Instructions

For next week, I am asking you to read two very short pieces, “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan (Mother Tongue) and “Surrendering” by Ocean Vuong (Surrendering). While reading, please take notes or annotate the writing. In other words, as you go along, write comments, questions, and/or notes in the margins of the text.  After you have read each story:

Sit and write for 7-9 minutes. Write whatever comes to mind. Try not to think too much about this writing. Just write.

Pick one of the stories and revise your one-page autobiography of yourself as a language user or writer by transforming it into a letter to either Ocean Vuong or Amy Tan. In your letter, explain what you understood about yourself as a writer from reading “Surrendering” or “Mother Tongue.” 

Think of an example of how you might be like the author or share a story of your own that reveals something about yourself as a writer. 

Your letter should be 1.5-2.5 pages following standard academic format – 8 ½ x 11 paper, Times New Roman 11-12 pt font, standard 1 inch margins, 1.5-2 spacing, and indented paragraphs. 

When you have finished, skip a few lines and write a note reflecting on how you wrote your letter.

Be sure to  proofread several times. Do not depend on spell check or grammar check as these seemingly helpful tools can lead you astray.