When reading, right away the story had been ripe with descriptive scenery. It was clear that the author intended for the readers to get a good picture of what and where the reader was. Additionally, the author did not shy away from introducing ugly or rough traits parts into the story. The book opened with the death of a young girl and a nasty lawsuit that led to the events of the book, along with introducing it with more indifference from the narrator than sorrow. The narrator had her own traits that painted her in a less than flattering light just as her brother did. The author seemed to use positive traits sparingly in order to highlight the muddiness of the situation which I found particularly interesting. Though I felt that the relationship between the narrator and the “Grounds Keeper” was a bit forced/rushed. I suppose it could have been a “only one who understands moment that doesn’t last forever.” Regardless, the author still did great at painting characters and environments in a contrastingly interesting way, making characters not great but not hateable.
I thought it was interesting that similar to “Cathedral” the author of Camp Emilne, Tarya Bowe, did not address the grounds keeper by his name, only by Lawn Boy. Both stories show an emotional shift in how the narrator feels about the nameless character, however in Camp Emiline, Bowe did not start addressing Lawn Boy by his real name. Bowe was able to show the shift in emotions of Libby in a few other ways, not having to utilize the shift of going from calling him Lawn Boy to calling him by his real name. Another element of craft that we had talked about in class that was used not only in the opening paragraph but throughout the story is the idea of showing not telling. Bowe does a great job of utilizing this by sharing short embarrassing stories about the characters like Emiline to give them depth. Bowe does this with the mother in the story as well, creating this moving scene at night of her skinny dipping. I feel like that scene could have gone in a lot of different directions, having the potential for a huge plot twist but it is kept short and sweet, staying within the lines of the short literary fiction genre. I also noticed that as Libby’s emotions and mental state begin to shift, the brother, Eli, also shifts in that he is learning how to play things on the guitar ( that he was never going to play) from Reid. This parallel or complimentary shift helps the reader to really recognize that things are different from the start of the story, in more than one way. In short literary fiction it is normally only one character that exhibits a shift or change somehow and Bowe does this by mainly focusing on the narrator of the story, but adding this quick extra element of Eli also shifting in the slightest adds to not only the depth of the piece overall but of the characters too. It helps us to see that as time has passed the family is slowly all in their own way learning how to recuperate from their loss. Another notable sentence that I found particularly moving was: “My mom looked straight at me, but she saw someone else, someone I’d stopped being ages ago.” It was a sweet ending to a story that deals with a heavy topic. Bowe does a great job of making the reader want more but also providing some form of stopping point or ending to what I thought was a very well put together story.
What intrigued me the most about ‘Camp Emeline’ was the use of the narrator’s internal monologue to show how the grief of Emeline’s death has impacted her— Libby has become somewhat self-destructive, as she appears to be high school age and yet she is drinking often to the point of sickness, and is entering lots of relationships with anyone willing. Her narration also shows us how her family is coping— her brother Eli is drinking and surrounding himself with other young adults on the grounds, her mother is ignoring her and oscillating between constantly working and extremely depressed, and her father is mentioned to burst into tears whenever Emeline is mentioned. Through this, we can see the conflict of the story is internal, with Libby struggling to deal with her sister’s death, as she blames herself, shown with her discussion of the infection on her head. This self-destruction of Libby is mirrored by Lawn Boy’s inability to escape his grief, and how at the end of the story, he tells her that she will make it through this alongside her brother. I find this exploration of Libby’s grief really interesting, as though the story is relatively short, we have a intriguing, complex character to become invested in throughout the events of the camp setup period.
What I found particularly interesting about this story was the lack of filter that the narrator has. I think it is always interesting when the narrator is not completely likable and I personally found Libby to be slightly annoying. I thought that some of the details she chose to bring up were almost unnecessary and did not do anything for the characterization of anyone in the story. I did think that the way grief was portrayed was done extremely well, however. Libby’s behavior in contrast to her parent’s behaviors was very interesting to see. We saw Libby being reckless just to feel something because her grief manifested as numbness. With her parents, though, they threw themselves into fixing the camp.
“Camp Emeline” was a really well written story. I really liked the description in this story. It created such good imagery and understanding of what was going on with the main character. The author created such a descriptive visual about the internal and external moments that were going on within those few days with the main character. It really showed who the character was, and what her purpose was within this story. There was so much complexity and depth to this character, and in this short amount of time there was so much that we learned about this character and how we were given so much to digest about her. We had such little time with the character and yet we were able to see so much into her mind and her character and who she is. Being able to see the change within her, and within the story, gave so much to the story. The way that this story was written was really well done. There was so much detail and information being given to us, yet all of it seemed completely needed and helped move the story along. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and how it was written. Being able to connect with the characters, understanding them and feeling them within the few short pages was done really well. It left you wanting more, but also understanding that the future of these people is completely left ip in the air, and for your own interpretation.
