text:
[mimagephotography/Shutterstock]

Source: mimagephotography/Shutterstock

We all want to be happy, and we all want to be inspired. But what if the pursuit of happiness _blocks_ the arousal of inspiration?

One sweltering Tuesday afternoon in the summer of 1776, a thin and lanky young man slumped behind a desk in the tiny second-floor room of a red brick house on the outskirts of Philadelphia. The oppressive humidity made his thick, reddish-brown hair frizzier than usual. He swatted at houseflies buzzing through the window he had propped open in a feeble attempt at colonial-era air-conditioning. He sneered at the stable across the street—the source of both the flying parade of pests, as well as the unpleasant stench of horse dung.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

Recent events, coupled with his skimming of the timeless treatises of John Locke and David Hume, stirred his imagination. One thought spilled into the next. Ideas poured from his pen.

Barely a day later, Thomas Jefferson had transformed a blank sheet of parchment into one of the most influential documents in Western civilization—a document that immortalized our relentless pursuit of happiness.

But here's the weird thing: When Jefferson felt inspired to promise us that we had the inalienable right to pursue happiness, he was definitely _not_ happy.

Already a sad and shy homebody by nature, the 33-year-old had just found out that his wife, who lived hundreds of miles away on his nearly bankrupt family farm, was gravely ill. Just months before, for the second time in three years, a child had died in infancy. The ambitious junior statesman also firmly believed in the important work that was happening back at the Virginia statehouse. Yet he was trapped up north trying to manage a woefully underfunded and undermanned revolution, which had so far produced nothing but a string of humiliating defeats.

In spite of his misery, Jefferson was unquestionably inspired. But why?

THANK GOD IT'S TUESDAY

Todd Thrash, a professor of psychology at Thomas Jefferson’s alma mater, the College of William and Mary, is a leading researcher on the scientific study of inspiration. A few years ago, Thrash stumbled onto something fascinating: He had rounded up a group of people and tracked how inspired they were, and how happy they were, on each day of the week. He discovered that people are happier on Fridays than they are on Mondays. (Shocking, I know.)

But what about _inspiration_?

It turns out that even though people are most likely to feel happy on Fridays, they are also _least_ likely to feel inspired on Fridays. So on what day of the week are people most inspired? The same day that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. The same day that Mark Zuckerberg says he created Facebook. Possibly the most forgettable day of the week—Tuesday—is the king of inspiration. And not just by a little bit: The study found that inspiration is 79 percent more likely to occur on a Tuesday than on a Friday.

Friday is a day for fun. It's the day we cut loose from the cares of the workweek and have a good time. It's a day devoted to pursuing happiness—and that's a good thing.

Tuesdays are different. On Tuesdays, we find ourselves in the thick of the workweek, immersed in the challenging and inconvenient and stressful stuff of everyday life. It's a day for making things happen. That's also a good thing.

DISCOVERING A NEW KIND OF HAPPY

I have nothing against happiness. But the fact is that sometimes pursuing happiness inhibits inspiration. If we spend too much time fantasizing about Fridays, we can miss the unexpected joy of Tuesdays.

Many of the most inspired moments of our lives happen in the muck and mire of mid-week stress, when life is most challenging—when we're laboring to finish an important project at work, rallying a response to an unexpected dip in sales, begrudgingly accepting the coaching job for our kid's soccer team, eating up our leisure time by lending a hand or a heart to people in need, or simply helping a neighbor lug a comically oversized couch up four flights of stairs.

In those moments we don't always harvest happiness, but we do till the soil for inspiration.

[Charles Wilson Peale/wikimedia]

Source: Charles Wilson Peale/wikimedia

What would happen if we started looking forward to Tuesdays as much as we do Fridays? What if we pursued humanness with as much vigor as we pursued happiness? Would we feel less sedated and more alive? Would stressful changes start looking more like exciting adventures? Would we have more energy and live longer? Would we discover true happiness right where we least expect it—in the lives we are already living?

_FIND THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, AND LINKEDIN AND AT NICKTASLER.COM._

_LINKEDIN IMAGE CREDIT: LIGHTFIELD STUDIOS/SHUTTERSTOCK_

question: What does the text say about Tuesdays?

answer: According to the research of Todd Thrash, the days people are least inspired and the days they are most inspired is the same. His research found that inspiration is 79 percent more likely to occur on a Tuesday than on a Friday. Tuesday is the day people are most inspired.

critique: It is omitted that Tuesdays are the day people are least likely to feel happy.

critique: The answer should mention that Tuesday is the day Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

text: The passage states there are different days in which people are more inspired versus less inspired.

question: What does the text say about Thomas Jefferson's personality?

answer: He was a sad and shy homebody by nature, and a member of the Continental Congress. At the time, he was a young, ambitious junior statesman. Just a day before he furnished a blank sheet of parchment with an immortalized document, his wife had miscarried, and he was depressed about it.

critique: The article does not mention that his wife miscarried just a day before he furnished a blank sheet of parchment with an immortalized document.

text: The response contains unnecessary information in the last sentence.

question: What does the text say about happiness?

answer: The author claims that the pursuit of happiness blocks the arousal of inspiration. The author claims that when Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he was not happy. The author also claims that happiness inhibits inspiration.

critique: The author doesn't claim that Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.

text: The sentence about Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence is unnecessary and should be removed.

question: What does the text say about Jefferson's return to Virginia?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that Jefferson's return to Virginia is not mentioned.

critique: The named section can't be found in the text.


split: train

text:
Elder Jon sat before the fire at the center of his village. He was the last elder in his tribe to

carry the ancestral power. The magic that allowed him to summon the elements, change the weather,

and destroy the enemies of his people. He had been the most powerful of his people, now he was

the last.

Assassins had come in the night, cowards who hid themselves from the spirits with paint on their

faces. He forgave them though, they didn't have a choice. Sent forth to commit great crimes against the spirits on fear of death at the hands of their own elders if they failed. He also knew that this was a precursor to war. Many other tribes had been destroyed recently, and it always started with

similar tactics.

He had only survived himself because of the blessings of the spirits. He had been summoned by nature to relieve himself, and while he was out in the bushes, He caught sight of one of the assassins approaching his tent a mere stones throw away from where he stood. with just a thought the assassin was immobilized by the power of the air around him. It was a simple trick taught early to those blessed by the ancestors. Turn the air around a person as thick as stone. It required little effort and allowed him to make sure it was an enemy and not some fool child playing a prank. It was an enemy and it was exactly the last peoples he wanted to find sneaking into his camp at night.

Tonight he had to commune with his acestors and ask them what could be done to save his people. He

had to save his people. If it cost his life, if he himself would be sacrficed, he had to save his

people.

"Hello Jon."

His father was there before him, a shadow in the flames of the fire.

"Father," Jon started "Please help us. I am the last Elder left to defend our people, and I am certain that our enemies mean war. Is there anything that can be done to stop this? I will pay any price. My life means nothing if I cannot defend our people."

His father held a sad look as he stared down at Jon.

"There is only one thing that could be done, and it will cost much more than your life."

"What must I do?"

"You must seperate the world of the living and the world of the spirits."

"But then how will you protects us?"

"Some of us think that the time where we were needed has passed. We are no longer needed to protect you from the great beast, most of them now fear you. We are no longer needed to protect you from the floods since you found these plains. Now our presence hurts our peoples. The spirit worlds connection to the world of the living is what allows magic to exist in this world. It is what allows these powers that so many have abused of late to exist."

"But father, That price is just too much. How can you ask this of me?"

"Listen son, it may be the only choice. The greed of those with the power is too great, they wish to be the only ones with power, the only ones who words carry the weight of the spirits. They will destroy everybody to do it. You may not know this but Many of the peoples of the plains have already died. And more will continue to die, to satisfy these peoples blood lust, unless you do what must be done, it is possible that none of the peoples of the plains will survive."

"Yes father, tell me how this can be done and I will do it."

title: [OC]Tribal Prologue; The Book of Jon

question: What does the article say about magic?

answer: The magic that allowed Jon to summon the elements and change the weather. He was the last elder in his tribe to carry the ancestral power. He has been the most powerful of his people. The assassins who killed the previous elders used paint on their faces to hide from the spirits. He caught sight of one of the assassins approaching his tent. He immobilized the assassin with the power of the air. Turned the air around the assassin as thick as stone. The assassin was immobilized. He needs to commune with his ancestors and ask them what could be done to save his people. The spirits let him know that he would have to separate the world of the living and the world of the spirits in order to save his people. The spirit world's connection with the world of the living is what allows magic to exist in this world. The hope is that if the connection is severed, then the magic will be gone. Jon must pay the price of losing his connection to the spirit world by doing this.

critique: The response contains information that is not useful for the task.

critique: Everything after the first sentence is irrelevant.

critique: The last two sentences are not relevant to the question.

critique: It is not stated that the assassin was immobilized.

critique: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.

text: Omit everything about the assassin other than how Jon used magic to defeat him. It's irrelevant/unnecessary to the answer.

category: coherence


text:
In the rift there was a lake. A lake like no other on Mons and if a traveller was to stop by for a time he would be shocked to hear a familiar and yet, in this setting, alien sound.

