Hooks

Before You Read

Some authors that I know who have pen names are J. K. Rowling and S. E. Hinton. Authors change their names if they do not want people to recognize them, or if they are afraid something might happen to them because of heir writings. The pen names can be a different arrangement of the real authors name or a combination of 2 or more names. 

Summary

In Bell Hook's article "Writing Autobiography", she tells us how writing an autobiography has helped her rediscover herself and reflect on her childhood. The audience for this article is anyone who wants to learn more about writing autobiography. Hook's article is full of examples and tips for things to keep in mind when writing your own autobiography. By showing the reader some parts of her actual autobiography, you get to see how an autobiography should be written. 

Synthesis

Hook's article can easily be compared to the Malcolm X article. These articles can be compared because they are both autobiographies. While Hook's article is more about tips on how you can write your own autobiography, Malcom X is an actual autobiography of Malcolm Little. Both of these articles have given me ideas and information about how I should write my own autobiography. Hook's article can be compared to Alexie's article the same way it was compared to Malcolm X. Alexie's article is also an actual autobiography but it still gave me ideas and clues for what my autobiography should look like. Lastly, Hook's article can be compared to Allen's article about the Inspired Writer. These articles are similar because they both deal with inspiration and motive to write. Hook's article talks about how she was inspired to write her autobiography because she wanted to reflect and create a new self. Allen's article talks about what specific things can help students become interested in their writings. 

Dialectical Notebook

Response	Quotation
This opening sentence is important because it gives the reader a feel of how the author feels about writing narratives. It shows that the author may have had troubles in the past but is not comfortable with herself through her narrative writing.	“To me, telling the story of my growing-up years was intimately connected with the longing to kill the self I was without really having to die. I wanted to kill that self in the writing. Once that self was gone- out of m life forever- I could more easily become the me of me.” (pg. 177)
This quote is helpful because it stresses the most important part of writing a narrative. I also have trouble remembering and putting things together when I write narratives.	“Again I was compelled to face the fiction that is a part of all retelling, remembering.” (Pg. 178)
This quote stuck out to me because of the way she talks about her childhood. I like this quote because it says how telling your story can have great impacts on all kinds of people.	“Within the world of my childhood, we held on to the legacy of a distinct black culture by listening to the elders tell their stories. Autobiography was experienced most actively in the art of telling one’s story.” (pg. 179)
I like this quote because it shows what writing a narrative can do for the writer. It can help you reflect upon your life and see it in a flowing collective way.	“It had not occurred to me that bringing one’s past, one’s memories together in a complete narrative would allow one to view them from a different perspective, not as singular isolated events but as part of a continuum.” (pg. 179)

Applying and Exploring Ideas

5. When writing my own autobiography, I can set myself in a discourse community by talking about my childhood and past. By being specific and using examples, I will be able to set the tone that i want to give for my autobiography. By doing these things, it will help me both write my autobiography and also understand my own life story.

Thoughts

After reading Hook's article, I feel very confident about writing my own autobiography. I liked how she sees writing an autobiography as a way to get rid of the old person and create a new. Also, I liked her article because it was a mix of her actual autobiography and tips for writing your own autobiography. I found this article very interesting and informative.