Throughout “Camp Emeline,” I was struck by how I disliked the narrator but was still invested in her journey. Libby can be rude, selfish, but incredibly protective and feels very deeply. She seems to crave an outlet, as seen by her drinking habits and desire to be mean when she has the excuse to be. In some ways, it’s easier to understand her than like her. I really like how the author portrayed her, as this grieving, complicated girl who just wanted someone who understood her or could provide the calm stability her parents couldn’t seem to. She’s a compelling, complicated character.
Every character was complicated, Libby especially since we see the story through her, but her parents seem to be distant and arguing often; her mother is critical and works all the time but craves freedom and relief; her dad is determined to remember Emeline to the fullest even as he grows more distant from his other kids; Eli loves Libby and takes care of her but is easily distracted by the promise of more appealing company; even Emeline was complicated, seeming to act strange for a seven year old. Even if I disliked the actual events in the story, there’s no denying the characters were incredibly multifaceted.
The craft element I though Bowe developed really well throughout was characterization. We learn so much about the lives of these characters, even their personalities and insecurities, through the choices the author makes. By the end of the story, we know the mother has been deeply rattled by loss, a part of her gone along with her lost child. In moments of grief she looks for sings of her daughter, but also works to advance their lives. The dad is helpful and keeps busy to cope (specifically him directing traffic at the end of the story made me feel this way). We learn a lot about Emeline and how she acted around her family before she passed; Reliance on older siblings for comfort, the ragged teddy bear and blanket, all these details serve to build a character beyond just knowing she is dead and that she was a child. Eli is playful, enjoys doing things for others/with others, cares deeply how others may view him, and is protective of his remaining sister. Libby is very matter of fact, almost to a point where it feels she’s driven just by substances rather than anything else. We learn all this from just the use of characterizing dialogue, actions, and items the author chooses to use. I feel like this piece is a good example of picking and choosing detail and only leaving things in that add to the story/develop the characters.
Throughout Camp Emeline, I felt that the audience connection and the unperfect ending really resonated with me as two literary devices that I favored. I loved the humanness of the story and the imagery really showed through. I also felt that the way that the family functioned was very human, and that the realness of how death affects different people in different ways psychologically was interesting to read about. To be so scared throughout the story of what would happen to the main character while having her sexual background in mind made the guy she met all the more scary at first. I love that at the ending she was very begrudging about the new people who arrived at the camp too, that the author didn’t make her change her core mindset and instead made her more human by not changing. I also just think that it was smart of the author to call it “Camp Emeline” in general.
What I found most interesting in the short story “Camp Emeline” was the different conflict seen throughout the story. One being Emelines internal conflict with her struggle of making connections at the camp and we can see through her emotions and dialogue her battles. She confides in her conflict and we see character development as she faces her insecurities and becomes a new better version of herself. We also see interpersonal conflicts within the story between Emeline and the other campers. This conflict brings out the complexities of friendships and social interactions with others and the challenges faced when put in a new environment and different people. I think all these conflicts and resolutions gave the story intensity and thrill. I love how the end all ties together and we see the character growths and challenges that were overcome. This story had me connecting on an emotional level and was found relatable which made the reading more enjoyable.
Throughout this story, I found that one element of craft that greatly stood out to me was how well the main character came through as both a voice and a person to get to know. They were set in their ways, and how they were handling the death of the sister was talked about in a way that was made relatable. We learned a lot about the other characters through the main character as well. For example, the relationship with the mother. It was very clear how much the mother was struggling with the death of Emmaline and how the main character feels some guilt for being the “surviving daughter.” Overall, I think this author knew their characters very well and was able to effectively communicate to us, the readers, who these characters are, what they have been though, and how they interact with the story.
A fun part of this story I thought was how each section felt like a mini story in of itself. We’re seeing brief flashes into Libby’s life at the camp, and then when it starts to to really delve into her character it switched to the next little bit in the story, and it feels almost like the structure of the writing itself is reflecting how Libby wants to bury or run away from these deeper feelings. And I appreciate how it wasn’t a happy ending, grief can’t be fixed by a chance encounter and live goes on whether you’re ready or not, so I liked seeing that reflected in the story.
As a person who does a lot more long fiction writing in a novelistic style, seeing the effort that goes into condensing down a story into a a short story format is really interesting, seeing the intense focus of specific beats, and having to keep the plot moving to get from point a to point be in the space aloud is quite interesting and I think it’s something that Camp Emiline does really well, the story really did a good job of writing a short story that didn’t feel fast paced or rushed.