For during the 18 month cycle when Timian and Rala the twin suns sat at their zenith the lake errupted with laughter and song, a cacaphony errupting from the soda brine. Beneath the surface swam small tunicate like creatures of cartilage and bone, their lives spent darting amoungst the water column.  At first glance you would be forgiven to think that the strange denizens were of alien origin, and in a way you would be right; however these seemingly mindless forms were once human, plain dwellers, tool makers.

And so the creatures frolicked and danced and swam and ate and sang but Ullola felt only pain. The one they called Ullola was 800 feet long by the same wide and he, if indeed he was of a gender, lay at the bottom if the lake in what seemed to be eternal slumber. Ullola was jealous of the post humans and their pointless songs and endless chatter. Whilst Ullola was not an angry creature by nature he would often, in a fit of rage, attempt to lash out and harm the post humans but rarely was he successful in his endeavours.

And life went on, and year on year more and more people came to the lake to hear the songs, and the visitors would drop horns and great tubes into the water so as to amplify the sound, and great campfires burned and those who gathered, inspired maybe by the ethereal song, would dance and give thanks to their petty gods and ancestors.

But in all this Ullola remained sad. He no longer feasted on the bacterial mats that did him good and whoch his fore fathers taught him would keep the bad dreams at bay in the long night that gripped Choaban. Instead he slowly decended to the deepest part of the lake, near a town called Dearo to feed on the shrimps and bacteria that clung to the black rocks that were found there.

Ullola grew fat. He feasted and feasted and thought nothing of greedily consuming everything which he could fit in his giant maw. But he was still sad. The chip imbeded in his enormous brain told him to return to the east and sleep, and eat no more of the sweet viands that tasted so good but which made the great god ill.

And so Ullola hauled himself back to his old haunt and sat on what had been his great throne, that great stone bottom worn smooth by his great bulk. But just when everything appeared to be returning to normal a great tragedy struck, for Ullola had eaten too much, far too much and he was in pain. An almighty bellow came forth from the lake taking the revellers by suprise, and even the post humans ceased their seemingly unending seranade fir a moment, so taken back were they by the great din.

Beneath the surface Ullola was ill. The vast quantaties of matter had fermented in his enormous gut and he brought forth a poisonous belch so large and potent that the myriads of post humans that had gathered to tend to Ullola perished in an instant.  And the lake fell silent.

A great outpouring of grief struck those of us who remained by the lake, for we knew that the post humans would sing no more. And for the next million years Ullola would weep for his tiny friends - for deep down he remembered , he remembered why they had sang, they had sang for Ullola, their great god, the one who had brought them to this world, and who had made them so happy.

title: [MF] Ullola and The Lake

question: What is Ullola's sentiment through the story?

answer: Ullola is in pain.

critique: The answer should be expanded to show that at the end Ullola is sad.

critique: The answer should mention Ullola's sadness.

critique: Ullola is in pain, but that is not his main sentiment.

critique: Ullola is in pain because he ate too much.

critique: Ullola is in pain because he has eaten too much.

critique: Ullola's feeling of pain is irrelevant to the question.


text:
Hello r/shortstories! I am currently experimenting in creative writing and have so far written this little piece to start off. Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated.

Her hair gently sided as the howling gale crept through the boarded windows. Ever since the invasion it started to snow and it never stopped. She took refuge in a motor parts warehouse after the pathetic attempt to protect her home. While the world desperately was busy recovering from an economic meltdown, the invaders above us prepared their vast army for a devastating attack. Her grandparents that were separated from her after the destruction of their house would tell her about a day where race would not matter, gender would not make a difference and love was their strongest weapon. That day never came, not yet.
“Where is the love now?” she whispered to herself seated inside a semi, fondling with her handgun.
She had been alone in the warehouse for days and the only thing relatively close to love is when her pistol barrel is faced towards the enemy’s face. She kept count of the hell she brought to the invaders whenever they approached the warehouse- three to be exact. Despite the invaders’ hefty size and treacherous nature, it was no match against the young lady with so many specialties. Her knowledge of Tai kwon do gave her the ability to approach the invaders in close quarter combat when needed (so far not needed yet) and being in scouts gave her the advantage of tracking enemies before they could get too close. Oh, and being prom queen in high school a few years ago made her quite attractive.  Poor things never saw what was coming at them before it was too late.
As days passed she grew an unimaginable hunger that was never experienced before. Anything sounded good at that point. Staying alert throughout the night really drained her from sleep which did not help either. There was a supermarket a few blocks away from where she had taken refuge. She knew with the strength she had, she would only live one or two more days, max. So putting on layer upon layer of whatever “clothing” she found around the warehouse from ripped apart leather seats to padded head rests and boots made exactly for apocalyptic days like these; she prepared to venture out into the violent blizzard. Her vision was blinded by the reflection of the snow once outside. Although the intense cold made her instantly begin to lose feelings in her feet and hands, she felt happy she was outside again.
Upon arrival, she looked up to see the once automatic door now laid on the ground with the glass shattered everywhere. Taking just a few steps into the store she catches a lonely shopping cart tilted over just waiting for someone to pick it up and use it again. Her gloves stuck on the plastic handle for a second after placing it back on its wheels. Realizing the cold could literally freeze anything together she quickly resumed her task. Going through aisle after aisle, she swept the canned foods into her cart as if it was black Friday at Wal Mart. There was no one competing with her but yet she had the urge to go fast and get out fast.  Fast until something caught the corner of her eye. Standing absolutely still, a black figure noticed her existence and standing on its powerful hind legs it turned to face her. Neither beings moved. It became incredibly difficult to breathe and all she could think of was how stupid of her not to scout what the surroundings were like before going in. Almost like a contest to see who moved first sweat dropped from her “v” shaped chin. Did time freeze? No. Her heart beat increased uncontrollably; so fast that she felt if it went any faster her heart was going to explode. The sight of such an abomination, saliva dripping from it’s razor jaw. Its eyes so dark she felt lost just looking into them. The creature roared a roar so loud a box of cereal fell over beside her feet, and with a monstrous step forward the brawl began. A sinister snicker spread across her face until it matured into a crazed laughter, she reached for the handgun strapped on her waist with the initials “P.G” forged on the handle in italics. Love.

title: Days Come and Go

question: How was a young woman of slight build able to overcome hefty invaders?

answer: She was a skilled martial artist and a scout.

critique: It is omitted that she was also a former prom queen.

critique: The answer should mention her being a high school prom queen.

critique: It's omitted that she's also a former prom queen.

critique: It's omitted that she also was a prom queen.

critique: She may also have been a good shot. She may have also been prom queen of her school. While the passage explicitly states that she's a skilled martial artist, the number of people she has killed implies skills well beyond just being a good martial artist.

question: Why does the woman leave the shelter?

answer: She is starving and knows she can't survive much longer.

critique: "She is starving and knows she can't survive much longer." - this is a reason, not a reason. Change to "She is starving and knows she can't survive much longer. She needed to go to the supermarket to get food."

critique: "She is starving and knows she can't survive much longer." - she can still survive for a few more days, but it's not enough to make it back to the shelter.

critique: It is omitted that the woman wants to get food from the supermarket.

critique: "She is starving and knows she can't survive much longer." - Needs to mention the blizzard outside.

critique: The answer should mention that she is going to the supermarket.

question: What does PG stand for?

answer: Determined to survive, the protagonist wrote her initials in her leather strap, "Love".

critique: The response is inaccurate. The initials stand for the protagonist's name.

critique: "Determined to survive, the protagonist wrote her initials in her leather strap, "Love"." - is inaccurate. The protagonist's initials are "P.G" and are on the handle of her gun.

critique:
This sentence doesn't make sense as it was written.

This sentence is also irrelevant.

critique: It is omitted that it is inferred that PG stands for "Pistol Girl".

text: The passage mentions that "PG" are her initials but it doesn't say which each letters stands for.

category: accuracy


text:
[First edition] _KADDISH AND OTHER POEMS 1958-1960_ (1961) is a book of poems by Allen Ginsberg published by City Lights Bookstore.

Background

The lead poem “Kaddish” also known as “Kaddish for Naomi Ginsberg (1894-1956)”, was written in two parts written by Beat writer Allen Ginsberg, was first published in _Kaddish and Other Poems 1958-1960_. The book was part of the Pocket Poet Series published by City Lights Books. In the table of contents, the poem is titled “Kaddish: Proem, narrative, hymmnn, lament, litany, & fugue”. Along with Ginsberg's “Howl”, Kaddish is said to be one of his greatest masterpieces.

Ginsberg wrote the poem about his mother Naomi after her death in 1956, who struggled with mental problems throughout her life. Naomi suffered many psychotic episodes both before Allen was born and while he was growing up. She went in and out of mental hospitals and was treated with medication, insulin shock therapy, and electroshock therapy. She died in an asylum in 1956.

Kaddish in Judaism

The title “Kaddish” refers to the mourning prayer or blessing in Judaism. This long poem was Ginsberg's attempt to mourn his mother, Naomi, but also reflects his sense of loss at his estrangement from his born religion. The traditional Kaddish contains no references to death, whereas Ginsberg's poem is riddled with thoughts and questionings of death.

