Why, in your opinion, should journalism students read this excerpt from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee? What is something valuable they can learn from it?
I think the most obvious reason budding journalists should check out Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is the author's ability to take the most mundane subjects (overalls, shoes? really?) and observe them in a way that makes for rich storytelling. Agee also has a palpable knack for humanizing the most, at face value, lifeless subjects. He'll take a pair of overalls, relate them to a so-called "marvel of nature," and, in the process, have his readers all but fall head-over-heels for them. To Agee, everything has a story worth being told.
In my opinion, journalism students should read this excerpt from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee because it helps make something ordinary seem interesting. In news stories about people or events the subjects can seem boring unless the writer puts an interesting spin on it. Agee also uses a lot of literary elements like imagery,personification, simile, and metaphor to make the object more interesting, because no one really thinks that overalls are "exquisite". For example "This fabric breaks like snow," or he uses words like elegant and beauties. Where as the shoes are described more harshly and he uses word choices like raw, coarsely, excruciating, and destroying. Each one has a specific style and he goes in depth with the details analyzing everything.
One thing i noticed about James Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" was his ability to use repetition in a way the makes the subject seem familiar. Sometimes, repetition makes items seem boring and unimaginative. However Agee uses the words straps, harness, pockets, buttons so often yet he does it in a way that shows style instead of inexperience. I think that this is important for journalist because it shows how style can really be inserted into any kind of prose. Agee wrote this whole piece one shoes and overalls, however, he has a voice that is very clear. I think that is becomes hard for journalist to develop their own voice when approaching certain topics. Agee also shows an attention to detail that every aspiring journalist should have. To be a good writer/reporter, it is incredibly important to be observant. Agee's description of the smallest items may be the most stand-out parts of his story. It just shows that it is important to pay attention to things others may think to be trivial or arbitrary.
I think from this excerpt, students could learn to write with passion, no matter what subject their given. In this piece, James Agee writes with vivid detail and interest about peculiar subjects. He takes the subject of overalls, or shoes, and gives them life, literally. Agee uses amazing personification in this piece, which is another valuable lesson to take from this writing. He refers to the overalls in ways like “and in their whole stature” or “the coldness of sweat when they are young, and their stiffness; their sweetness to the skin and pleasure of sweating when they are old” He personifies the overalls further by describing them in terms of age, young, middle-aged and old. “The old: the cloth sleeps against all salients of the body in a complete peace” He also makes the overalls sound like an actual man at times, and like harnesses, making them sound like the very things they are made for.
Another lesson that can be taken from this obscure piece is simply words, vocabulary- used properly. Often times throughout the piece it was so eloquently written, with such detail and the word choice was so varied that I forgot I was reading about shoes, and overalls. Certain passages like “I estimate that the ticklish grain of the ground can be felt through at the center of the forward sole. The heels are deeply biased” I mean, there are tons of simple ways he could have said, the dirt or rocks can be felt through the soles of the shoes, but no, he calls a shoe biased, he says “ticklish grain” instead, his writing is detailed, thoughtful and interesting.
I think journalism students should read this excerpt from "Let Us Praise Famous Men" by James Agee because this is the type of detail in a story that a writer needs to be aware of. So many times I have written stories and wished I had more detail to go with it. Agee has left nothing out. Not only does he give such great detail but he explains a reason for this detail. For example, "..the complexed seams of utilitarian pockets which are so brightly picked out against darkness when the seam-threading, double and triple stitched, are still white, so that a new suit of overalls has among its beauties those of a blueprint." This is the type of things all journalist's should be aware of.
The reason I believe that aspiring journalists should read the piece from "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men", because it is an example of how even the most simple, or boring story/thing can be elaborated on and attract a reader. What I found most fascinating about Agee's piece is how he uses his language to lure the reader in and make the object interesting. Normally, a piece about overalls and shoes for a page and a half would seem incredibly boring, but good literary journalism can attract readers into beautiful imagery.
I think journalism students can learn from "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee. Agee's thoroughness and attention to detail are skills that are necessary for any journalist. His approach to reporting and writing is unconventional from a journalism point of view, but it is effective nonetheless. Agee takes something so meaningless, as it would seem, like shoes or overalls, and turns it into something reminiscent of a life if not lives of so many people, a whole culture and class of people. They become the "map of a working man." I think journalists have to be able to look at a situation and be creative about how they are going to approach it.
Agee is remarkable at making you forget he's talking about inanimate objects, and he brings an entirely new light on the word "description". The fact that he made an entire piece solely devoted to describing the simplest of articles of clothing like overalls and shoes is a reason all in its own to why journalism students should read this piece. He shines lights on these dull topics and makes it seem as important as the details in a murder, if that makes sense. It makes a person, or at least me, think differently on everything and want to be way more descriptive when telling stories.
I believe that it is important for any writing major, especially journalism majors, to read this piece because it shows how an entire story can be illuminated through description. Through describing pairs of overalls and shoes, Agee is able to tell of how the tenant families lived and worked. This technique is something very valuable that can be learned from this piece, which I believe uses the powers of description to ultimately move the reader and force a reaction to this way of life.
While reading James Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men," I noticed his talent for energizing and humanizing lifeless objects.
Although strange, Agee did use powerful similes to get his point across. 'The edges of the thigh pockets become stretched and lie open fluted, like the gills of a fish.' By comparing an insignificant subject to something that is familiar to a majority, Agee illustrates a comprehensible image as well as a possible sensation for the reader.
I think it’s important that journalists read this piece because it is important to know what image to include in a story. Agee chooses to describe necessary images and does it well. Readers are usually very detached from the news that they read, but by including the appropriate description,readers might feel touched.
Details, that's why. He talks about overalls for longer than any of our stories. I used to always wonder how it can be possible for someone to write a novel; they're so long. A big part of writing at length is the ability to express yourself fully. In all of our stories, we talk for 300 words about something that with enough thought, we could write 300 pages on. The depth Agee shows in this excerpt shows exactly how much good writing can detail, how fully expressive a writer can be.
Journalists should read this piece because it is a perfect example of how good details can tell the story for you. There is no back story about a farmer that is overworked and has spent years doing physical labor that has worn his body down. However, this is gained through the description of what he's wearing. The whole piece is just descriptions of the articles of clothing this man is wearing, but it turns into a description of the man himself. Even just one line like when he says, "They are softened, in the uppers, with use, and the soles are rubbed thin enough, I estimate, that the ticklish grain of the ground can be felt through the center of the forward sole," can tell the whole story. This is something journalists should read so they understand the importance of details and descriptions in their writing and can utilize that in their writing.
I agree with what both Samantha and Josh said. Agee’s writing is a mix of passionately written details. I think journalism students should read this because of the unique angle he chooses to write from in order to reveal the story and it’s characters. By focusing on the overalls, and then the shoes, we learn about the characters in a different and unique way. The details of how they’re clothes still have bright seams or whether or not the clothes have begun to wear and mold to the shapes of the bodies that wear them is the narrative. The evolution, or rather erosion, of the clothes is what tells the story instead of a straightforward narrative about a certain character or event.
I think if you look at this story in the same way you look at Hunter Thompson’s work you can say that it would (ideally) be inspirational to most aspiring journalists because it shows that there are so many possibilities when it comes to writing about any subject and it’s just about finding a way to make it work. The freedom of Agee’s writing and the way he chooses to cover the subject is liberating, and in that regard should be inspirational to any journalism student who thinks there’s only one way to cover a news story or social issue.
I think that all journalism students should read this excerpt of Jame's Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. First, it shows that there is no topic too small to cover. Agee spends two and a half pages writing about the style, condition, and texture of a pair of overalls and a pair of shoes. Agee takes these mundane topics and relates them back to humanity. At times, you know he's not talking about the overalls or shoes anymore, he's talking about the people that wear them.
The excerpt literally starts in the middle, yet with a tiny header, you know what he's talking about completely. The header may not even be totally necessary. Agee's descriptions make it completely clear what he's talking about.