12 thoughts on “JOURNAL #4”
When reading, right away the story had been ripe with descriptive scenery. It was clear that the author intended for the readers to get a good picture of what and where the reader was. Additionally, the author did not shy away from introducing ugly or rough traits parts into the story. The book opened with the death of a young girl and a nasty lawsuit that led to the events of the book, along with introducing it with more indifference from the narrator than sorrow. The narrator had her own traits that painted her in a less than flattering light just as her brother did. The author seemed to use positive traits sparingly in order to highlight the muddiness of the situation which I found particularly interesting. Though I felt that the relationship between the narrator and the “Grounds Keeper” was a bit forced/rushed. I suppose it could have been a “only one who understands moment that doesn’t last forever.” Regardless, the author still did great at painting characters and environments in a contrastingly interesting way, making characters not great but not hateable.
I thought it was interesting that similar to “Cathedral” the author of Camp Emilne, Tarya Bowe, did not address the grounds keeper by his name, only by Lawn Boy. Both stories show an emotional shift in how the narrator feels about the nameless character, however in Camp Emiline, Bowe did not start addressing Lawn Boy by his real name. Bowe was able to show the shift in emotions of Libby in a few other ways, not having to utilize the shift of going from calling him Lawn Boy to calling him by his real name. Another element of craft that we had talked about in class that was used not only in the opening paragraph but throughout the story is the idea of showing not telling. Bowe does a great job of utilizing this by sharing short embarrassing stories about the characters like Emiline to give them depth. Bowe does this with the mother in the story as well, creating this moving scene at night of her skinny dipping. I feel like that scene could have gone in a lot of different directions, having the potential for a huge plot twist but it is kept short and sweet, staying within the lines of the short literary fiction genre. I also noticed that as Libby’s emotions and mental state begin to shift, the brother, Eli, also shifts in that he is learning how to play things on the guitar ( that he was never going to play) from Reid. This parallel or complimentary shift helps the reader to really recognize that things are different from the start of the story, in more than one way. In short literary fiction it is normally only one character that exhibits a shift or change somehow and Bowe does this by mainly focusing on the narrator of the story, but adding this quick extra element of Eli also shifting in the slightest adds to not only the depth of the piece overall but of the characters too. It helps us to see that as time has passed the family is slowly all in their own way learning how to recuperate from their loss. Another notable sentence that I found particularly moving was: “My mom looked straight at me, but she saw someone else, someone I’d stopped being ages ago.” It was a sweet ending to a story that deals with a heavy topic. Bowe does a great job of making the reader want more but also providing some form of stopping point or ending to what I thought was a very well put together story.
What intrigued me the most about ‘Camp Emeline’ was the use of the narrator’s internal monologue to show how the grief of Emeline’s death has impacted her— Libby has become somewhat self-destructive, as she appears to be high school age and yet she is drinking often to the point of sickness, and is entering lots of relationships with anyone willing. Her narration also shows us how her family is coping— her brother Eli is drinking and surrounding himself with other young adults on the grounds, her mother is ignoring her and oscillating between constantly working and extremely depressed, and her father is mentioned to burst into tears whenever Emeline is mentioned. Through this, we can see the conflict of the story is internal, with Libby struggling to deal with her sister’s death, as she blames herself, shown with her discussion of the infection on her head. This self-destruction of Libby is mirrored by Lawn Boy’s inability to escape his grief, and how at the end of the story, he tells her that she will make it through this alongside her brother. I find this exploration of Libby’s grief really interesting, as though the story is relatively short, we have a intriguing, complex character to become invested in throughout the events of the camp setup period.
What I found particularly interesting about this story was the lack of filter that the narrator has. I think it is always interesting when the narrator is not completely likable and I personally found Libby to be slightly annoying. I thought that some of the details she chose to bring up were almost unnecessary and did not do anything for the characterization of anyone in the story. I did think that the way grief was portrayed was done extremely well, however. Libby’s behavior in contrast to her parent’s behaviors was very interesting to see. We saw Libby being reckless just to feel something because her grief manifested as numbness. With her parents, though, they threw themselves into fixing the camp.
“Camp Emeline” was a really well written story. I really liked the description in this story. It created such good imagery and understanding of what was going on with the main character. The author created such a descriptive visual about the internal and external moments that were going on within those few days with the main character. It really showed who the character was, and what her purpose was within this story. There was so much complexity and depth to this character, and in this short amount of time there was so much that we learned about this character and how we were given so much to digest about her. We had such little time with the character and yet we were able to see so much into her mind and her character and who she is. Being able to see the change within her, and within the story, gave so much to the story. The way that this story was written was really well done. There was so much detail and information being given to us, yet all of it seemed completely needed and helped move the story along. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and how it was written. Being able to connect with the characters, understanding them and feeling them within the few short pages was done really well. It left you wanting more, but also understanding that the future of these people is completely left ip in the air, and for your own interpretation.