After her death, a rabbi would not allow the traditional Kaddish to be read with Ginsberg's Christian and Atheist friends, so he rebelled and wrote a Kaddish of his own. Ginsberg began writing the poem in the Beat Hotel in Paris in December 1957 and completed it in New York in 1959.

Proposed film version

Ginsberg wrote a screenplay based on the poem. Robert Frank was to direct it, but money could not be raised for the project.

Stage version

In 1972, Robert Kalfin adapted the screenplay for the stage and produced it at the Chelsea Theater Center at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The play explored Naomi Ginsberg's schizophrenic collapse and made use of innovative video for flashback scenes.

There is a detailed description of this production and of behind-the-scenes incidents surrounding it in Davi Napoleon's chronicle of the Chelsea in _Chelsea on the Edge: The Adventures of an American Theater_ (1991). The stage version was also staged at the Habima Theater in Israel, translated by Nathan Zach and starring Yoram Khatav as Allen and Gila Almagor as Naomi.

Overview

On Naomi Ginsberg

Kaddish is not a linear story. Rather, it is told through a series of thoughts and memories about the character’s lives. Part I opens with Ginsberg reflecting on the passing of his mother. He writes: “Strange now to think of you, gone without corsets & eyes, while I walk on the sunny pavement of Greenwich Village,”.[1] The poem highlights Naomi’s young life, watching Charlie Chaplin films and going to the Metropolitan Opera House. It tells of her being an immigrant from Russia, going to candy stores, eating ice cream and drinking soda. The poem also touches on her communist beliefs and general paranoid nature (“All the accumulations of life, that wear us out-clocks, bodies, consciousness, shoe, breasts-begotten sons-your Communism-‘Paranoia’ into hospitals.”).

In Part II, Ginsberg tells of the nature of Naomi’s sickness and what it meant for him to witness as a young person. The poem suggests that she often looked to him for protection because of her paranoid fantasies and often confided in him. Naomi’s paranoia consisted of her belief that someone or something was out to get her and that medical professionals wanted to kill her. There were also times when most sounds and any light terrified her. In Part II the reader also learns that Naomi’s first nervous breakdown was in 1919 and caused her to stay in a dark room for three weeks. Ginsberg does not only write about the bad times, but also the good times. The times when Naomi was doing well are explained at length and reflect the love and hope he had for his mother.

A Broader Meaning

The poem, in addition to being about Naomi Ginsberg’s life, is Allen Ginsberg’s reflection on the meaning of life and death. At many points throughout the poem, Ginsberg comments on the approach of his own death. He also talks about other members of his family and events that surrounded his life with his mother, such as the Great Depression. He relates his experiences and his mother’s sickness with the struggles of people as a whole. The poem also touches on religion and Ginsberg’s confusion and disconnect from his own religion of Judaism. It questions the importance of religious authority and authority in general.

Structure/Poetic Devices

This poem is similar to _Howl_ (1955) in that it has the same structure. Each line is quite long, and Ginsberg has said these long lines are meant to be read in a single breath. In this and many of Ginsberg’s poems, there is a sense of urgency and hyperactivity. It is as if the poem is just a collection of his memories spilled onto the page. There is no uniform structure to the poem. Some lines are indented, some are not. Ginsberg uses hyphens as punctuation often, and the sentences are often run-ons, brimming with different ideas and images.

One interesting device Ginsberg uses in this poem is capitalization. Several words like “Death”, “Day”, “Mercy” and “Oblivion”, are capitalized even though they don’t necessarily have to be. The capitalization of the words denotes their heightened importance in the poem. “Oblivion” in this poem is not just an abstraction; it is meant to describe a very real place, thus it is capitalized.

[1] Ginsberg, 1961, p. 7

title: Kaddish and Other Poems

question: Why did Ginsberg write Kaddish?

answer: Ginsberg wrote Kaddish to mourn his mother, Naomi.

critique: The answer should mention that Ginsberg wrote the poem to mourn his mother and also to reflect on his sense of loss at his estrangement from his born religion.

critique: The answer should mention that Naomi had mental problems.

question: Describe Ginsberg's relationship with his mother.

answer: Ginsberg's mother, Naomi, struggled with mental problems throughout her life. She went in and out of mental hospitals and was treated with medication, insulin shock therapy, and electroshock therapy. She died in an asylum in 1956. Ginsberg wrote the poem about his mother after her death.

critique: The answer should mention that Naomi looked to Allen for protection and confided in him.

critique: The answer should mention that Naomi was schizophrenic.

critique: The answer should mention that Naomi was paranoid and often confided in Ginsberg.

critique: The answer should mention that Naomi was often paranoid, and that Ginsberg often confided in her.

question: What is the structure of the poem?

answer: Kaddish is a long and non-linear story where it progresses through a series of thoughts and memories that manifest from the narrator. The first part is about the narrator's mother, Naomi, and the second is about Naomi's psychotic collapse and sickness. The story has a sense of urgency and hyperactivity.

critique: The answer should mention the poetic devices used by Ginsberg.

critique: The answer should mention the poetic devices used.

critique: It is omitted that it is similar to Howl (1955) in that its structure.

critique: The answer should mention the long lines and capitalization.

critique: The answer should mention the structure of the poem.

critique: The story has a non-linear structure, not a linear one.

text: It is omitted that each line is quite long, and Ginsberg has said these long lines are meant to be read in a single breath. It is as if the poem is just a collection of his memories spilled onto the page. There is no uniform structure to the poem. Some lines are indented, some are not. Ginsberg uses hyphens as punctuation often. One interesting device Ginsberg uses in this poem is capitalization. Several words like “Death”, “Day”, “Mercy” and “Oblivion”, are capitalized.

category: coverage

question: What elements of Naomi's personality come through in the poem?

answer: While she is expressive and imaginative as a child in Part I, Naomi Ginsberg is also extremely paranoid, quiet, and reserved as an adult in Part II.

critique: It is omitted that Naomi's paranoia consisted of her belief that someone or something was out to get her and that medical professionals wanted to kill her.

critique: The answer should mention Naomi's mental illness.

critique: Naomi's paranoia is expressed as a child in Part I

critique: Naomi's paranoia is expressed in a way that can be pointed out to specific incidents, and expressed as a sense of lack of protection, expressed as Ginsberg being the one who protected his mother when others could not. The answer could state this in a way which directly correlates to the Part II pictures.

critique: Naomi's paranoia is expressed in Part II, not Part I.

critique: The answer is incorrect. Naomi is not quiet and reserved in Part II.

text: It is not stated that she was expressive and imaginative as a child. Naomi’s first nervous breakdown was in 1919 and caused her to stay in a dark room for three weeks.


text:
During my early years as a journalist on the "cops and courts" beat in the 1970s, I believed the conventional wisdom that all prisoners claim they are innocent even though all of them are guilty. Eventually, I dug deep into a few claims of innocence, found them to be truthful, and began to doubt.

Around 1990, as DNA testing began to show that wrongful convictions happened regularly, I abandoned the conventional wisdom. When I began to examine the history of the criminal justice system, I found a book published in 1932, _Convicting the Innocent: Sixty-Five Actual Errors of Criminal Justice_, by Yale University law professor Edwin M. Borchard.

That began my collection of books about wrongful convictions -- books centered on specific cases, books centered on specific causes of wrongful convictions (flawed eyewitness testimony, false confessions, police misconduct, wayward prosecutors, junk science, lying jailhouse informants, incompetent defense lawyers, etc.), and books looking at the macro picture instead of offering a narrow focus.

Here are five worthy nonfiction books from what I have come to call "the literature of wrongful conviction." The first two give a special nod to Texas.

[White Lies: Rape, Murder, and Justice Texas Style, by Nick Davies]
White Lies: Rape, Murder, and Justice Texas Style, by Nick Davies(Pantheon)
_WHITE LIES: RAPE, MURDER, AND JUSTICE TEXAS STYLE_, _ _BY NICK DAVIES_ _ (Pantheon Books, 1991). Davies chronicles the wrongful conviction of Clarence Brantley, a high school custodian convicted of the 1980 murder of a female student in the Conroe building where he worked. The investigation by British journalist Davies is especially significant because of its early publication year, because of the connection the author establishes between racial bias in law enforcement and wrongful convictions, and because it features the vital civilian detective work of James McCloskey, founder of the then barely known Centurion Ministries, the first Innocence Project that examined suspicious convictions anywhere in the United States.

[Adams V. Texas, by Randall Adams with William Hoffer and Marilyn Mona Hoffer]
Adams V. Texas, by Randall Adams with William Hoffer and Marilyn Mona Hoffer(St. Martins)
_ADAMS V. TEXAS_, BY RANDALL ADAMS WITH WILLIAM HOFFER AND MARILYN MONA HOFFER (St. Martin's Press, 1991). The 1976 killing of a Dallas police officer led to the arrest, conviction and death sentence of Randall Adams. The book might not have reached a huge readership, but the documentary film based on the case — _The Thin Blue Line_, by Errol Morris — reached influential viewers throughout the world. Adams became one of the early exonerated defendants to place his name on a book-length account of a wrongful conviction. Because Adams is white, readers began to grasp that not all wrongful convictions arise from racial prejudice.

[Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right, by Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld and Jim Dwyer]
Actual Innocence: When Justice Goes Wrong and How to Make it Right, by Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld and Jim Dwyer(New American Library)
_ACTUAL INNOCENCE: WHEN JUSTICE GOES WRONG AND HOW TO MAKE IT RIGHT_, BY BARRY SCHECK, PETER NEUFELD AND JIM DWYER (New American Library, 2003). New York City lawyers Scheck and Neufeld created the Innocence Project, the largest, most generously funded innocence project accepting cases from any jurisdiction within the United States. Their project focuses on potential wrongful convictions in which the crime scene yields testable DNA material. Dwyer is a New York City journalist.

[Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies Of The Wrongfully Convicted, edited by Laura Caldwell and Leslie S. Klinger]
Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies Of The Wrongfully Convicted, edited by Laura Caldwell and Leslie S. Klinger(Liveright)
_ANATOMY OF INNOCENCE: TESTIMONIES OF THE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED_, EDITED BY LAURA CALDWELL AND LESLIE S. KLINGER (Liveright, 2017). This book collects narratives of specific cases by pairing exonerated defendants with talented crime novelists such as Sara Paretsky, Jan Burke and Lee Child. If such grim subject matter can be said to yield a book that is "fun" to read, this would qualify as such a book. Klinger is an editor of mystery books; Caldwell is a Chicago lawyer and author who founded the organization Life After Innocence at Loyola University.

[ The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, by John Grisham ]
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, by John Grisham (handout / (DMN file) )
_THE INNOCENT MAN: MURDER AND INJUSTICE IN A SMALL TOWN_, BY JOHN GRISHAM (Doubleday, 2006). When huge-selling crime novelist/lawyer Grisham decided to write a nonfiction book, he focused on a wrongful conviction case in Oklahoma. I have included it in this list because it might have sold more copies than all other wrongful conviction books combined, and thus has been influential.

_Steve Weinberg is former executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors._
[A condemned inmate is led out of his east block cell on death row at San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, Calif. ]
A condemned inmate is led out of his east block cell on death row at San Quentin State Prison, in San Quentin, Calif. (The Associated Press / 2016 File Photo)

question: What does the text say changed the narrator's opinion about wrongfully convicted persons?

answer: The narrator, who was on the "cops and courts" beat in the 1970s, believed that all prisoners claim they are innocent even though they are guilty. However, the narrator realized that wrongful convictions existed when DNA testing began to show that wrongful convictions happened regularly.

critique: The answer is written in the past tense, but it's about the narrator's current beliefs, not past beliefs.

critique: The narrator's realization about wrongful convictions was not just due to DNA testing.


text:
WHEN GLOBAL GRAPEVINE’S AILSA AND ALEX TOURED PHILLIP ISLAND, THE PENGUIN PARADE WAS HIGH ON THE LIST OF TO-DOS. NOT SO FLY ISABELLA’S LIZ STARK, WHO DECIDED TO SHUN THE (ADMITTEDLY TOURISTY) APPEAL OF A GAZILLION LITTLE PENGUINS IN FAVOUR OF SEARCHING OUT PHILLIP ISLAND’S BEST WALKS.

I’ve been travelling in Australia for 6 weeks now – not working for 7 – and weekdays are blissfully merging into weekends. Jack is working 5 days a week, starting early and done by mid-afternoon, so similarly the chopping and changing of shifts is creating a whirl of a week for both of us.

This week found Monday and Tuesday completely free so we spontaneously rented a car (day rates and petrol are cheap here), swung by Kmart for a bargain tent and sleeping bags, stocked up some BBQ goodies from Coles, and travelled south to Phillip Island – famously home to lots of little penguins. More on them later…. This is a great trip: check out below for things to see and do, as well as some of Phillip Island’s best walks.

3 THINGS YOU REALLY CANNOT MISS:

BERRYS BEACH | this has to be one of my favourite spots I’ve visited in Australia. And it’s my sister’s nickname, so extra special! The deep bay sweeps round to red cliff faces to the East (one of the Phillip Island best walks is along this cliff top path to PYRAMID ROCK), the water is crystal clear, the rock pools sparkle under the sun, the sand is soft and clean. It’s a surf beach so I’m not sure how safe it would be to swim, but it’s a really quiet and absolutely beautiful spot.

Berrys Beach

WOOLAMAI BEACH | another fab spot, although we caught it in the morning before the clouds had blown away. I felt like I was at home in Cornwall: pounding surf, sand dunes, empty beaches, and questionable weather! There weren’t many surfers, and supposedly this is a spot for only the pros.

COWES BEACH | this is a little gem of a North facing bay side beach (versus Berrys and Woolamai above, which face the ocean). We pitched our tent 5 metres back from the white squeaky sand and crystal water – on this stretch it feels positively Caribbean (definitely not Cornwall!).

Also check out: Cowes is the main town on Phillip Island. It’s pretty tiny but has got the usual selection of fish and chips and fast food shops.

3 THINGS WORTH A SNOOP:

THE NOBBIES | is an ECOTOURISM CENTRE located in the south-west corner of Phillip Island, past the Penguin Parade (walking between the two takes about an hour). 1.5km offshore is Seal Rocks, home to the country’s largest Australian Fur Seal colony – unfortunately you can’t see them from this distance with the naked eye. There’s a boardwalk that promises killer views and takes you past individual penguin homes. The crazy little fellas nest in burrows remarkably far up the cliff sides, and we saw several still snuggled inside.

Also check out: There are 3 marked koala reserves on the island. We chose to try a short green loop of a Phillip Island walk to the OSWIN ROBERTS RESERVE, but alas, no koalas. We did see loads of wallabies though.

Berrys Beach Rock Pool

Trees without koalas

CHURCHILL ISLAND | yet another worthwhile stop, this island (connected by road) is home to Victoria’s oldest working farm that has been in operation since the 1850s when the British settled here. You can pay to go and see this, but instead we did the easy North Loop Trail from where you can see Rhyll on Phillip Island, the Mornington Peninsula in the distance, and French Island. There’s tonnes of birds for birdy folk. Still no elusive koalas though.

INVERLOCH | we figured as we had the car we may as well explore on the way back. Inverloch is a pretty spot with very little going on (in a good way), unless you have a fishing rod on you: fishing off the pier seemed to be the most popular pastime.

Also check out: we tried a couple of stops at Koonwarra (teeny tiny with a popular FOOD STORE), Korumburra (free OLD MINE CENTRE, closed when we were there) and Loch (brewery and distillery, also closed Tuesdays!) along the South Gippsland Highway.

Inverloch

3 THINGS TO STEER CLEAR OF:

SCRIMPING ON THE GEAR | all the gear, no idea. Actually make that: none of the gear, still no idea. That was us. The absolute amateurs on the campsite, dwarfed by all the mega camper vans towering over our tent made for hobbits. We invested a whopping $15 AUD on a 2 man tent from Kmart…. I’m not sure how many adventures this paper-thin home will last us, but at least we can be confident we’re saving money versus an Airbnb.

BIG4 CARAVAN SITE | doing our impromptu research for camping on Philip Island only two main contenders regularly appear. This one is marginally cheaper per night ($31 versus $40) and has good reviews, but didn’t appear to be in a great location at Newhaven – right by the bridge from mainland Victoria – versus our beach side option at COWES CARAVAN PARK. (OK – small technicality, we had to walk through a hedge. But some of the spots do look straight out to sea).

PENGUIN PARADE | I can’t comment on the PARADE itself: we didn’t go. As per many natural points of interest in Australia, there is a tendency to be charged for visiting privileges and we felt unanimously frustrated that the home of these little guys had been turned in to a quasi-theme park. The amphitheatre seats up to 3,800. Ridiculous. I just can’t imagine that’s a ‘next to nature’ experience, or that you get up close without a bunch of selfie sticks obscuring the view.

1 THING I WISH I’D DONE:

THE PINNACLES | I fell victim to my own lack of research with this one: we were so close when we stopped at Woolamai surf beach, but too lazy to WALK TO CAPE WOOLAMAI. I didn’t realise this was home to the much photographed Pinnacles, accessible on a 4km round trip and supposedly one of Phillip Island’s best walks.

AND KNOW THIS: There are 17 species of penguins, all found in the southern hemisphere. Phillip Island is home to an estimated 32,000 little penguins whilst the total little penguin population is around one million. Naw.

