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Writing Personal Essays: On the Necessity of Turning Oneself Into a Character », Puiusir Lopate ns MATE a penal sys, oting ior coon methane tf YER ea ond wor on wre shoul be shane Ar pen ma foe hi fee 2.0 ae artes an oe The pot wh To the pai ut ta hing psoas my ne that ie eed etna Bae WH ae min ae vara wi Ce erate gad an 00% fo fae spect Wheres AS lh ing to he fs ie in sew elt © ra pang ihe eee png ah ses en th ve te act” RL MASP sr 2 en con ge case A Pon a ac donowere veut PES of who ir apeakng Ee nett ul ere iat carat. nd rene Meer och he sameway te son We Ge Love wad es ofthe Noes fame dnt EO Foe bend corer beeen ne tna PS 2 aad wat te prea CPST) age en oe ne cmplenes or ein ant of eaten ee he wre comes ope chr wecae ok emo he role onc PARE ssf or oat pan fiom ov sonic ed Eat on broad cline hae A bo ae ec wild ooh i A 2 a graernaon cone owen eats pe Th ean fhe eon ou ae wing ERMA term of hab in tee nts ess Bing ioc pode Scat 708 a acing he eae What tone. 1 wR so how do you ten yout nt a charac? Fi fal 908 ecdieivecoesuve-some dane fom yous I yu ea by any ceaminacon of your as tha all you ca do rane ey wen you el oul ache, Yu as MOE, sre arin toe wing of personal ea. You need 0 Be le 1 rom the cllg 0 Kae, fo stance, how 08 ate SEP terns socal tuations no sess accrtly WHEN YOu seen and when you vem psy, ost or on deere ar homes esay wating i js as unetifitorly arate yousel chen, and thnk you ae fat es Sea you sly ae tanto ge Yous oo mosh ed THe ew bagi to take invetry of youre that yOu ca ce tat si tothe reader a aspen, lege character ease eto srt your glk. These re the ines, ste en anil manners, and soon that st Yu apart ammo owe Te lem on trast your common many, beter Yt the va ate dhe meal dg Dtween your odes and thos of roe or atari, Yuen oan Seder estas as absaasy nea, Who wans 0 ea see Band carr, the eglar Joe! The mike many being coum oso be nl ge avin song s(t heer easton tho) ee ee arco eco me REMI of te taleclauch-cesaning one's expeninens, Tee vt ons edges sparing very’ engl nt Work ‘Sol on he pg. Fe etay ee mos of ws suipect—no, we nour under peat cre common it Bar we a il need ous pif eal i ca heard projet ten esti, the way actors Work sae cin the peal pparace of vor teres 12 Teen ues imo chara we need to donate sis ann ong chee ar “Nepoonng those that ae aleay in us unde he mow a iva bent oes ed © rey the enema and Rigg js thse feu YOU Sty chat lead tothe mos tense. conraditons oF Tale ay eds confi, shor story des, Without confit, 10 tie mt tates rpetig Your nial be Tea Saad way Whar ges an ay dais te ned » to work out some problem, espeially a problem that isnot easly 1 wvad: Fortunately, human beings are conflicted animals, so there {So shorage of teaions that won't go away Good eayists Mw ee a clea opie in advance that wll generate enough spark 2 wow nd how to frame the topic so that wil nether be too ambi ve ae oo light—so that its scale willbe appropiate for satisfying esloraton Ifyou are serenely unconflited when you tists dow carne an easy, you may Bnd yourself onning out of scar. 1.8 wares problem thet is t00 philosophically large oF historically ‘EM clued, you may choke on the details and give hil there ae technical issues, and Tam nctined to tink that what standin the way of most personal esaysis not technique bu psychol- Jape emoutonal preparedness if you wil ro Be honest and pen ro exposure Tie padent essayist is torn berween two contrasting exteemes pe stam so weied that I

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