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You never knew when it would happen. Maybe you were a little ninth-grade nobody named Eddie. As you're walking down the hall you see a candy wrapper on the floor. You pick it up and throw it in the nearest trash can-and suddenly there she is in front of you, pumping her arms, her honey hair and freckles flying, swallowing you whole with those enormous eyes, belting out a cheer she's making up on the spot, something about Eddie, Eddie and the trash can teaming up to wipe out litter. A mob is gathering, clapping hands in rhythm, more eyes on you than all the previous days of your life combined. You feel foolish, exposed, stupid. You want to follow the candy wrapper into the trash can. It's the most painful thing that's ever happened to you. Your brain keeps squirting out a single thought: I'm going to die...I'm going to die...
And so, when she finally finishes and her freckles settle back onto the bridge of her nose, why don't you? Why don't you just die?
Because they're clapping for you, that's why, and whoever heard of dying while they're clapping for you? And they're smiling at you. People who never even saw you before are smiling at you and slapping your back and pumping your hand, and suddenly it seems like the whole world is calling your name, and you're feeling so good you pretty much just float on home from school. And when you go to bed that night, the last thing you see before you zonk out are those eyes, and the last thing on your face is a smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The author of Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli, has a very "different" style of writing. I am a huge fan of this type of writing where the author is trying to make you imagine the situation at hand. I like how you are engaging with the characters in the story and you feel what they feel too. This is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone that appreciates creative writing and can get into it and see the real beauty in it. I also really love the way Spinelli describes "Stargirl," with her "honey" hair and her dancing freckles. In this book, Stargirl is sort of a naturalist. She wears dresses and skirts and doesn't wear make-up. I envy her alot because she doesn't really care what people think of he appearance and personality. She figures that if people are worth knowing, they will accept her for what she is. This is something I look up to.
1 comment:
Have you figured out how Spinelli creates this effect? It's partly the present tense, partly the second person ("you"), partly the physical sensations. Pretty effective. Thanks for sharing it!
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