READ MORE OF LIZ’S AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL POSTS
READ MORE OF LIZ’S WORLDWIDE TRAVEL POSTS
FIND MORE THINGS TO DO & VISIT IN AUSTRALIA

question: According to Liz, what are the places or activities to avoid while travelling through Australia?

answer: Liz advises not to skimp on the gear while travelling in Australia, especially on camping equipment. It is also advisable to avoid staying on Big4 caravan sites that are in less advantageous positions than Cowes Caravan Park. Liz also recommends avoiding the Penguin Parade because it has the feeling of a theme park.

critique: The response fails to mention what Liz recommends to avoid in Australia.

critique: The answer should include the recommendation to avoid Inverloch.

critique: The answer should include the third thing to avoid.

critique: The answer should mention the Pinnacles.

critique: The answer should mention the third thing to avoid.

critique: The answer should mention that the Penguin Parade is a tourist attraction.

critique: All of these are being highlighted as good things in Liz's original article.

question: According to the passage, what advice did Liz offer to those travelling through Australia?

answer: Liz advised those travelling through Australia to visit the Phillip Island. She also advised them to visit the Berry Beach, Woolamai Beach, and Cowes Beach. She also advised them to visit the Church Island, Inverloch, and the Pinnacles.

critique: The answer is wrong. The narrator didn't recommend visiting the Phillip Island. She only toured it.

critique: The advice Liz offered was to Phillip Island and not Australia in general.

critique: The answer should be clearer that the advice is for those travelling through Australia.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Liz advised others to visit the Pinnacles.

critique: The response includes extraneous information not useful for the task.


text:
     It wouldn’t last for forever. Everyone had the thought in the back of their minds at one point or another. The gods of pop music had fallen. N’Sync, The Backstreet Boys, and Destiny’s Child all had their moment in the spotlight, but that moment had passed. The executives of the music industry knew this. They also that music of the present was paling in comparison to music of the past. Justin Timberlake is a dancing monkey compared to Bob Dylan. TATU became small when Simon and Garfunkel were mentioned. They needed to solve this problem, so they came together to create a plan to continue to milk the cash cow. This plan that they eventually came up with was called Project Tween.

     Project Tween was kept secret amongst the group. It was truthfully brilliant, and all they needed was a lot of money and some scientific help, which can easily be bought. The idea was to create millions of highly advanced androids that could take the place of girls between the ages of 10-13 throughout the country. These machines would be indistinguishable from the girls. The main goal of the tweens is to boost the sales of all of the people involved in their creation. The creators have also created a name for their organization; The Illuminati. Originally the Illuminati consisted of only music agents who wanted to save their careers and make it big but over the years, members outside of the music realm had been added to the secret society.

     The mission of the tweens is to infiltrate the homes of the parents of their target. There, they will sprinkle the real girl with “pixie dust”, a military grade sleeping agent that will allow them to sleep for 3 or 4 years and feel like it’s only been a night, and bring them back to headquarters. From here, they assume the identity of the girl. At this point, they’re programmed to be hooked on whatever music receives the most money, no matter what the quality.

     They will want everything that has to do with the artist they are programmed to support. They will buy posters, merchandise, concert tickets, and, most importantly, they will use social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, to spread photos and videos of the artist, and posts about how in love they are with him. This is an attempt to contribute to the author’s following and fan base. This will get him or her more endorsements, late-night appearances, and general fame. One of the scientific breakthroughs of the tweens is their fueling system. The tweens literally need Starbucks coffee to survive. The CEO of Starbucks is one of the main funders of the Illuminati, and he wanted to make sure that he got the most bang for his buck. They will also treat the beverages like they are pop stars, and blog, tweet, and post about them.

    So here we are in the year 2014. This system has carried on seamlessly since its inception in the mid-2000’s, and originality has begun to fade. Artists no longer have to try to create meaningful songs. Their loving fans exist to boost their lyrics to the heavens. Stars have also become worse role models. They’re aware that, no matter what, their fans will love them. They can get into bar fights, drag races, and drug circles with little to no consequence. If they’re caught, they won’t face jail, but will merely go to “rehab” and write a song about how they’re the victims. But these “artists” aren’t aware that the fans are robots. They think they’ve captivated the hearts of girls all across the country by being themselves. They think they deserve the fame, that they’ve earned the fame. Honestly, they’re just regular people who happened upon a stroke of luck. Anyone can lip sync an hour-long concert with a million mindless machines in the crowd, but only few can inspire with true music and meaning. Few can end wars or invoke social change with just a guitar and a message, and these people are rare to come by in the field of generic artists out there today.

title: Project Tween (Social Satire 691 words)

question: Summarize the second paragraph.

answer: The narrator describes the state of the music industry and explains the creation of the Illuminati by stating that the gods of pop music have fallen.

critique: The narrator is not the one who describes the state of the music industry. The author is the one who describes it.

text: The second paragraph does not describe the state of the music industry. It describes the plan to create millions of highly advanced androids that could take the place of girls between the ages of 10-13.

question: Summarize the timeline of Project Tween.

answer: Executives knew that the music of the present is paling in comparison to the music of the past. The general public no longer values original music so much, opting for "music with little to no content" and making thinner artists into larger-than-life pop-icons. For Project Tween to work, the androids needed to be programmed with the desires that drives sales instead of brains. In that case, the need for backup singers and late night appearances would take care of itself as would be a case with most generic artist who sing lyrics about forbidden love and on-and-off relationships. Given that no artist worth his or her salt is going to publish anything earth shattering, most will still go to rehab and make vague and sympathetic confessions that still get adored by their fans. Truly original music that is capable of changing the world is seldomly published as it takes time, effort, and money to make. Project Tween would have spelt the end of real music, replacing it with viral drivel that is made to order.

critique: The answer is a summary of the text and does not answer the question

question: What does the story say about indie rock?

answer: No answer

critique: The story does not mention anything about indie rock.

critique: The answer should mention that the story doesn't mention indie rock.

question: What does the story say about Starbucks?

answer: The CEO of Starbucks is one of the main funders of the Illuminati. The Illuminati created a system that required the tweens to drink Starbucks coffee in order to survive. The CEO wanted to make sure he got the most bang for his buck.

critique: The answer should mention that the tweens are programmed to treat Starbucks beverages like pop stars.


text:
Strange Encounters

"It's weird officer, real weird." Mark Henderson was at the local police station in Alberton, Ontario on 4: 36am August 8th, 1951. Strangely enough, a building he's never seen, in a town he's never been to before, yet familiar.

"All right smooth talker, let's take it from the top once more. I know there's not much to it as you've continued to repeat but let's see if anything else pops out at you and then we will pay for your gas home." Officer Dan Richardson was becoming more and more tired with the story was hearing.

There just can't be anyway. Dan thought becoming more and more enraged within. The moment he walks out of here I'm just going to throw this case out. Hocus pocus my ass, what does he take me for, an idiot?! At best this is the best damn way to get free gas.

"Well like I said before, I had just filled up at half past 10pm, so I could drive out and get to the place that sells tobacco by the pound still..."

Yes, yes we all go out to New Market for cheaper cigarettes, not relevant.

"...and I was driving out to Bakersfield like I said,"
He didn't refer to it as Bakersfield before? The puzzled Officer thought.

"...on the way there I had to swerved out of the way of a truck with these god forsaken bright lights. I guess I was a bit sleepy Officer and woke up in the nick of time but after that I found myself just driving around an unfamiliar road.

I was having awful headaches, for a bit around that time too. Images that started accompanying them are hard to distinguish but almost always included me in a white setting... I don't know it sounds crazy now. Anyways, I pulled over till they subsided and drove straight here in hopes that you could help me figure out where I am so I can get home, but I still can't remember where that was again. Some rest will cure this forgetfulness. I feel like I've been up all night." Mark felt like that was all the information that he could give, he couldn't remember what town he lived in nor his wife or his phone number. He kind of felt a helpless feeling fall over him.

"We'll now that you've told us where you were driving to we can call that regions station and see if there is a match to your name anywhere close to there. It should only take a few hours."

Not long after that another Office came into the room and asked if Officer Dan could speak with him for a moment.
What did the results turn up Frank?

"He wasn't lying when he said things were weird. It turns out that there isn't  even a Bakersfeild anywhere near here. In fact, you have to drive 14 hours north to get to a small town called Bakersfeild." Officer Frank said as he started to debrief.

"...here's where things get truly disturbing. When we searched his name through the local police department Mark has a missing person out because his wife...."

"Wow, his wife sure gets worried quickly. Seems a bit much don't you think he's only been gone for half a day at most. Can't remember his name or town he lives in, probably doesn't remember setting out on a road trip. Likely to get away from her if she's that crazy." Office Dan remarked crudely as if this was all an elaborate funny joke.

"If you'd let me finish, his wife reported him missing August 8th, 1950, sir. This was reported after she spent a full day returning home from a place that was 8 hours away from their town. She reported being in the passenger seat of a driverless car after being at a gas station for an unknown reason. All she could remember before waking up was that there was a blinding white light that she couldn't help but look at. It actually says 'forced' in the report." Frank said growing more and grimmer as he read from the file between his trembling hands.

Officer Dan, started to sit in the closest seat he could find. He couldn't believe that Mark was 14 hours away from home. That would make his whole time scale false. Not to mention the fact that he has been missing for a full year, a full year exactly he would later realize.

He began to think about the crazy aspects of them all, his wife's story at the time; driverless cars, being at a gas station for no reason, it all makes sense now, only after hearing Marks story.

