Reflection on "Coffee House Reading" Memoirs

When I came to the memoir readings, I wasn’t sure what to expect, aside from coffee and cookies. But I was moved by almost every one of the readings. Every piece conveyed an individual, poignant message – in very different manners. The readings ranged from the seemingly mundane, comical to seriously shocking.

However, I did notice that the story structures were somewhat similar. Each had an element of surprise with expositions that kept audiences in suspense, until we found out what the actual event or twist to the story was. Also, the authors painted the scenery with vivid, tangible descriptions – in some instances I felt that I could have been there with them. Some instances I thought I could feel what they were feeling. They did a good job being relatable. But I have to point out the ones that touched me the most, and why (in order of appearance):

“The Fourth Floor Window” : Lee did the best in physically placing us in his perspective. His vivid, clear descriptions incorporated and permeated past the five senses to the point where I got chills hearing about the impact of such a transformative catastrophe. I could see the “cerulean skies” and the “paint fumes” pained me. I especially liked that he interjected a story about the encounter with the “husky” bully being the most nerve-racking point in his life up until then, juxtaposing the weight of September 11^th.

“Untitled”: Honestly, I was a bit teary eyed after this one. Even though Madeline talked about such a seemingly shallow task of removing acrylic nails, there was a beautiful sadness in her story. It was more about her painful pressure to be outwardly perfect: fake – than a story about simply tossing nails. I liked the synthetic imagery that she rips away to reveal her natural, liberated, moved-on self.

“The Impact of Inaction”: Anna was blunt and truthful. This story, in comparison to the others, reveals the most about her character. She acts (after all, her story regrets inaction)– she sticks to literal events and actions that had happened rather than dwelling on descriptions. I liked that you pointed out that she painted herself in a negative light; her story was straightforward and real. It takes a lot of courage to tell the story she told.

“My Airness”: Sam’s story stood out because it was funny, and I’m glad he ended the night on a sweet note. I loved his use of free association where he sporadically sticks in his comical streams of consciousness (ei his tangent about the greatness of fruitloops). Mainly, I loved that he somewhat paradoxically humbled himself in cocky manner, by comparing himself to the great Michael Jordan while also being able to make fun of his inability to make the team. I’m glad it ended with “Sam [last name].”