This extremely short memoir is interesting to read, largely because of its subject matter. Click on the link http://open.salon.com/blog/jeff_howe/2009/04/21/i_witnessed_a_murder and respond to the following questions:
1. What did you like about reading this piece and why?
2. If you had suggestions for the author, what would they be and why?
3. How could the author expand this piece?
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Because it had something to do with a murder and it was more interesting than the others. I would add more detail about the day and about when he had to serve in the court. Add more about the day he went to court or he could express the way he felt.
ReplyDeleteThis piece of reading was very descriptive as to what had happened at the crime scene,You could picture very well what had happened.I think that the author should have explained the restitution that the murder had been sentenced.The author could expand this piece by explaining what his was reaction or thoughts on what was happening at the time of the murder.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I liked about this piece is that it was very descriptive on how the assaliant attacked the old man at the crime scene. Some suggestions that I would recommend to the author would be to add more descriptive information in the other paragraphs and describe what happened in more details. Also the author could expand this piece by telling what had happened a little bit before he saw the murder and the thoughts that were going through his mind at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe memoir, sad and slightly graphic as it was, caught my attention due to the action. It must have been devastating and life-changing in a destructive way to watch the man be murderered. However, he made no mention of how his afterlife was affected. All he talked about was how he could no remember the villian and then was asked to testify in trial. I think, the man should have talked, at least briefly, how his life was affected, being so close to death. It must have been terribly traumatizing, but the author barely makes any mention of that.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked about reading this piece is that it was very discriptive and the little boy was very caring. He tried to help the old man who was in danger. If I had suggestions for the author it woulb be to describe a little bit more about what happened in the story and how things turned out for the enemy who caused this to happen. The author could expand this piece by adding qoutes of what the characters said and adding a little more action in the story. This would make the story a little more interesting and a lot more people would read it and be shocked.
ReplyDeleteI liked this piece because it tells the view of the whitness and it's not everyday that someone whitness' a murder. He could have told more about why he was were the murder took place, and why he was there. For the author i think he should have talked about the trauma he had to deal with to expand the piece. Also the five years prior to the murder trail. It had to have been hard for him to deal with the mental images of see what he saw.
ReplyDeleteI like that it described a real life situation about what this man had witnessed. I went in detail on how this man reacted when he watched the murder and how he acted towards the police. If I had any suggestions for the author they would be that maybe don't jump around that much cause I didnt really understand why this man was killed he just was in the beginning. He could expand on how he felt more towards the situation and how it affected his life after the fact.
ReplyDeleteWhat I liked reading about this peice was that it had very good imagery and description. He went into good detail about the murder but intense detail, enough to make one sick. Any suggestions for the author that I might have would be to little to none. I thought the memoir was greatly written. The author could expand this peice by telling what had happened after the murder, his feelings on the murder and how the family reacted when they found out about it.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very something that you don't see or hear everyday.My suggestion to the author would be to make the memoir a little more discriptive about the part of the trail like explain how they found the man? and why did it take the so long? This would be also expand the memoir to add more detail.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I liked was the way the piece was put together. maybe to tell what your thoughts were on why the men smiled at the end. Like I said the only thing to expandon would be the end of the trial.
ReplyDeleteThis story was really disturbing. This is kindof off topic but i remember i was watching the show cold case files and a man witnessed a murder and discribed the sound of the bat smashing the mans skull the same way...like a bat hitting a watermelon. Hearing that just gives me a scary mental picture. But this story is really eye-opening. Maybe Jeff Howe should go see a professional to talk about this and try and clear it up. i would like for the story to have been longer cause i was really interested and it seems like i read it in 5 seconds. I understand he cant really elaborate since it happened so fast and so long ago.
ReplyDeleteI liked that the person that witnessed the murder explained what they saw in detail. If I could give a suggestion to the author I would tell them that they needed to explain what was going on in their head at the time of the murder. The author could expand the piece by going into more detail about how they felt during the murder, the time after it, and when they found out they had to go back to the court in San Fransisco.
ReplyDeleteI think this piece was intersecting because i dont know how i would or even could take it if i had seen someone beating someone else to death that was kinda crazy i would have million things running through my mind. I dont really think i have anything to really say to the author but that it was a good story kinda scarey situation. The author could expand this story because by telling how the killer was feeling and if he new someone saw what he was doing to the old man, because i know i thought that the killer might what to kill the man who saw him because he knew he would tell on him and he would be put in jail.
ReplyDeleteI like that it was very descriptive by telling what he saw and as the reader I could vision what was going on when the old man was murdered. I think that the author should have said what he was feeling at the time when he was with the old man.
ReplyDeletei liked how he described what he saw, he made is seem as if you where there with him.I would suggest that he tell more about how he took in what he just saw and how he felt about it after
ReplyDeleteit happened.He should go into more detail about what it was like having to remember that night and to try and remember the face of the killer
well to tell the truth i reallly didnt like this piece because it was kind of mean that would happen to someone just because they got in a little fight.That how did they feel about this hole thing was else do they remember about that day do what did the man feel like did he say anything to while you was holding his body. By saying did they have dreams about it did they ever find the killer did he ask for the mans family members to forgive him just things like that to make it a little longer. But i kind of like this story in a way i dont think that it should be put in.
ReplyDelete{ebony nichole propst}