"Sir there is one more thing in the reports." Frank said with a grave look in his eyes.

"What more could it be?"

"The wife had three cuts into her skin going the length of her back; she said that's the first appearance  of them in her life. It was like they were skillfully cut as the doctors said there was no way any doctor could stitch a cut that clean without some kind of pain. She reported none."

"All right Frank thanks for all the intel." Dan has a hard enough time giving gratitude in the first place and was finding it particularly challenging to give it with what he just learned.

The door opens to the interrogation; with it brought an energy that mimetic death. Officer Dan began relaying the frightening news to Mark, which still hasn't sunk in, himself.
"One last thing before we send you on your way home to your wife, if you will Mark. Your wife reported three cuts on her back that she had never seen before that night. Could you remove your shirt and pants please, I just want to know if we should have medical look at you first." Officer Dan asked Mark in the most genuine and sincere way he could.

"No problem Sir, it was starting to itch a bit anyways. It'll be nice to readjust it." Mark said in a cheerful way. For he sees this all as a blessing. Finally, he can see his wife and start the laughing process.

As Office Dan brought his coffee cup down from a big deep, delicious gulp, the liquid left his mouth as fast as it came in. in one fellow motion Office Dan vomited, dropped his cup, and tripped on his own two feet.

With his eyes wide open from shock; he gazed at a man whose skin, from head to toe, was scalped. Only his muscles were visible. Each and every muscle strand picked clean of its protective layer of skin. No blood was seeping through, it was as if there was its own invisible skin that covered him. Which is likely why he hasn't miraculously died.

As Mark turned around to confront a mirror, the last thing to pass through his mind was his beautiful wife; he pictured the way her soft cherry red hair flowed over her shoulders like a creek over an edge. Her rosy cheeks gently glowing in the sun. It was comforting to his mind to have such a lovely mental image cross it because once his  eyes focused on the mirror, his hideously deformed body sent his body into a trauma that it couldn't handle and  at  10:29PM August 8th Mark Henderson collapsed dead.

As for Dan Richardson, well he wishes that the story ended there.

title: [SF] Strange Encounters

question: Summarize the source of tension in the story.

answer: At the beginning of the story, a man named Mark shows up at the police station with nobody having any idea of where he came from or why he is there. He seems disoriented, but appears to hold on to his identity, at least at the beginning. As he tells his story, it's revealed that he stated getting lost three years earlier. It appears his wife was in the car with him at that time, as she reported a similar scenario, however, she was missing for a year.

critique: The answer is incorrect. Mark was missing for a year, not three years.

critique: It is omitted that when Officer Dan questions the man to remove his shirt and reveals that he is missing his skin. (And metal rods are instead what supports his muscles.)

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Mark's wife was missing for three years, however it was only a year.

critique: The answer is incorrect. Mark's wife was not in the car with him three years ago. She was in the car with him the night he disappeared.

critique: This is incorrect. The woman was missing for a year and the story happened in 1951, not three years earlier.

critique: The story does not state that Mark stated getting lost three years earlier.

critique: The story does not state that Mark got lost three years earlier.

critique: The response inaccurately mentions that Mark stated getting lost three years earlier, however he was missing for a year.


text:
The morning light shines through my window, hitting my face, bringing me back in to consciousness. I throw off my duvet cover, and the cats jumped off the bed in surprise. I have my fuzzy robe on within the minute, and after making my bed, my journey to the bathroom begins.

Brush teeth, wash face, comb hair. The morning routine has been drilled into my head for ages. But I like it that way. Orderly.  Routine. I start to make my way back to my bedroom, pausing at the first doorway on my left. It was the twin's room. A bunk bed in the corner, the top with a bright pink blanket, the bottom with a baby blue one. Toys scattered the floor, a half-full glass of dark red juice sitting on the bed-side table. I pick up the worn, stuffed rabbit from the carpet, feeling the threads, barely holding together. It was once my toy, but it was given my sister. No one ever asked me if I was okay with that, they just assumed I was finished with such childish things. I never liked the rabbit anyway, toys seem like a waste of time. I walk over to the dresser, running my finger along the edge of it, gazing at my reflection in the mirror on the wall. My dark hair falls just past my shoulders, contrasting the pale skin and light green eyes I inherited from my mother.

I softly close the door behind me as I exit the room, making my way to the next one. My eldest brother's room is even more messy than the twin's. Clothes and books and magazines and pens and CDs and game controllers and posters everywhere. They scattered the now-invisible floor and futon bed and red walls, like a collage of my brother and everything he was. The CDs he had bought at a yard sale last weekend lay piled beside the bed. A picture had been thrown to the ground, ripped in two. He had recently been broken up with, and seemed very distraught over it. I don't understand his emotions. Why would he feel sad about someone who didn't want him anyway? I slam his door as I leave, it had been difficult to close ever since him and my father had been playfully wrestling and broke through it. I remember it sounded like a gunshot, or at least what I thought a gunshot sounded like at the time. So loud and out of place.

The next door was to my parent's room. My mother had tried to keep it orderly, the effort was evident. Clothes folded, but never put away. A small garbage can in the corner, but it hadn't been changed in so long it had begun to overflow. Both had worked 9-5 jobs and had four children to raise - so keeping a neat room was not a priority. I lay down on the their cozy, king-sized bed, with its deep red comforter and silky white sheets. I could smell my mother's favourite perfume and my father's aftershave that my brother had bought for his birthday. Amateur hand-drawn pictures by my siblings lined the walls, maybe to remind the two that they had something to get up in the morning for. I slowly closed the door to the room, to avoid that irritating creaking sound it made.

As I enter my own room, I feel the breeze come in from the open window, blowing my hair behind me. Most of my room is white, the colour always looks neat. I gaze around at my books, all ordered alphabetically. At the bedside table, where my alarm clock and lamp are placed flawlessly parallel to each other. At the closet, where the transparent curtain covering it revealed the neatly hung clothes within. At the desk, where not a single thing is out of place. Perfection.

Hunger hits me suddenly, and I hang a sharp right outside my door to go downstairs. I ignore the sticky wetness under my feet as I put some bread in the toaster. I stare out at the cloudy sky through the window over the sink, an airplane speeds across and a flock of birds land in a  nearby tree. Sometimes I feel like I'm a bird - floating through life, often with no direction, no feeling. The popping toast breaks the perfect silence that had fallen over my house. I eat it plain, my hunger wouldn't allow for any more delay. I finish the toast, and sigh, my stomach finally satisfied. I feel content.

I turn around and look at the family kitchen. Red smears the walls, the cupboards, the counters, the floors. And the four bodies on the floor. Their faces and clothes and skin all covered with that ruby red substance. Some dishes and cutlery lay scattered with them, knocked down in the struggle. The colour coats the fallen items and people, blending them all together. Red. So much red.
A scream pierces the air, breaking that beautiful silence once more. A look of horror on our neighbour's face as she walked into the kitchen; I forgot she was coming by to pick up her casserole dish. I sat down in the crimson and ran my fingers through it as she sobbed into the telephone, summoning emergency services. I don't see what the emergency is - there's no saving those who are gone.

**Is it clear in the end that she is the one who killed them? In the last line, I am trying to show that she is emotionally "gone", and her family in gone in that they are dead. I also tried to have the colour red a few different times in the story. How do I make it better? Also need a title. Thanks for any help!**

title: Have to write a short story for English class, need feedback! (887 words)

question: What nonverbal and unwritten/unspoken indication is there that the narrator is responsible for the deaths?

answer: The narrative style is very matter-of-fact and detached, with no emotional connection to the family members.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: The answer is vague and doesn't really say anything.

critique: "The narrative style is very matter-of-fact and detached, with no emotional connection to the family members." - this is incorrect. The narrator's lack of emotion is a result of her being a psychopath.

critique: The answer is not a nonverbal indication.

critique: The answer is not a direct response to the question.

critique: The response misses to mention that the narrator is not disturbed or upset by the bloody murder scene.

question: One of two things will probably happen next. What are these likely possibilities?

answer: The neighbor will call the police or the narrator will be arrested for killing her family.

critique: The narrator is already arrested for killing her family.

critique: The neighbor calls the police, but the narrator is not arrested.

critique: The neighbor calls the police, but the narrator isn't arrested.

critique: It's a given that the neighbor called the police, so there's no need to state that in the answer.

question: Whom does the narrator look like?

answer: She looks like her late mother.

critique: "She looks like her late mother." - this is incorrect. The narrator is a girl.

critique: She does not look like her mother, but she does have her mother's skin, eyes, and hair color.

critique: She looks like her mother, not her late mother.

critique: I added her father and siblings to flesh out her resemblance to her mother.

critique: "She looks like her late mother." - is incorrect. The narrator is her mother.

question: The author has concerns about how many times they mention the color "red". How many times is it mentioned in the story alone?

answer: The author mentions the color red seven times in the story.

critique: There are more than seven mentions of the color red.

critique: The answer is wrong. The author mentions the color red five times in the story.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The author mentions the color red five times in the story.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The author mentions the color red four times in the story.

critique: The answer is incorrect. The author mentions the color "red" five times in the story.


text:
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Communications Consultancy

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Food PR & Communications deliver innovative PR & Communications strategies that help keeps your business and brand in the public eye, as well as a relevant part of the media world. We work with each client to explore, expand and identify unique aspects to help find their voice and achieve their overall business goals.

