Susan Sontag’s “Notes on ‘Camp’”

I have always assumed that my mind works most efficiently in lists. Constantly, I am thinking about the things I need to check off my to-do list, lists of books I want to read next, lists of food I have eaten each day, lists of things I would like to buy, just to name a few. Therefore, the way Susan Sontag used lists in her essay “Notes on ‘Camp’” resonated with me. It felt more casual (but organized) to read each of her thoughts in chronological order, as if she were taking notes. It was even soothing, perhaps. By using this technique, Sontag was able to tackle the complexity of camp exceedingly well.

If I could rewrite and/or change this essay, I would replace the dated examples Sontag used with modern day examples. This would make the concept of camp is easier to understand. I know that this essay was written in 1964, so the dated examples were not her fault: they were just a product of the time period. Sontag used examples of old movies and actors from her era, but I would replace them with things such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and other classic horror movies or celebrities like Elton John (whose style is the epitome of camp). Using updated examples will help readers in 2019 understand the complexity of camp because they can relate it to pop culture references of their time.

I appreciated how straightforward Sontag’s essay was. Her statements were brief but detailed and to the point. In journalism, it is important to refrain from using filler words as much as possible in order to keep stories concise and easy to read. I will pay close attention to this while I am writing my first story in order to make my reporting as clear and vivid as possible.