guess or doubt myself, my writing will go nowhere and have no depth. If I go with what my gut tells me, the writing has more passion and is easier to write because it is personal to me. Writing for TGP was different than just writing for any other class. Rather than writing a piece that would only affect my grade, writing for TGP also affected this non-profit organization. This, far from a burden, felt more like a reward. It’s amazing that our writing will be read by those who work at TGP and that they will take these pieces into account. I enjoyed using my talents and hard work to go towards something that may benefit TGP in the future.
ReplyDeleteI'm usually not nervous when doing research—research online and in the library. Interviewing women at The Gathering Place exposes the researcher and questions them and makes sure they're listening. Ethnographic study tested me on how much I cared about what the women were telling me. At times, I wished I didn't need permission to record; I wanted to take everything in. But, I had to keep some things out of digital memory.
ReplyDeleteI thought I could relate to the women on transportation, especially remembering looking for change so I could catch the 5:30 bus to school across town. Still, I realized more privileges than a Student ID. I don't rely on 8 tokens a week; I can get home from class in less than 5 minutes; I don't have to look after children on the RTD.
Taking the bus back to the dorms and transcribing the interviews and sitting down to write kept me stuck on time. The recorder counting up—slowing down the digital tape—pressing pause—sitting on the bus—watching the same streets that never change—requesting a stop—the dashes keep pulling forward—the bus takes your time.
I've realized that I am a somewhat selfish writer. More thoughtfully on that later.
I learned a great deal during this project. I say that not simply meaning that I learned about the strife of the homeless but to use Socrates I understand the homeless, as I haven’t before. The research for this paper was eye-opening for me because I have never had to go without before. Some of these women live on less than what is in my lunch a day and still seem optimistic. From Geri and the discussion we had I learned that the homeless are not merely without homes, they are akin to the exiles that Said discusses. Homelessness does not describe it a more fitting name would be placelessness. It is difficult to be part of a population that is removed from the greater society. Often a homeless person will ask for money that they desperately need and the passerby will simply ignore them or lie and say they have no change.
ReplyDeleteI learned that poverty is not just having little or no money. It is this but it is also a pervasive situation. Drug abuse, depression and other problems affect these women at higher percentage than those whoa re housed. This is because they are so degraded and neglected that something must give them solace or they will sink into insanity. The Gathering Place offers this to the women. It is unique in the sense that women can come here day-by-day and have a place to be. Instead of wandering throughout the city they have a place, alleviating that sense of disconnectedness. Here at this shelter they can connect with people who won’t ignore them or lie but will help them. Fro Geri I learned that the people here and the shelter itself is unique. The test of the website seems modest when read through this lens.
This was one of the most difficult writing assignments I have done in college or before. To tell someone’s story without filtration by me is hard to do while also filling in the blanks for those who weren’t there talking to Geri. I grew as a writer being able to clearly state what I meant so that my explanations were not confused with her musings. Also I learned to remove myself from my writing. Writing for this non-profit added a level of perfection that needed to be in my writing because it’s not just for school, but for an actual organization which my writing could affect. I enjoyed talking with the volunteers there. Most challenging was the synthesis of the interview onto paper because I knew what she said, what her face looked like, and what her reaction was. I strived to work this into my writing and I think I achieved it.
I’ve never conducted a thorough interview and written a piece on it, so it was a very different and new experience for me. It was much more challenging than simply reiterating what I’ve read from a textbook or an article, but it also felt much more personal because it was research that I conducted myself. The goals of The Gathering Place are much different than the many shelters that I read about. I helped me further overcome the stereotypes that I had about homelessness and learn about more personal issues that the women have to deal with. My reading from text felt much more statistical and general while my interviews were much more personal.
ReplyDeleteNot being an experienced interviewer or transcriber, it was afraid of how this was going to turn out. But with help, I was able to generate a purposeful piece. I felt that I was able to successfully display the importance of choice and the services provided by The Gathering Place. I was able to get a taste of a completely different kind of writing and it has added to my overall writing experience. Its different writing for an organization because I feel that my writing will be seen by more people than just a single professor or a peer reviewer.
