The Anthropocene Reviewed

PART 1

1. Read the assigned reviews with your group. As you fill in the boxes below, consider the
following questions: What patterns do you notice in content, structure, style, voice, etc.? What
do you notice in one or two, but not the majority? Make a list. Be prepared to share your
findings with the class!

Must have In order to do what? Could have

-a title -to connect the reviewer to -reason behind review

-context/background the object being reviewed -what can be improved
-personal -to justify the rating -what is disliked
anecdote/experience -to establish a timeline the -tangibleness
-information on why created review clear
-analysis - to inform others on the
-what is liked nature of things and whether
-the effects it is good or not.
-the rating
-structures in small
paragraphs
-somewhat formal, but
mostly informal and
personal.

2. Now that you have read some of the reviews, which one was your favorite? Why? What
stylistic choices worked for you? Explain.
My favorite review was the “Googling Strangers” review because usually when I think of
reviews, I think of reviews on actual things, not concepts or actions. Googling a stranger is a
strange action to review, and I was curious how you could rate that. How would you rate doin
something like that? Like rating riding a bike? Though reading the personal anecdote made the
review make sense. The personal anecdote shows their potential bias and provides important
context that may not be apparent otherwise.

PART 2
Now it is your turn to write your own review about something in the anthropocene! Follow the
conventions of the review genre (listed above), utilizing the John Green essays as a guide.
Begin writing the review on the next blank page of this document. Be creative!
Review
on
Drawing
I have been drawing for most of my life. I can’t say all of my life, because Lauren actually
started drawing before me, and was the artist in our family. When I started drawing too, she
stopped for some reason. But that’s not really important, the important thing is that I have
been drawing for a long time.
The impact drawing has had on me is immense. It gives me a creative outlet for my stories,
though I have started writing a couple, though it isn’t the same as drawing. Drawing has also
given me an outlet for stress and anxiety, and allows me to relax, though my incompetence at
times regives me anxiety and stress because I am so bad. I only recently started drawing
digitally last summer, and am still just a virgin digital artist, so not all of my traditional skills
have transferred over, leading to the stress of art.
However, the digital form allows me to achieve color and effects that I can’t or don’t know how
to do traditionally, so that’s a plus. Drawing was some of the first written forms of language
and documentation, drawing the things around you. And now that wonder of human ingenuity
is used by me to draw crappy comics and random cursed images. Truly the best use of that
evolution of skill. However, it brings me joy, and other people joy, so it’s okay I guess. I just
think it's funny.
My parents don’t allow me to carry around a sketchbook, so all my papers and notebooks have
become my sketchbook instead. Especially my Spanish notebook, because it’s the only way I
don’t fall asleep from the teacher’s mumbly and soft voice. I take a picture of all the good
sketches, and have an album on my phone so it is like a digital sketchbook.
Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without drawing, I can’t imagine my life without it.
That’s why I am so scared to ever lose my hands, because I wouldn’t be able to draw, or write
stories. I am planning on starting on a comic soon, even though I don’t feel like I am good
enough to, just because I want to be able to draw all the stories I have in my head and share
them with people in case I die young or lose my hands. While highly unlikely, the comic I want
to start soon is a comic I don’t mind not being the best at; basically learning on the fly. I am
super excited, and am in the process of finalizing character designs and worldbuilding stuff, but
don’t want to take forever doing it.
Due to its extreme benefits, and my love for it, I would give drawing 5 stars, even with the
occasional stress it gives me, and the fact that I don’t get time to do a lot of it all the time.