Reference no: EM13779543

Other Requirements: The piece that I chose for this discussion "Every Day" by Sven Birkerts. This text can be considered creative nonfiction for several reasons. For one, the voice of the author draws me to the story. He uses everyday language to explain a fairly typical experience, without dumbing it down. The way he organizes his thoughts and feelings as well as the way he describes each aspect of the story builds on itself. It creates a fluent picture. This story is creative nonfiction also because the author uses descriptive terms to paint a mental picture of both the vagrant asking for money and the intersection the he works. Even though it is his experience, he describes it without being over specific making it more reliable. He sees the man but hasn't memorized his features; it is more the experience that makes an impression to him.

People have this type of experience throughout their lives. To most, it is just another part of living in this world where some have so much and others have so little. What makes this story interesting is that it is of no real appeal. However, the author not only manages to write it well enough to make it of interest, but he uses it to look into himself. He mentions that he sometimes has an urge to give to this man but mostly tries to ignore him. He then goes on to comment on the possibilities as to why he may feel this way. Though he has no solid answers, the introspection is one that makes the reader look at themselves.

The subgenre this piece of work fits into is the personal essay. Unlike a portrait, the author and the primary subject of the pieces are one and the same. It is not a memoir because it focuses on the authors present instead of his past. He is commenting on an experience not arguing his opinion or reporting on an event, therefore it is also neither narrative journalism nor an opinion essay. The sensory detail is sufficient enough for the story though not the focus, and so, it is not an essay of place.