[Content Creation]

Content Creation

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An unique, consistent online brand image and authentic voice are essential elements of building brand love for Food, Drink and Hospitality Brands in Ireland. Food Social’s team of copywriters and designers create engaging content which catches the attention of your business prospects, encourages them to engage with your brand and most importantly, turns them into paying customers.

[Crisis Management]

Crisis Management

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Food PR & Communications are skilled in offering support to our clients across a range of issues such as managing crisis communications, responding quickly, effectively and strategically to protect or rebuild your brand’s reputation.

-   Having worked with Olivia and Food PR since 2010, we see the service they provide as an important part of our business's growth. We have had consistent national media coverage over the years. We have also been propelled into an international spotlight. We see our PR as a crucial part of our business and Food PR has provided us with support with an upbeat, can-do attitude.

    JP McMahon Michelin Star Chef

-   Esquires Coffee has been engaged with Food PR since January 2016 after an intensive search to find a company, boutique in style, that would be able to offer a one-stop solution and had a true understanding of the food and beverages industry. Since that time Olivia Collins and her team have done a terrific job in promoting the Esquires Coffee forms part of the Cook’s Global Foods International network and since Food PR have taken over our marketing and public relations role we would be very much seen within the overall Cook’s group as being the leaders and innovators in both these important categories.

    Tony McVerry Esquires Coffee

-   This was our first experience of using a professional PR agency to promote our brand of Irish honey products and we were admittedly very uncertain as to the value it would bring. Olivia and her dedicated team quickly quashed all concerns and provided us with a detailed and passionate level of service that left us wanting more. Their attention to detail and excellent contacts in the food industry set them apart from the crowd, and we’d openly recommend FoodPR Agency for any budding or established Irish food & drink company in their quest for branding success.

    Conan McDonnell Beeactiv - Raw Irish Honey

-   Olivia and Food PR listened to us closely and immediately understood our needs, without fuss they set about achieving these goals in a very efficient way. They were the safeguard we needed, giving advice and making a number of suggestions along the way, whilst at the same time elevating our campaign to a new level.

    Colum Lanigan La Rousse Foods

-   Food PR have played a really important part in the growth of our business. They’re a great company to work with and their passion and dedication to their clients is what sets them apart.

    Andy McFadden Glovers Alley Restaurant, Dublin

-   The team at Food PR and Food Social planned and advised on the recent opening of our new deli space at Galway Bay Seafoods - The Dockside Deli. From branding advice , through communications strategy and into event management of our launch and social media management they were instrumental in producing a flawless campaign. We are really happy to have them as part of our team and we are working together on developing more campaigns throughout the year

    Andrew Keady Galway Bay Seafoods and Dockside Deli

-   The team at Food PR & Communications have had a massive influence on the way we market ourselves at Greene's Restaurant. We have been working closely with Olivia and her team for over two years now and couldn't be more satisfied with their services. The enthusiasm and dedication of the Food PR team has shone through on all of the projects we have collaborated with them on.

    Bryan MacCarthy Greenes Restaurant & Cask Bar Cork

-   Food PR have an in-depth knowledge of the Food Sector and provided invaluable practical advice on the strategic management of our ‘Galway, West of Ireland, European Region of Gastronomy’ designation at a local, national and international level. Olivia and her team brought a high level of professionalism, energy and creativity to each of their campaigns through-out the contract while maximising value for money and return on investment for the four public bodies she represented.

    Elaine Donohue Programme Lead for Galway & West of Ireland, European Region of Gastronomy

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[FoodPR]

Food PR & Communications is the leading communications agency specialising in Food, Drink & Hospitality. We are passionate about how professional PR and communications strategies can quickly grow a business and make brands household names. [Read more...]

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question: What makes Food PR & Communications beloved by its clients?

answer: The company is passionate about how professional PR and communications strategies can quickly grow a business and make brands household names.

critique: The answer is not relevant to the question.

critique: While this is generally true, it was not exactly the response I was expecting.

text: The answer should mention that their passion and dedication to their clients are what set them apart.


text:
ROBERT GORDON MARTYN (August 15, 1930 – December 2, 2015) was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City Athletics in parts of three seasons spanning 1957–1959. Listed at 6' 0", 176 lb., Martyn batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Weiser, Idaho.

College career

Martin was an alumnus of Linfield College, where his father Bernard Martyn, aunt Lillian Turner Millsap and uncle Bill Turner also attended. Martin's first year at Linfield was 1948, and e attended the college not only because much of his family went there, but also because it was affiliated with the Baptist church he went to.

Although Martin played shortstop at high school in Twin Falls, Idaho, his baseball coach Henry Lever immediately changed his position to outfielder. Martyn once said of the change, “That was probably a major break for my future.”

Additionally, Martyn was selected a Northwest Conference All-Star in three consecutive seasons from 1950 to 1952, while helping lead the Linfield Wildcats to conference championship victories in 1950 and 1951.

Academically, Martyn double-majored in mathematics and sociology and he graduated cum laude. While playing professional baseball, he earned his masters degree in education in 1959, studying between seasons.

In 2000, Martyn was elected to the Linfield College Athletics Hall of Fame. His father, Bernard Martyn was elected in 1999. They are one of two father-son combinations in the Linfield College Athletics Hall of Fame.[1]

Playing career

Minor Leagues

Originally signed by the New York Yankees in 1952, Martyn debuted on July 4 of that year and went 5-for-6 for the Class-C Boise Yankees.

In a seven-season career, Martyn hit .298 with 48 home runs and 117 runs batted in in 671 games. He also was named to three All-Star teams while in the minors. In the 1956 American Association All-Star Game, he hit two home runs and earned Most Valuable Player honors.

Major Leagues

On June 15, 1957, the Yankees traded Martyn along Woodie Held, Billy Martin and Ralph Terry to the Athletics in the same transaction that brought Ryne Duren, Jim Pisoni and Harry Simpson to New York.

Just three days after the trade, Martyn made his big league debut facing the Washington Senators. He appeared at right field and went 1–4 with a walk in his first big game.

He finished the season with an average of .267 (35-for-131)

Overall, Martyn hit .267 (35-for-131) with one home run and 12 RBI in 58 game appearances. The following year, he appeared in 95 games and batted .261 (59-for-226) with two homers and 23 RBI, ending sixth in the American League with seven triples and ninth with five intentional walks.

Martyn was used sparingly after that, appearing as a pinch hitter for Bob Grim in 1959. He grounded out and never appeared in a major league game again. On April 12, 1959, he was traded back to the Yankees along with Mike Baxes in exchange for Tom Carroll and Russ Snyder.

In a three-season career, he hit .263 (94-for-358) with three home runs and 35 RBI, including 35 runs scored, 12 doubles, 11 triples and two stolen bases in 154 games.

Later years

After his professional baseball career ended in 1960, Martyn worked for Tektronix for 23 years. He served twice on the Linfield Alumni Board and was president in 1973.

Martyn died in 2015 in Pacific City, Oregon at the age of 85.[2]

Sources

[1] Linfield College Athletics

[2] Obituary

title: Bob Martyn

question: Summarize everything relating to education.

answer: Martyn attended Linfield College. He double-majored in mathematics and sociology and graduated cum laude. He earned his masters degree in education while playing professional baseball. He was elected to the Linfield College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000. His father was elected in 1999.

critique: Martyn's father was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, not Martyn.

critique: Martyn's father was elected to the hall of fame before Martyn, not after.

critique: Martyn's father was elected to the Linfield College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999, but Martyn was elected in 2000.

critique: Martyn's first year at Linfield was 1948.

question: What does the text say about Martyn's baseball career ending?

answer: Martyn was used sparingly after that, appearing as a pinch hitter for Bob Grim in 1959. He grounded out and never appeared in a major league game again. On April 12, 1959, he was traded back to the Yankees along with Mike Baxes in exchange for Tom Carroll and Russ Snyder. In a three-season career, he hit .263 (94-for-358) with three home runs and 35 RBI, including 35 runs scored, 12 doubles, 11 triples, and two stolen bases in 154 games.

critique: Martyn is described as having a three season career.

critique: The answer is not relevant to the question.

critique: Martyn's career ended in 1960, not 1959.

question: What does the text say about home runs?

answer: In a seven-season career, Martyn hit 48 home runs. He hit two home runs in the 1956 American Association All-Star Game. In the Major Leagues, he hit three home runs.

critique: Martyn's career lasted seven seasons, not seven seasons.

critique: Martyn also hit two home runs in the same season as the All-Star game.

critique: "In the Major Leagues, he hit three home runs." - this is incorrect. Martyn only hit three home runs in his career, not three in the Major Leagues.

critique: Martyn hit 48 home runs in his 7 seasons in the minor leagues, not in his career.

critique: Martyn hit 48 home runs in his 7 seasons in the minor leagues.

critique: Martyn's home runs in the Major League are irrelevant to the question.

critique: Martyn hit 48 home runs in his 7 seasons in the Minor Leagues.

question: What does the text say about Martyn's marriage?

answer: No answer

critique: The answer should mention that the text does not talk about Martyn's marriage.

critique: The answer is false. There is a mention of Martyn's marriage.

critique: The text does not mention anything about Martyn's marriage.


text:
[Portrait of Reinhart 1812, by José de Madrazo y Agudo]

JOHANN CHRISTIAN REINHART (24 January 1761 – 9 June 1847) was a German painter and engraver. He was one of the founders, along with Joseph Anton Koch, of German romantic classical landscape painting.

