Title and General Paper Requirements:

• What is the paper’s overall title (it should have one!)?Does it reflect the main focus of the journals overall? Do the journals follow the general guidelines (standard margins and font, page numbers, etc.)?Is this a complete draft (a total of 5 entries, each entry being at least two paragraphs)?
• Does each entry follow the suggested form:one paragraph that discusses what the writer is noticing on the news or what’s happening in the world at large and one paragraph that describes what the writer is noticing in his/her/their own daily life?
• Are the journals told from the first-person perspective and do they offer a personalized, subjective window into what the writer has been noticing and what the writer’s life has been like during these five days of the pandemic (and even beyond)?Are there ways that the writer could further personalize the entries?If so, detail how you would personalize them and make them more subjective.
• Are the journal entries generally modeled after Teju Cole’s journal?Do they have recurring themes or details that create a kind of continuity between each entry?Is there some repetition, in other words, between each entry?Are there also variations and new concerns and details that are introduced in each entry?
• A key to the success of all writing, but especially daily journals, is including specific detail.Does the writer offer as much specificity as possible in each entry?After closely reading through and annotating the writer’s journal entries, are there any descriptions or reflections that need or could have more detail?If so, point to them on the draft or list them here.Be sure to specify how you think the writer needs to add detail.
• What did you find memorable about the writer’s journal?Name at least three things that you remember that the writer noticed over the course of these five days. While these journals don’t need a traditional argument, they should have a clear focus and some key points.With this in mind, what is the main focus or point(s) of the writer’s journal in your reading?List and describe the main focus here.
• One thing I asked you to focus on in your journals is paying close attention not only to the news/world around you and your immediate surroundings but also your writing and language.Do you find that the journals achieve this clarity and close attention to language?Are the writer’s journals clearly written and easy to follow?
• Does the writer have a clear voice and perspective in the journals?Is it uniquely the writer’s voice?How do you know?How would you characterize the writer’s voice and perspective exactly?What’s unique or interesting about it?
• Are there any grammar issues that you found in the journals?Are the journals free of run-on sentences, which is the issue I asked you to focus on in this assignment?If you are finding errors, list them here and suggest how you would fix them.
• What are two strengths of the writer’s journal?What did you like and appreciate about the entries?
• Offer two suggestions that you think will help the writer improve his/her/their journal in the final version.

Form, Perspective, and Style of Journals:

Detail and Description:

Overall Takeaways and Significance:

Clarity of Language, Voice, and Grammar:

Final Comments: