Archive for March, 2007

Descriptive essay exemplars

Writing descriptive essays is one of a number of assignments that you will be given in college. Robin Givhan, style editor for the Washington Post, has won the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Her series of articles under consideration incorporate description in a manner that is illustrative of the genre. In her 2005 article “An Image a Little too Carefully Coordinated,” Givhan wants her readers to see that John Roberts, Supreme Court hopeful, is out of touch and apace of the times. She uses the words “nostalgia” and “1950s-style” in the first two sentences to set her tone. By the time the reader gets to the word “seersucker,” a type of fabric, the reader feels like a “sucker” for having been taken in by his “nostalgic costuming.” Ghivan frequently references popular culture to make her writing current, and her apt references make sense. See this “Condoleezza Rice’s Commanding Clothes” to get the full impact and “Dick Cheney, Dressing Down.” Writing, be it descriptive or otherwise, can be both fun to read and impactful, as indicated by Ms. Givhan’s award. Click Pulitzer for prize winning articles and Givhan for more current articles.