We recently read a 2011 article by Anthony Schick called, Mississippi River town of Pinhook struggles to reclaim its community after levee break.
The article is long — over 15 pages printed. Our professor, Jeanne Abbott, asked us to read it with an eye for organization and try to reconstruct the reporter's outline.
So, here goes.
Pinhook outline:
Start with a bible quote -"And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder."
Lede: bring reader into the flood area. Visuals are deer and water creeping into cornfields.
Nut: "That was life by the river. The people of Pinhook knew when a flood was coming, and they knew what to do when it did.
But it never came like this." (The nut graf foreshadows what happened and also hints that the history will be given.)
What happened: The Army Corps of Engineers blew open the levee intentionally and flooded 130,000 acres of land. They did this to prevent levee failures. Officials opposed the action.
Technical information about flooding in the area: The residents live on a ridge, so they didn't think they had anything to fear. Gives a little history about the last time they evacuated and the only other time the levee had broken. Residents were informed of the upcoming levee break by officials.
Robinson's family experience with the levee break: They waited for word, but the water came and they were told to evacuate immediately.
Evacuation story: Packing cars, saving keepsakes and getting to the bridge.
Robinson family history in Pinhook, starts in 1943. Included past interviews and statements.
Growing up in Pinhook: details about life back then. Jim Crow South.
- living off the land and each other, families relied on one another to survive
-fish fries
Information about the levee and the flooding that occurred every year:
-included reason about why they were unable to fix it
After the flood of 2010: picking up the pieces, included another bible quote and a reference to a bible that had been destroyed in the flood - really nice detail here
-details about what the people lost and what those items meant to them, when they acquired them, etc.
Financial aspect of the story: federal buyout
Where are they now: still getting together to share time and food, hoping to go home
The article is long — over 15 pages printed. Our professor, Jeanne Abbott, asked us to read it with an eye for organization and try to reconstruct the reporter's outline.
So, here goes.
Pinhook outline:
Start with a bible quote -"And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder."
Lede: bring reader into the flood area. Visuals are deer and water creeping into cornfields.
Nut: "That was life by the river. The people of Pinhook knew when a flood was coming, and they knew what to do when it did.
But it never came like this." (The nut graf foreshadows what happened and also hints that the history will be given.)
What happened: The Army Corps of Engineers blew open the levee intentionally and flooded 130,000 acres of land. They did this to prevent levee failures. Officials opposed the action.
Technical information about flooding in the area: The residents live on a ridge, so they didn't think they had anything to fear. Gives a little history about the last time they evacuated and the only other time the levee had broken. Residents were informed of the upcoming levee break by officials.
Robinson's family experience with the levee break: They waited for word, but the water came and they were told to evacuate immediately.
Evacuation story: Packing cars, saving keepsakes and getting to the bridge.
Robinson family history in Pinhook, starts in 1943. Included past interviews and statements.
Growing up in Pinhook: details about life back then. Jim Crow South.
- living off the land and each other, families relied on one another to survive
-fish fries
Information about the levee and the flooding that occurred every year:
-included reason about why they were unable to fix it
After the flood of 2010: picking up the pieces, included another bible quote and a reference to a bible that had been destroyed in the flood - really nice detail here
-details about what the people lost and what those items meant to them, when they acquired them, etc.
Financial aspect of the story: federal buyout
Where are they now: still getting together to share time and food, hoping to go home
No comments:
Post a Comment