Finally, Agee's descriptions and descriptive language are like no others. My favorite example was already thrown out by Maria, about the fabric breaking like snow. His turn of phrase is beautiful, and way more literary than journalistic
Of course, the details, details, details that dominate this excerpt from James Agee’s piece are what set it apart. The observations are almost unbelievable; after all, he goes as far as to talk describe the thickness and color of the fly button in the overalls. As Pam said, Agee also draws comparisons and pairs certain words together to create imagery that is both new and unusual, but effective in its description. Whether is be comparing the legs of the overalls to stove pipes or using a phrase like “cloven halls” to describe this part of the garment, the diction Agee employs to develop the reader’s image of garments and shows draws up familiar images in a different way. This is ultimately the challenge set before any writer: journalist, poet, novelist, what have you. It’s easy to fall back on clichés and to recreate images that have culturally come to suggest a certain mood or idea. But retracting to things that have been said, have been done makes writing less impactful and powerful than if you were to challenge the reader to look at something with a new perspective.
The kind of writing exhibited in this excerpt sets a good example for writers in that it is loaded with emotive implications and sentiments without explicitly stating them, There is a reason why Agee goes on and on about shoes and overalls: he is showing his reverence for the people who where them. But as others have said, we are not provided with the back story of a weathered farmer. Instead, facets of this ambiguous character’s attire come to literally and figuratively embody his values, work ethic, etc. Instead of just telling us what he thinks of these working men, he shows us in an unconventional way.
I think that reading Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is important for journalists because it is proof that it is possible to take a simple topic and turn it into something worth reading and complex.
This piece can also teach journalists how to use unique phrases, even if the topic may seem dull. For instance, "the complexed seams of utilitarian pockets which are so brightly picked out against darkness..." is such a descriptive line for describing pockets.
Sometimes I have trouble finding the right word to insert in a story and I feel like Agee did a great job with the vocabulary that was chosen.
Journalists can learn a lot from this piece. Whether it's making subjects more complex or choosing the right vocabulary to liven things up.
The reason behind assigning journalism students Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is simply enough to learn how to write-about anything and be stylistically detailed, comprehensible and consistent. The subject is a pair of overalls, thats it. But what he does with it creates a story and brings meaning to the writing, the "why should I care" of the story. The "why" is all in the attention to detail ( especially what details not to include), verbs and the right amount of imagery, " And in the functional pocketing of their bib, a harness modified to the convenience of a used animal of such high intelligence that he has use for tools" (418). Agee describes the overalls as if they existed first, adapting to man's intellectual advances. There is now a personality created in the overalls, which seem to function on their own. He does the same again with shoes, describing them as a friend who has stuck by your side adapting to the bad times, "Ricketts' shoes are boldly slashed open to accommodate as they scarcely can the years of pain in his feet" (421).
Agee also alludes to the idea of preserving all the pain in the feet, perhaps in the sense of keeping the memories of all the miles walked, places seen, etc. close to heart.
The first court article that I covered while I was working at The Journal News taught me the importance of details within an article. We were the press, the only ones who were able to actually sit in on this court case and then report it for the public to read. The head court reporter at the time, Tim O’Connor, noticed every detail down to the nervous sips of water that the defendant took throughout the trial. It is these details that allowed his readers to feel like they were sitting in the court room watching the trial as it unfolded.
Agee uses one item, a pair of overalls, and with his use of detail he is able to evoke certain sentiments in his readers and set a tone. Agee’s story taught me a different lesson about writing. You can take something, something as mundane as a pair of overalls, and with word choice and style you can turn it into anything you want it to be. In journalism, it’s not about the subject; it is about what you as the writer can take from that subject, and how you want to interpret your observations on paper. There is always a story to be discovered.
James Agee’s story was important for me because he hit the nail right on the head when it comes to being in the subject’s shoes (and clothes). He nailed every descriptive detail right, therefore the reader understood in clear, concise sentences. For other journalism students, this story is important especially with the fact that it was originally rejected, because it’s a beautiful story without much understanding or appreciation until you get near the end, where Agee describes the ‘pearls’ of stirrup corns on the balls of worker’s feet. Professions like that are often ignored or very under-appreciated these days, and it’s important not to forget what other people are doing in order to support themselves, and essentially, America during a desperate time of need.
