Sam Cook and John McPhee
I enjoyed reading Sam Cook’s work. His articles were simple but intriguing engaging. I wouldn’t have thought that a story about a family turkey hunting or processing deer meat would have been an interesting read. However, in Cook’s writings he broke down what happened so that the audience would be able to understand, even if they knew nothing about turkey hunting or processing meat. Cook’s writings were also very descriptive as to paint a picture for the audience.
I think Cook got his inspiration for detailed writing from John McPhee’s writings. They both are able to write very detailed about their subject that readers are able to get a clear picture of what was occuring. My favorite description was from the excerpt from “Coming into the Country”.
McPhee writes, “The big logs rarely retain their branches, but many still have their root structures, and those that do are sometimes called preachers, because the roots ride down in the water while the upper trunks breaks through the surface at an angle, and bows and rises, bows and rises as it glides by”.
I love the how much detail there is and how well you are able to picture what the log looks like and how it is moving.
One thing I really liked about Cook’s writing was how he started and ended the turkey hunting story.
Cook starts the article by saying, “If you checked Becky Magdzas’ to-do list for the past week or so, you might have found the following items: 1. Shoot a wild turkey 2. Have a baby by cesarean section”.
At the end of the article Cook writes, “At 8:35 a.m. Thursday, Becky Magdzas gave birth to a 8-pound, 3.3-ounce baby girl — Rayna Rose — at St. Luke’s hospital in Duluth”.
I liked that he connected the beginning and end together because it gave closure to the audience that they may have not noticed they wanted to begin with.
Overall, I am looking forward to Sam Cook coming to talk with our class and learning about his journalistic writing style. I’d really like to know how he comes up with his ideas for his stories and what it is that motivates him.
