Megan-Vocabulary Builder Chapters 1 and 2

·         1)Word: Zaftig

Definition: full-bodied; well-proportioned.

Sentence: “Summer here comes on like a zaftig hippie chick, jazzed on chlorophyll and flinging fistfuls of butterflies to the sun” (1).

·         2)Word: Fecund

Definition: producing or capable of producing offspring, fruit, vegetation, etc., in abundance; prolific; fruitful

Sentence: “The swamps and wetlands, on the other hand, respect no such boundaries, and simply meander the lay of the land, spreading organically in fecund hundred acres stains” (1/2).

·         3)Word: Prefabs

·         Definition: something that is prefabricated, as a building or fixture

Sentence: “In the surrounding country side, farmsteads with little red barns have been pretty much kicked in the head, replaced with monster dairies, turkey sheds, and vinyl-sided prefabs” (2).

·         4)Word: Holism

Definition: the theory that whole entities, as fundamental components of reality, have an existence other than as the mere sum of their parts

5)Word: Paradigms

Definition: a display in fixed arrangement of such a set

6)Word: Trice

Definition: a very short time; an instant

Sentence: “It all began when I graduated from nursing school, and found myself frustrated by the fact that here I was, freshly armed with a bachelors degree in the caring arts, steeped in holism and paradigms and able, if need be, to catheterize you in a trice, but I knew nothing of how to extricate someone safely from a pancaked Yugo, or splint a dislocated elbow” (11).

·         7)Word: Vacuity

Definition: a time or state of dullness, lacking in mental or physical action or productivity

8)Word: Bloviating

Definition: to speak pompously

Sentence: “I imagine the board members met around town and did some dismissive bloviating, but you can here corollary expositions in the local café to this very day, when some local goes on at length and volume about the frivolous vacuity of satellite television or Indian casinos, then hurries home to watch Silk Stalkings before catching the courtesy bus to bingo night” (23).

·         9)Word: Gesticulating

Definition: to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech

Sentence: “ The driver is gesticulating and pointing back down the road” (31)

·         10)Word: Teetotal

Definition: of, relating to, or practicing abstinence from alcoholic drink

Sentence: “I’m a teetotal non-dancer, but I have come to love the nights under the Jamboree Days beer tent” (34).

All definitions found off Dictionary.com

Brayden-Graphic Organizer Ch. 1-2

Rob - Discussion Leader



1) What is the significance of the story about Stanislav Jabowski, his family, and their farm?
        I think the story of the Jabowski's was used to be descriptive to give the readers a clear idea of what the area around the "Jabowski's corner" looks like.  The background of the family is used to show what kind of families live in New Auburn.  The author describes the town as declining and that correlates with the story of Mr. Jabowski, how he was a hard-working blue collar guy who took extra work to make sure his family had what they needed, but in the end his farm ended up going belly up.  Finally, I think this section is important because I think that Stanislav is the first person that is really described in depth, so to me he is #1 of 485.

2)What is the writing style of the first two chapters like?
        To me the writing style is sporadic, almost to the point of being free writing; like the writer is just hammering out every thought that pops into his head.  The language is mostly understandable, he doesn't overpower readers with wordy sentences, however some of the vocabulary he uses is obscure.  The paragraphs seem to move in no particular order, the chapter starts with a group of people kneeling next to an injured girl, then we move to facts about the author's life, to the Jabowski's, and then comes around full circle back to the girl, Tracy.

3)The author is descriptive when describing events from the first chapter, what stories or phrases stuck out to you?
     What stuck out to me was the author's recollection of Janis Bourne coming to his classroom.  As a kid I remember whenever a kid from high school came to our grade school to talk everyone thought it was the greatest thing ever, maybe that is why he remembers it?  The thing that sticks with me from that paragraph is how vivid his memory of her is, what she is wearing, the instrument she was playing, and he even remembers the words of the song she sang.

4)The author starts chapter two with a story about one of his fire mates, why do you think he does this?
     I think it is used to first introduce us to another character as well as provide comic relief.  The section following our introduction to the Beagle is primarily focused on facts about the town's fire brigade.  So rather than jumping in and hammering the readers with facts he uses the story to grab the readers attention beforehand.

Jenny - Summarizer

1. The first two chapters of Population 485 describes the town by the use of stories. This book is about the fire department and how it reacts to emergencies in a small town. The first chapter of the book is about Jabowski's corner and some of the tragedies that have occured there. It starts off with a girl laying in the ditch struggling to live and then gives history of the corner and finishes again with the tragic outcome of the girl. The second chapter is devouted to Beagle. Beagle is a good-humored and all-around caring guy that has been on the fire department longer than anyone except the fire cheif.

Beagle with his tattoo

2. The author uses very descriptive words to make the reader picture a vivid image in thier head. The way he sets the the tone, however, is what the book is all about. He describes the town in such a way that he makes the town seem like a dumpy little town that doesnt mean anything to anyone but yet at the same time he is so proud of it. He also seems to use a lot of big words and a variety of language. I think this shows that even though he is from a small town he is still educated. He also tends to use a lot of sarcasim.

Stephanie Article Finder

Population: 485

Article Finder Paragraph

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=1&hid=105&sid=51ccb673-ac3a-4f16-8011-671899f96cb9%40sessionmgr110&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=ulh&AN=19240885  

The article Firefighters, goes along with the main point of the first two chapters of Population: 485; the history of firefighters.  One should pay attention to this article because it provides more history of how firefighting started, and how it has evolved.  Being more knowledgeable about the history of firefighters allows one to have a better understanding of the terminology and references the author uses in his book Population: 485.  This article also shows the advances firefighters have made in the past 400 years, which allows one to see how far firefighting has come. 

Introduction

This is a blog about the book Population: 485, by Michael Perry who writes bestselling memoirs. Some of his other works include Truck: A Love Story and Pigs and Parenting. Perry also writes essays and articles that have been published in Esquire, New York Times, and numerous other papers.  The memoir Population: 485 is about Perry going back to his rural hometown of New Auburn, Wisconsin to become a volunteer firefighter and find his roots again.  It deals with everyone knowing each other and each others business, and helping each other out whenever possible. The book goes on to describe certain situations that arise in a volunteer firefighters experience and then digs deeper to explain the inter-workings of a small town.
Everyone in our group has knowledge of small town community. Stephanie grew up in a small town where everyone knew everybody. Jenny grew up sixteen miles from the nearest town, which consisted merely of a church, bar, softball diamond, and about six houses.  Rob frequently visited the local firehouse when he was a lad.  Brayden also grew up in a small town from which remembers what a lawn ornament really is, and finally, Megan’s grandparents live on a farm where the nearest town has a population of 200 people. By having us all know the feeling of a small town, we can all relate to the book. We all have a better understanding of how and why the characters live their life the way they do and we can also relate to the different situations they are thrown into.  Population 485 is interesting to us because it's a book about all our lives put together.