21 comments:
I think the most obvious reason budding journalists should check out Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is the author's ability to take the most mundane subjects (overalls, shoes? really?) and observe them in a way that makes for rich storytelling. Agee also has a palpable knack for humanizing the most, at face value, lifeless subjects. He'll take a pair of overalls, relate them to a so-called "marvel of nature," and, in the process, have his readers all but fall head-over-heels for them. To Agee, everything has a story worth being told.
In my opinion, journalism students should read this excerpt from Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee because it helps make something ordinary seem interesting. In news stories about people or events the subjects can seem boring unless the writer puts an interesting spin on it. Agee also uses a lot of literary elements like imagery,personification, simile, and metaphor to make the object more interesting, because no one really thinks that overalls are "exquisite". For example "This fabric breaks like snow," or he uses words like elegant and beauties. Where as the shoes are described more harshly and he uses word choices like raw, coarsely, excruciating, and destroying. Each one has a specific style and he goes in depth with the details analyzing everything.
One thing i noticed about James Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" was his ability to use repetition in a way the makes the subject seem familiar. Sometimes, repetition makes items seem boring and unimaginative. However Agee uses the words straps, harness, pockets, buttons so often yet he does it in a way that shows style instead of inexperience. I think that this is important for journalist because it shows how style can really be inserted into any kind of prose. Agee wrote this whole piece one shoes and overalls, however, he has a voice that is very clear. I think that is becomes hard for journalist to develop their own voice when approaching certain topics. Agee also shows an attention to detail that every aspiring journalist should have. To be a good writer/reporter, it is incredibly important to be observant. Agee's description of the smallest items may be the most stand-out parts of his story. It just shows that it is important to pay attention to things others may think to be trivial or arbitrary.
I think from this excerpt, students could learn to write with passion, no matter what subject their given. In this piece, James Agee writes with vivid detail and interest about peculiar subjects. He takes the subject of overalls, or shoes, and gives them life, literally. Agee uses amazing personification in this piece, which is another valuable lesson to take from this writing. He refers to the overalls in ways like “and in their whole stature” or “the coldness of sweat when they are young, and their stiffness; their sweetness to the skin and pleasure of sweating when they are old” He personifies the overalls further by describing them in terms of age, young, middle-aged and old. “The old: the cloth sleeps against all salients of the body in a complete peace” He also makes the overalls sound like an actual man at times, and like harnesses, making them sound like the very things they are made for.
Another lesson that can be taken from this obscure piece is simply words, vocabulary- used properly. Often times throughout the piece it was so eloquently written, with such detail and the word choice was so varied that I forgot I was reading about shoes, and overalls. Certain passages like “I estimate that the ticklish grain of the ground can be felt through at the center of the forward sole. The heels are deeply biased” I mean, there are tons of simple ways he could have said, the dirt or rocks can be felt through the soles of the shoes, but no, he calls a shoe biased, he says “ticklish grain” instead, his writing is detailed, thoughtful and interesting.
I think journalism students should read this excerpt from "Let Us Praise Famous Men" by James Agee because this is the type of detail in a story that a writer needs to be aware of. So many times I have written stories and wished I had more detail to go with it. Agee has left nothing out. Not only does he give such great detail but he explains a reason for this detail. For example, "..the complexed seams of utilitarian pockets which are so brightly picked out against darkness when the seam-threading, double and triple stitched, are still white, so that a new suit of overalls has among its beauties those of a blueprint." This is the type of things all journalist's should be aware of.
The reason I believe that aspiring journalists should read the piece from "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men", because it is an example of how even the most simple, or boring story/thing can be elaborated on and attract a reader. What I found most fascinating about Agee's piece is how he uses his language to lure the reader in and make the object interesting. Normally, a piece about overalls and shoes for a page and a half would seem incredibly boring, but good literary journalism can attract readers into beautiful imagery.
I think journalism students can learn from "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" by James Agee. Agee's thoroughness and attention to detail are skills that are necessary for any journalist. His approach to reporting and writing is unconventional from a journalism point of view, but it is effective nonetheless. Agee takes something so meaningless, as it would seem, like shoes or overalls, and turns it into something reminiscent of a life if not lives of so many people, a whole culture and class of people. They become the "map of a working man." I think journalists have to be able to look at a situation and be creative about how they are going to approach it.
