Presentations

Well- procrastination has gotten the best of me. As I write this, the day before it's due-I'm finding myself regretting not keeping up with this blog. Recently I've been reading people's posts and I find that I'm able to both relate and learn a lot from them. I wish I had been more interactive on the blog- but is something I can remember for the future.
   I gave my oral presentation on Tuesday and I found it much easier than I thought to stand up in front of the class and talk for ten minutes. At first thought of this assignment my immediate reaction was butterflies and nerves. I've never enjoyed public speaking and always seem to feel that my face is on fire when I'm speaking in front of people. That didn't quite happen on Tuesday though. As I went up- books in hand I looked at the people who have read and critiqued my poetry, and vice versa. I found that even though I may not have known the people I was speaking in front of on a friend level, I can look at each one of my classmates and tell them what poem they wrote or something about their poetry. That was something I found to be really neat, and I encourage those of you presenting tomorrow to not be afraid of this. Through workshop we all have this connection through writing that I think is really neat. You may not know much about the person you sit next to each day, or the person across the room, but you know how they write and what they write about. I think others' writing styles and subject matter has impacted me and helped me as a poet and person.

Thanks!
Taylor Achin