Question

WRITE: Commute Essay (WEEK 6) Links to an external site. For this essay you will be writing the story of your own commute. One of the most common shared experiences is

that of the commute. For many, it's to work or school. Today in class we read an excerpt of "Download "The Lake Shore Limited" Links to an external site. Which detailed Paul Theroux's trip from Medford to South Station on the T. Whether you drive, take public transportation, walk, or some other way; there is a world going on around you. There are lives intersecting as people go their own ways on their own commutes. Before writing, begin by taking notes of the experience as it is happening (if you drive, write down notes immediately after you stop driving-do not write and drive). What do you see around you? What do the other people look like? What are the sounds you hear? The smells? What are you feeling in the moment? How does your identity as a commuter or traveler vary from the others around you? Once you have taken your notes, look over them. What areas seem more important than others? What connections between seemingly disparate thoughts can you combine into a singular view? When you have done so, write the story of your commute in 1½ to 2 pages double spaced, as Theroux did at the start of his trip to Patagonia. Be creative, be detailed, most of all, bring life to an area that most people may see as mundane. Show us why it isn't.