About Me

Atlanta, Georgia, United States
My first book, "Invisible Sisters: A Memoir" has been named one of "Twenty Five Books All Georgians Should Read!" I would love to visit your bookclub, either in person (in the South) or through the magic of electronics. My writing has received a "Special Mention" for a 2008 Pushcart Prize. I have been honored with a residency at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in Bethany, CT., a Fellowship at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts in Rabun Gap, Georgia, and the 2009 Peter Taylor Nonfiction Fellowship at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. Locally, I teach workshops in creative writing, memoir, and feature journalism, and am a member of the faculty of an art college, where I teach screenwriting. I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.) and a B.S. in Communication from Emerson College, in Boston. I used to work in television. I did not push the broom behind the elephant. Usually, I served as mahout - I drove the (allegorical) elephant. If he was SAG or AFTRA. Rock stars do not scare me.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Positionality



Pick one statement that illustrates the concept of "positionality" in creative nonfiction.

A. Yes, there really is a praying mantis the size of a size nine shoe on my screen porch.

B. From where I sit, that praying mantis freaked me out so much it looked big as a shoe.

C. We could stage a mini-monster movie out here.

(Note that there are two correct answers.)



5 comments:

Dave Stallard said...

I think it's a PREYING mantis.

jessica handler said...

Actually, 'praying' is accurate - it's a reference to their posture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis

Dave Stallard said...

That was the joke. ;) He's so big you better watch out. That same Wiki page says this:

"Mantises are exclusively predatory. Insects form the primary diet, but larger species have been known to prey on small scorpions, lizards, frogs, birds, snakes, fish, and even rodents; they will prey upon any species small enough to successfully capture and devour. "

Collin Kelley said...

I hate bugs!

jessica handler said...

@Collin - is that a Mike Tyson imitation? PS GREAT reading @ B2BR.