After compiling all of my interviews, I was stuck. I didn't know where to begin or what to even focus on with respect to The Gathering Place, or how I could materialize all of these testimonies into a concise but powerful piece that would either improve or reaffirm the organization's mission. After two tries, I finally had some direction and pursued it to put together what I considered to be a good testimony of homelessness, but more importantly, how The Gathering Place in particular holds a special place in the lives of many of the women it serves. I focused mostly on one of the women I interviewed, as it had some great quotes and effectively voiced how TGP has helped her, but then I shared how TGP is something different to everyone, comparing it to views of 'home' - which are drastically different for each person asked.
ReplyDeleteThis assignment, out of all those done so far this quarter, was most critical to my growth as a writer, forcing me to work outside the traditional academic box and connect my own dots from rather fragmented information and resources, rather than being handed an assignment on a sheet of paper and working within the confines of a directive. It forced me to be much more creative than I would otherwise be, but also to focus on what, out of all the information I've gathered, is truly important to the needs of the organization, thereby forcing me to be more selective than just writing for a professor and being able to include as many online and unrelated sources as possible.
I was surprised; I never expected writing for TGP to be such a challenge. This piece really made me push my ability to write “outside the box,” as there wasn’t a defined box for me to write in. After writing in such an academic style for such a long time I really struggled to find my narrative voice and create a story all while maintaining the integrity of my interview. I learned that writing isn’t a cut and dry, black and white process. In order to be a good writer you have to be able to adapt to the audience and purpose of your writing. When I finally figured out what I wanted to focus on in my piece it got much easier to envision which direction I wanted to take the story. Probably the hardest part of this writing was the pressure to write something noteworthy and helpful. It was super stressful to think about whether or not what I was writing would be useful at all to TGP. Eventually, I got to something that I feel does my interviewee justice.
ReplyDeleteGathering the information to write this piece was completely different than anything I have ever done before. I was worried about getting “good” quotes to work with and had no idea how to go about conducting an interview. I eventually just fell back to genuine interest to get my information. I asked questions that I had an interest in knowing the answer to, and before I knew it Alex and I had conducted 2 interviews that yielded not only useful quotes, but a true story about two individuals who dedicate themselves to making our community a better place. It was truly eye opening to hear about the issue of homelessness from two women who work with the issue day in and day out; to the TGP employees it’s not about simply putting the homeless in houses, rather it’s about truly caring and helping to rebuild the lives of the client at TGP (on their own terms of course). Through this project I have learned that homelessness is more than just lacking a place to call home; homelessness is about lacking resources and community. More importantly homelessness is something that affects REAL people with faces, lives, and families. This class gave homelessness a face for me, I no longer see a generic old man with a cardboard sign on a corner. That isn’t something I could have learned reading from a text book.
Writing for The Gathering Place was surprisingly frustrating mainly because it was the first interview narrative I've written. It was also difficult because of the somewhat creative nature of the assignment--the fact that there is no clear, explicit prompt. The actual interviews was also frustrating because sometimes the person being interviewed would not give very vivid details of their experiences. Nevertheless, because I interviewed volunteers, I still learned that the most salient service The Gathering Place provides is getting homeless women involved in a community of people who care. Where at first I thought that the primary job of a homeless shelter should be to get people all the material things they need, because of listening to the volunteers, I've learned that the most tangible thing a person could receive is networking, having someone tho listen to them, and that overall sense of community.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to try to generate an impression of TGP based on interviews because the two volunteers we interviewed were very different in their responses; one woman was very quick and seemed like the primary reason why she was there was because of her internship, while the other, who was also there because of an internship, seemed more dedicated to helping women and children because that was exactly what she strives to do in her future.
It was a different experience to be serving a nonprofit organization by writing for them because it put more pressure on the writing knowing that it's going to be read by someone other that the professor. Through this project I learned that there are many different types of writing and many different ways to write other than the clear-cut essay style of writing that I've gotten so used to.