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The Minor in Writing: The Gateway Ditties

Getting to the heart of why we do things can be a difficult matter. When I asked myself why I write, I honestly didn't have the answer right away. I just started writing and hoped it would come to me by the time I was finished. As it turns out, that's exactly what happened. In discussing my writing journey, I revealed to myself why I love the craft so much.

Why I Write

Transformation is a large part of anyone's story, and it is an appropriate word to describe what happened when I took a page of notes about my grandmother's life and molded out of it a New York Times' Lives essay. After a couple of false starts, I think the cookie baking tale I came up with was entirely fitting of what I had set out to do: tell a meaningful story about my grandma.

The Frosting That Binds Us

This mini-documentary was supposed to be a reproduction of "The Frosting That Binds Us" in a new medium. What actually resulted is a mini-biography documentary, with a tiny piece of the former work sprinkled in. The people interviewed here include (in order of appearance) my Uncle Mike Marzinski, my Aunt Deb Kaminski, my mother Barb Hansen, and my grandmother Mary Marzinski. 

My Grandmother: A Story Redefined
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