Agee is remarkable at making you forget he's talking about inanimate objects, and he brings an entirely new light on the word "description". The fact that he made an entire piece solely devoted to describing the simplest of articles of clothing like overalls and shoes is a reason all in its own to why journalism students should read this piece. He shines lights on these dull topics and makes it seem as important as the details in a murder, if that makes sense. It makes a person, or at least me, think differently on everything and want to be way more descriptive when telling stories.
I believe that it is important for any writing major, especially journalism majors, to read this piece because it shows how an entire story can be illuminated through description. Through describing pairs of overalls and shoes, Agee is able to tell of how the tenant families lived and worked. This technique is something very valuable that can be learned from this piece, which I believe uses the powers of description to ultimately move the reader and force a reaction to this way of life.
While reading James Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men," I noticed his talent for energizing and humanizing lifeless objects.
Although strange, Agee did use powerful similes to get his point across. 'The edges of the thigh pockets become stretched and lie open fluted, like the gills of a fish.' By comparing an insignificant subject to something that is familiar to a majority, Agee illustrates a comprehensible image as well as a possible sensation for the reader.
I think it’s important that journalists read this piece because it is important to know what image to include in a story. Agee chooses to describe necessary images and does it well. Readers are usually very detached from the news that they read, but by including the appropriate description,readers might feel touched.
Details, that's why. He talks about overalls for longer than any of our stories. I used to always wonder how it can be possible for someone to write a novel; they're so long. A big part of writing at length is the ability to express yourself fully. In all of our stories, we talk for 300 words about something that with enough thought, we could write 300 pages on. The depth Agee shows in this excerpt shows exactly how much good writing can detail, how fully expressive a writer can be.
Journalists should read this piece because it is a perfect example of how good details can tell the story for you. There is no back story about a farmer that is overworked and has spent years doing physical labor that has worn his body down. However, this is gained through the description of what he's wearing. The whole piece is just descriptions of the articles of clothing this man is wearing, but it turns into a description of the man himself. Even just one line like when he says, "They are softened, in the uppers, with use, and the soles are rubbed thin enough, I estimate, that the ticklish grain of the ground can be felt through the center of the forward sole," can tell the whole story. This is something journalists should read so they understand the importance of details and descriptions in their writing and can utilize that in their writing.
I agree with what both Samantha and Josh said. Agee’s writing is a mix of passionately written details. I think journalism students should read this because of the unique angle he chooses to write from in order to reveal the story and it’s characters. By focusing on the overalls, and then the shoes, we learn about the characters in a different and unique way. The details of how they’re clothes still have bright seams or whether or not the clothes have begun to wear and mold to the shapes of the bodies that wear them is the narrative. The evolution, or rather erosion, of the clothes is what tells the story instead of a straightforward narrative about a certain character or event.
I think if you look at this story in the same way you look at Hunter Thompson’s work you can say that it would (ideally) be inspirational to most aspiring journalists because it shows that there are so many possibilities when it comes to writing about any subject and it’s just about finding a way to make it work. The freedom of Agee’s writing and the way he chooses to cover the subject is liberating, and in that regard should be inspirational to any journalism student who thinks there’s only one way to cover a news story or social issue.
I think that all journalism students should read this excerpt of Jame's Agee's Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. First, it shows that there is no topic too small to cover. Agee spends two and a half pages writing about the style, condition, and texture of a pair of overalls and a pair of shoes. Agee takes these mundane topics and relates them back to humanity. At times, you know he's not talking about the overalls or shoes anymore, he's talking about the people that wear them.
The excerpt literally starts in the middle, yet with a tiny header, you know what he's talking about completely. The header may not even be totally necessary. Agee's descriptions make it completely clear what he's talking about.
Finally, Agee's descriptions and descriptive language are like no others. My favorite example was already thrown out by Maria, about the fabric breaking like snow. His turn of phrase is beautiful, and way more literary than journalistic
Of course, the details, details, details that dominate this excerpt from James Agee’s piece are what set it apart. The observations are almost unbelievable; after all, he goes as far as to talk describe the thickness and color of the fly button in the overalls. As Pam said, Agee also draws comparisons and pairs certain words together to create imagery that is both new and unusual, but effective in its description. Whether is be comparing the legs of the overalls to stove pipes or using a phrase like “cloven halls” to describe this part of the garment, the diction Agee employs to develop the reader’s image of garments and shows draws up familiar images in a different way. This is ultimately the challenge set before any writer: journalist, poet, novelist, what have you. It’s easy to fall back on clichés and to recreate images that have culturally come to suggest a certain mood or idea. But retracting to things that have been said, have been done makes writing less impactful and powerful than if you were to challenge the reader to look at something with a new perspective.
The kind of writing exhibited in this excerpt sets a good example for writers in that it is loaded with emotive implications and sentiments without explicitly stating them, There is a reason why Agee goes on and on about shoes and overalls: he is showing his reverence for the people who where them. But as others have said, we are not provided with the back story of a weathered farmer. Instead, facets of this ambiguous character’s attire come to literally and figuratively embody his values, work ethic, etc. Instead of just telling us what he thinks of these working men, he shows us in an unconventional way.
I think that reading Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is important for journalists because it is proof that it is possible to take a simple topic and turn it into something worth reading and complex.
This piece can also teach journalists how to use unique phrases, even if the topic may seem dull. For instance, "the complexed seams of utilitarian pockets which are so brightly picked out against darkness..." is such a descriptive line for describing pockets.
Sometimes I have trouble finding the right word to insert in a story and I feel like Agee did a great job with the vocabulary that was chosen.
Journalists can learn a lot from this piece. Whether it's making subjects more complex or choosing the right vocabulary to liven things up.
The reason behind assigning journalism students Agee's "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" is simply enough to learn how to write-about anything and be stylistically detailed, comprehensible and consistent. The subject is a pair of overalls, thats it. But what he does with it creates a story and brings meaning to the writing, the "why should I care" of the story. The "why" is all in the attention to detail ( especially what details not to include), verbs and the right amount of imagery, " And in the functional pocketing of their bib, a harness modified to the convenience of a used animal of such high intelligence that he has use for tools" (418). Agee describes the overalls as if they existed first, adapting to man's intellectual advances. There is now a personality created in the overalls, which seem to function on their own.
He does the same again with shoes, describing them as a friend who has stuck by your side adapting to the bad times, "Ricketts' shoes are boldly slashed open to accommodate as they scarcely can the years of pain in his feet" (421).
Agee also alludes to the idea of preserving all the pain in the feet, perhaps in the sense of keeping the memories of all the miles walked, places seen, etc. close to heart.
The first court article that I covered while I was working at The Journal News taught me the importance of details within an article. We were the press, the only ones who were able to actually sit in on this court case and then report it for the public to read. The head court reporter at the time, Tim O’Connor, noticed every detail down to the nervous sips of water that the defendant took throughout the trial. It is these details that allowed his readers to feel like they were sitting in the court room watching the trial as it unfolded.
Agee uses one item, a pair of overalls, and with his use of detail he is able to evoke certain sentiments in his readers and set a tone. Agee’s story taught me a different lesson about writing. You can take something, something as mundane as a pair of overalls, and with word choice and style you can turn it into anything you want it to be. In journalism, it’s not about the subject; it is about what you as the writer can take from that subject, and how you want to interpret your observations on paper. There is always a story to be discovered.
James Agee’s story was important for me because he hit the nail right on the head when it comes to being in the subject’s shoes (and clothes). He nailed every descriptive detail right, therefore the reader understood in clear, concise sentences. For other journalism students, this story is important especially with the fact that it was originally rejected, because it’s a beautiful story without much understanding or appreciation until you get near the end, where Agee describes the ‘pearls’ of stirrup corns on the balls of worker’s feet. Professions like that are often ignored or very under-appreciated these days, and it’s important not to forget what other people are doing in order to support themselves, and essentially, America during a desperate time of need.
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