Theory Pieces
On the Sandbar
Theories of Writing:
My grandmother’s death and my obsession with the natural world, particularly the marine world, fueled this piece. It is a candid, honest, and personal analysis of the world around me, the world I grew up in. I draw similarities between the famous marine biologist, Rachel Carson, and my ocean-loving grandmother, who knew little academically of coastal North Carolina but possessed the instinctual knowledge one gains from living in the same place for a very long time. This piece is my first jab at creative nonfiction, a style I now very much enjoy writing. Read below the first paragraph of this piece or click the link to continue reading.
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On the Sandbar
When the tide is right, almost at its lowest point but not quite rising again, I take out the kayak. At my grandparent’s house, a sacred and scarce island property, the backyard slopes down and down until a sudden drop off the bulkhead sends you straight into the canal. To paddle from my grandfather’s dock to the sound takes only ten minutes. These waterways are man-made, constructed in an attempt to prevent the inevitable. In the Outer Banks, the islands shift constantly, making it necessary to control the water with an iron fist and fill in the beaches every five years with more sand. Otherwise, Pine Knoll Shores would melt straight into Bogue Sound.
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Located between Emerald Isle and mainland Morehead City, Bogue Sound acts as a nursery for young life. The center is dredged to allow boats to safely pass through without worrying about sandbars. But if you know where to look, the murky bottom rises up to the surface, suddenly only a couple feet deep at high tide. Throwing my sand anchor overboard, I can step out of the kayak and onto the soft sandbar, now covered in a measly six inches of water at low tide. Out here, it is necessary to wear water shoes; you never know when you may step on a half-buried welk or hidden stingray. I trudge through the sinking sand, watching tiny fish dart here and there. They like to hide in the rippling seagrass, where food is abundant, and the seagulls can’t reach them. One day, these babies will make their way out to the open ocean. Today they hope to not become someone’s next meal.
Bringing a Community Together
Topics in Writing Theory:
Represented below is a collection of pieces that culminate in a final, complete work. The theme of this class was “Cities,” so the piece represents a fraction of my view of my hometown. The first piece is a simple exercise in observation, which I chose to conduct on an empty lot in downtown Carrboro. From there, I developed a proposal concerning the empty lot, a proposal to build a community center. The proposal was then fleshed out and developed fully, considering the audience and design. The final piece, a PowerPoint, represents the official proposal, which, as a city planner or architect, may be presented to the city council or the public. Read below an excerpt or click the link to view the initial proposal and complete powerpoint.
Constructing a Community Center
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Part 1: The Proposal
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For my project, I assumed the role of an architect, hired by the city of Chapel Hill, to create the design of a building that will potentially fill an empty lot downtown. This empty lot has great walking access, curb appeal, and a close proximity to many other businesses. When given this task, there were several perspectives I needed to take into account. City planners told me that the lot had been empty for some time as no one can agree to what should fill the space in a way that would make all involved parties happy. Residents use the site as an informal gathering place for activist movements and community outreach. Land developers and businesses hope to make a profit off the site. And most importantly, the city council wants to preserve the charm and image of the city itself. My task was to design a building that could function within the constraints of the proposed property but accommodate all the cultural needs of the community. I had a couple of options when thinking about the design: a community center, multi-use, commercial, residential, or a combination. My only requirement was that I was able to accommodate all the needs of each perspective. I needed to make certain design choices, e.g., exterior, interior floor plan, etc. which I will discuss. In creating my design, I needed to reference outside sources for inspiration and guidance, which I will also talk about.