The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie

"I remember the exact moment when I understood , with sudden clarity , the purpose of a paragraph... I realized that a paragraph was a fence that held words. The words inside a paragraph worked together for a common purpose. They had some specific reason for being inside the same fence. This knowledge delighted me . I began to think of everything in terms of paragraphs. Our reservation was a small paragraph within the United States. My family's house was a paragraph, distinct from the other paragraph of the LeBrets to the north, the Fords to the south, and Tribal School to the west. Inside our house, each family member existed as a separate paragraph but still had genetics and common experiences to link us. Now using this logic , I can see my changed family as an essay of seven paragraphs: mother, father, older brother, the deceased sister, my younger twin sisters, and our adopted little brother.
(The Writer's Presence, eds. McQuade & Atwan Fifth Edition Bedford/ Saint Martin's)

Assignment Using the Alexie comments as your guide, write five paragraphs about your family or your neighborhood Option 1: Write a separate paragraph for each member of your family. If you have a large family you do not need to include everyone. Use the following format: Paragraph 1 : the family member's name and then a 3-5 sentence description. (do this with each family member you write about - Paragraph 2: name/description, Paragraph 3: name/description etc.) Option 2: Write about your neighborhood. You may use a combination locations: for example, your house, your neighbor's, the convenience store down the street, the school at the end of the block. Follow the same format as above:

Paragraph 1: You house and then a 3-5 sentence description. (Do this with each unit you choose to describe)

You may submit this assignment as an uploaded word file or type it directly to the assignment space. If you type it directly to Blackboard be sure and indent your paragraphs and skip a space in between paragraphs.

JaShon Hannett English 1100-05 Ms. Robinson 6 October 2011

My Family!? When discussing my family its a lot to take in to accord my mother, father, sisters, and brother. Do I have to include pets if one chooses to consider animals family? Beginning with my place of origin is Muskegon Heights, Michigan is my place of birth. My mother and father werent married at the time but they are very loving and always keep their children well taken care of. Benita Hannett is my mother, provider, and the rock of my life. Since my birth I have never doubted her love and wisdom, though she may not apply it to her life she made sure her children knew it. Momma is what we called her, her attitude was the kind where if you received a look your spin would shiver and then there was pain, more than likely you were hit. Momma always was real and true and never gave an answer that she did not feel was the truth or allowed to receive nothing less of it. In the house hold I was reared in I was not to get over on her, so I applaud Momma for that. Jason Hannett Sr. is my father even though he and my mother werent married when I came around I still had to recognize him as my father, which he never allowed me to forget it. Man of few words me and my father didnt get along when he and my mother got back together, I did not converse with him; We just did not has anything in common besides me guys. My father and I have a better relationship now we understand the concepts of agree to disagree. Sierra Hannett as know as Bae Baes oldest child. My sister is all women as real as it get when it comes to ghetto fabulous. Fighting and arguing came naturally between me and her; as much as I hate to admit it we are closer because of it. I never knew anyone stronger or more powerful than my sister I as much as I did then I still believe that there is not anyone that can beat my sister. She is now a single woman making moves by herself and I hope life continues to move in her direction, otherwise she will make it. Jason Hitman Hannett do not have the same mother but is my older brother the would be football God graduate of Muskegon High, so everyone thought. To anyone who had a jock growing up with knows that they do not care about what everyone thinks they are going to do, for that matter do what they are supposed to do. He was all state and all conference that did not what that life so now he is doing whatever he wants back home. If he is happy then I am happy with him. Sequoia Anderson, is my mothers youngest daughter yet we have different fathers my dad has always accepted her as his own only thing is Quoia want her biological father to be there for her so she is rebellious to mine. She just had a birthday that jus passed and she loves it but now she has to over go the whole teenage drama that we have all faced. Me and Quoia has not ever seen eye to eye; she feels I am mean and is always telling on her.