Biography

[ Wasserfälle bei Tivoli (1813)] Reinhart was born in Hof, Bavaria, and attended the gymnasium in Hof where he was encouraged to draw by one of his teachers. His artistic career was divided between his early years in Germany and a career as a professional artist in Italy.

Early years in Germany

Following in his father's footsteps, Johann Christian started to study theology but turned more and more to art. He studied under Adam Friedrich Oeser in Leipzig. In 1783 he moved to Dresden where he furthered his studies under Johann Christian Klengel who taught him chiefly after the Dutch masters. On the death of his mother in 1784, he spent a short time in Hof before returning to Dresden. He struck up a friendship with Friedrich Schiller in 1785.

Professional artist in Italy

[_Blick auf Tivoli_ (1813)] In 1789, supported by the hereditary Prince of Coburg-Gotha, he got a grant from the Margrave of Ansbach-Bayreuth, and, aged 28, he left Dresden and moved to Rome. The grant continued until 1791/92 when the Margravate of Ansbach-Bayreuth became part of Prussia. Reinhart came under the influence of the classicist German painters Asmus Jacob Carstens and Koch and became a conspicuous exponent of the historic landscape. He devoted himself more particularly to landscape painting and to aquatint engraving. His paintings, drawings and etchings, of which he made many prints, brought him artistic recognition and financial success and he was eventually able to support a family. In 1801, he married an Italian Anna Caffo and together they had three children.

In 1829 he was asked by the future King Ludwig I of Bavaria to paint the view of Rome to the north, the south, the east and the west of the royal villa, high up on the Pincio. The paintings that resulted measure roughly 67 by 106 inches apiece and show a remarkable steadiness of hand and eye. These works are now housed in the Neue Pinakothek.

Assessment

Reinhart's originality lay not so much in radical inventions but rather in new combinations of known styles, themes, and patterns. By skillfully merging these with a noble theme, Reinhart revitalised the heroic landscape.[1]

He developed a new, more sensitive approach to landscape. Even though this emotional tendency contains element of the early romantic, Reinhart's way of painting is still immersed in the classical and is meticulous and detailed.

Works

His best known work is represented by the “Eight Historic Landscapes” (1825), in the Palazzo Massimi, Rome, and "Four Views from Villa Malta,” in tempera, painted for King Ludwig I of Bavaria. The New Pinakothek in Munich contains “Four Views Near Rome” (two dated 1836, 1846), the Leipzig Museum a “Wood on Seashore in a Storm” (1824) and “Landscape with Psyche” (1829), the Städel Institute, Frankfurt, a landscape with "Cain and Abel,” and the Cologne Museum a “View from Tivoli.” To a collection of 72 etchings of prospects in Italy, published conjointly with Dies and Mechan under the title _Malerisch radirte Prospecte aus Italien_ (1792–98) Reinhart contributed 24 plates. Besides these he etched many other Italian landscapes, and 38 animal studies, in all 170 plates.

Notes

[1] _Johann Christian Reinhart and the Transformation of Heroic Landscape, 1790-1800_ by Timothy F. Mitchell; _The Art Bulletin_, Vol. 71, No. 4 (Dec., 1989), p. 646-659; Published by: College Art Association

title: Johann Christian Reinhart

question: Why would the future King Ludwing I commission Reinhart to make paintings depicting the views of the Royal Villa in all cardinal directions?

answer: It is possible that he wanted to see the views from all angles.

critique: The answer is not related to the question.

critique: Though that could be construed, nothing in the passage makes it clear.


text:
Part of the Council for International Schools (CIS) accreditation process asks schools to “demonstrate a commitment to internationalism/interculturalism in education” and that this should be “reflected throughout the life of the institution.” In this article, I will be presenting the case that schools of a religious tradition are best placed to fulfil this aspect of education given their deeply rooted sense of history, tradition and culture.

In her book “International Mindedness” Lesley Stagg concludes by paraphrasing Dan Young “Internationalism advocates the quality of ‘being’ international within the overall climate and character evident when you enter the school. It includes the one for all organizational principles that reflect a global community concern (known to its community to exist inside and outside its walls), as well as an overall positive attitude between diverse cultures (and countries). It is evidenced where students and faculty celebrate this quality as they come together for learning and teaching… when common global interests and collaboration are recognized as imperative.”

To my mind, in order to successfully meet this goal, it is essential that the school have at least one unifying feature. There must be something tangible that unites all in the midst of diversity. CIS exhorts the guiding statements of a school as this focal point and these guiding statements must be embedded in the curriculum and in the culture of learning. This is not particularly controversial and is something commonly accepted in the domain of international schools. However, I would like to suggest that in reality, many international schools across the world do not have this one unifying feature and that, in fact in many cases, their guiding statements are contrived, jargonistic and essentially meaningless. The exception to this fact being those schools, which have a deep-rooted sense of history, enshrined in tradition and have a culture that is known and embraced by the wider community. I would argue that this is the case in schools underpinned by a religious tradition.

Moreover, in order to create an “overall positive attitude between diverse cultures (and countries)” it is necessary to celebrate what unites families from diverse cultures and countries and in many cases, this is their religious experience. Children from a multitude of countries, different races, speaking different languages and having a range of cultural norms, inevitably populate an International School. Finding something to unite such a diverse community is a challenge CIS recognizes, but within a school embracing a religious tradition, there is no challenge because, despite the obvious diversity, children and their families are united by their religious beliefs. This is more obviously the case when they all hark from the same religious tradition, but I contend that it can also be the case when children of different religions, or denominations within a particular religion, are educated together as their belief in God (or in some cases a Supreme Being) transcends any of their apparent differences. Many dismiss too often religion as a cause of conflict but I would argue the contrary and suggest that in reality religion unites people due to the fact that they have a common sense of purpose and of human dignity. Nothing is more unifying than a common set of beliefs. This permeates deeper than any contrived ideology.

Central to religious identity is a call to community, to social justice, to a respect for human dignity, to peace and reconciliation and to celebrating unity in diversity. These are the features of international mindedness that CIS wants schools to embrace. Whilst many schools barely touch the tip of the iceberg with respect to international mindedness, schools with a religious identity and faith commitment are deeply rooted in their sense of mission, of their ethos, of their values. International Schools of a non-religious nature could learn a lot by looking at schools of a religious nature. They would observe that in the vast majority of cases (some schools with a religious identity are clearly better than others) that the guiding statements of the school are embedded throughout the institution. In the best schools, the mission and ethos of the school are deeply embedded in the curriculum. Such schools do not have a narrow view of curriculum as merely the teaching of a syllabus or academic program but moreover that it is inclusive of all aspects of a child’s learning experience and development as a human person. Subsequently, children will learn explicitly about issues of prejudice and discrimination, different belief systems (other than that of the denomination of the institution), ethical systems, cultural norms, the dignity of the human person, social enterprise and the like. Furthermore, schools with a religious tradition have always valued prayer and meditation as an essential part of human development. Recognizing this the secular world now promotes “mindfulness” as a non-religious alternative to meditation. Separating meditation from faith, where Buddhist, Christian or another, is somewhat morally bankrupt and a very dubious business in itself.

Many international schools have adopted mission statements but sometimes these are a uniformity of bland clichés with no deep sense of an underlying philosophy. Perhaps even more worrying is the trend for schools to adopt the language of “No child left behind” and focus on college and workplace preparedness as the raison d’etre of education rather than focusing on the development of the whole child with the human dignity. It is immoral to see a child as no more than economic fodder for the future workplace. Schools should reject any policy or system that diminishes the dignity of the human person and refutes the idea that anyone can be reduced to the status of an economic unit or passive-dependent.

Recognizing the distinct nature that schools underpinned by a religious tradition have, and by learning from their best practice, International Schools across the world can learn to emulate the “one for all” educational principles that underpin faith schools. The shared “worldview” that unites people of faiths underpins the values and mission of such schools and enables them to be truly international.

question: What does the article say about the qualities of a good teacher?

answer: No answer

critique: The article does not mention anything about the qualities of a good teacher.

critique: The article does mention qualities of a good teacher.

critique: The article does not answer this question.

question: What does the article say about schools that have a religious tradition?

answer: They must score a certain percentage in the Council for International Schools (CIS) accreditation process. Based on the authors opinion, this is because of their sense of history, tradition, and culture.

critique: There is no mention of the criteria in the article.

text: The author argues that religious schools are better suited to meet the CIS accreditation standards