The Last Word: Senior Creative Portfolio

“Experience is not what happens to you It is what you do with what happens to you.” --Aldous Huxley

This portfolio is mostly about your voice and what is most important to you. It is about choosing the seminal moments in your life or issues you care about and conveying it in a way so we get both the sensorial details of the moment and the reflection of your older, wiser self to help us make sense of it. Ultimately, your creative portfolio should showcase the good writing you have worked hard on all year. Please look at the rubric on next page for guidelines for grading.

Guidelines for the Last Word, option A:

  • One original poem which reflects precise language and focuses on something/someone you feel strongly
  • One creative piece revised from a free write during the course of the year or a new piece written this semester.
  • One piece from first semester that you feel reflects your authentic voice. You may revise this piece so it meets the necessary standards.
  • In these pieces, think concretely and specific. Avoid the cliché with details that are unique to write about a universal experience.

Guidelines for the Last Word, option B:

  • One original poem which reflects precise language and focuses on something/someone you feel strongly
  • Instead of additional creative pieces, memorize this poem and “slam” it either on Wednesday, May 14th or Thursday, May 15th.

For both options, please complete this 1-2 page letter, which addresses the following questions:

How would you define your “real” writing voice? What characteristics does it have? In what ways has that voice developed this year?

How do these pieces reflect this voice?

How have you changed as a writer this year?

How do you see this voice working into your academic writing next year?

What do you hope to remember about writing as you move forward?

Please make sure the pieces and letters are proofread and reflect your best writing and thinking.

Due Dates:

If you are going on internship, this portfolio is due block day, May 14th or 15th.

If you are not going on internship, this portfolio is due Tuesday, May 27th.

Use of Sensory details
Small sensory details (see, hear, smell, taste, touch) are used effectively and each detail is chosen carefully. The details bring the reader a clearer understanding of both the narrator and the situation. Dialogue may be used effectively. / 20 points
Reflection/Performance
There are reflective moments throughout the text which make the “So what?” question clear. The reader understands why/how this event shaped the narrator and what impact it had on his/her life. / 15
Dear Reader letter
Letter is thoughtful and reflects on both the writing pieces and the writer’s strengths or areas of growth. Letter/notes meets one page requirement / 30
Voice
The reader feels a strong interaction with the reader; the tone adds interest to the message and is appropriate for the purpose of the piece; narrative is personal, engaging and the reader senses the person behind the words / 20
Grammar and Sentences
The writing has been proofread for clarity and effectiveness. Writing avoids fragmented, awkward, unclear, and run-on sentences. Writer addresses problems with choppiness, subject-verb agreement, pronoun use, and parallel construction. / 15

Total: _____

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