Black Fingernails and the White Page: The High School Writing Center
Access full-text files
Date
2012
Authors
Fiesthumel, Brooke
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Department
Description
In walks a blonde-haired, hooded student to the Blacksburg High School Writing Center. She has brought a personal narrative to share and work on with me, an intern from Virginia Tech. She sits next to me, flips her hair and pleads, “I just can’t figure out the ending.” Reassuringly, I state that we will start from the beginning, work through the paper and hopefully figure out an answer to her writing concerns. As she begins to read, I hit a roadblock. Her narrative is gripping, heart-wrenching, and extremely personal. I am caught off guard by the raw, emotive power coming from the tiny frame next to me. As she speaks about her parent’s divorce, her lost faith in God, her lost faith in humanity, and her newfound philosophy on life, I question what to do or say.