Throughout “Camp Emeline,” I was struck by how I disliked the narrator but was still invested in her journey. Libby can be rude, selfish, but incredibly protective and feels very deeply. She seems to crave an outlet, as seen by her drinking habits and desire to be mean when she has the excuse to be. In some ways, it’s easier to understand her than like her. I really like how the author portrayed her, as this grieving, complicated girl who just wanted someone who understood her or could provide the calm stability her parents couldn’t seem to. She’s a compelling, complicated character.
Every character was complicated, Libby especially since we see the story through her, but her parents seem to be distant and arguing often; her mother is critical and works all the time but craves freedom and relief; her dad is determined to remember Emeline to the fullest even as he grows more distant from his other kids; Eli loves Libby and takes care of her but is easily distracted by the promise of more appealing company; even Emeline was complicated, seeming to act strange for a seven year old. Even if I disliked the actual events in the story, there’s no denying the characters were incredibly multifaceted.
The craft element I though Bowe developed really well throughout was characterization. We learn so much about the lives of these characters, even their personalities and insecurities, through the choices the author makes. By the end of the story, we know the mother has been deeply rattled by loss, a part of her gone along with her lost child. In moments of grief she looks for sings of her daughter, but also works to advance their lives. The dad is helpful and keeps busy to cope (specifically him directing traffic at the end of the story made me feel this way). We learn a lot about Emeline and how she acted around her family before she passed; Reliance on older siblings for comfort, the ragged teddy bear and blanket, all these details serve to build a character beyond just knowing she is dead and that she was a child. Eli is playful, enjoys doing things for others/with others, cares deeply how others may view him, and is protective of his remaining sister. Libby is very matter of fact, almost to a point where it feels she’s driven just by substances rather than anything else. We learn all this from just the use of characterizing dialogue, actions, and items the author chooses to use. I feel like this piece is a good example of picking and choosing detail and only leaving things in that add to the story/develop the characters.
Throughout Camp Emeline, I felt that the audience connection and the unperfect ending really resonated with me as two literary devices that I favored. I loved the humanness of the story and the imagery really showed through. I also felt that the way that the family functioned was very human, and that the realness of how death affects different people in different ways psychologically was interesting to read about. To be so scared throughout the story of what would happen to the main character while having her sexual background in mind made the guy she met all the more scary at first. I love that at the ending she was very begrudging about the new people who arrived at the camp too, that the author didn’t make her change her core mindset and instead made her more human by not changing. I also just think that it was smart of the author to call it “Camp Emeline” in general.
What I found most interesting in the short story “Camp Emeline” was the different conflict seen throughout the story. One being Emelines internal conflict with her struggle of making connections at the camp and we can see through her emotions and dialogue her battles. She confides in her conflict and we see character development as she faces her insecurities and becomes a new better version of herself. We also see interpersonal conflicts within the story between Emeline and the other campers. This conflict brings out the complexities of friendships and social interactions with others and the challenges faced when put in a new environment and different people. I think all these conflicts and resolutions gave the story intensity and thrill. I love how the end all ties together and we see the character growths and challenges that were overcome. This story had me connecting on an emotional level and was found relatable which made the reading more enjoyable.
Throughout this story, I found that one element of craft that greatly stood out to me was how well the main character came through as both a voice and a person to get to know. They were set in their ways, and how they were handling the death of the sister was talked about in a way that was made relatable. We learned a lot about the other characters through the main character as well. For example, the relationship with the mother. It was very clear how much the mother was struggling with the death of Emmaline and how the main character feels some guilt for being the “surviving daughter.” Overall, I think this author knew their characters very well and was able to effectively communicate to us, the readers, who these characters are, what they have been though, and how they interact with the story.
A fun part of this story I thought was how each section felt like a mini story in of itself. We’re seeing brief flashes into Libby’s life at the camp, and then when it starts to to really delve into her character it switched to the next little bit in the story, and it feels almost like the structure of the writing itself is reflecting how Libby wants to bury or run away from these deeper feelings. And I appreciate how it wasn’t a happy ending, grief can’t be fixed by a chance encounter and live goes on whether you’re ready or not, so I liked seeing that reflected in the story.
As a person who does a lot more long fiction writing in a novelistic style, seeing the effort that goes into condensing down a story into a a short story format is really interesting, seeing the intense focus of specific beats, and having to keep the plot moving to get from point a to point be in the space aloud is quite interesting and I think it’s something that Camp Emiline does really well, the story really did a good job of writing a short story that didn’t feel fast paced or rushed.