QUICK SPECS: 750-1,000 words in AMA format
For this assignment, consider the historical/contemporary person you chose to analyze for the biographical research essay and create a series of journal entries from the perspective of that person or someone close to that person based upon historical context. You should offer sensible but creative details that are fictional but based in fact.
Do not use in-text citations here. Instead, use superscripts (AMA StyleLinks to an external site.) and a numbered reference page in the order of appearance.
EXAMPLE
Here’s an exampleLinks to an external site.! This was a lot of fun to make, by the way. I’ve written it from the perspective of one of Edgar Allan Poe’s neighbors when he was a child [it’s a fake neighbor; I made up the person’s name. You can do that, too!]. My example is about 400 words–you’re looking to write a bit more, but this gives you an example of both content and formatting. Note that I’ve made it clear what this person’s relationship to Poe is, and I haven’t included incorrect information (ex., remember that Michelle Obama’s childhood name wouldn’t have been Michelle Obama). In addition, I found historical facts from the time period and included them, as well as cited any facts for dates and content (like Eliza Poe’s death).
Use as many journal entries as you need to hit the word count–they can be long or short and be as detailed as you’d like. The goal is to provide an idea of what your person [ex., Edgar Allan Poe] or someone in your person’s life [friend, family, neighbor, student, stranger on the bus] would have been writing about at that time period and in that place. Major historical events? Wars? Inventions/innovations? The possibilities are endless. Have fun–this is a creative project.
EXAMPLE:
February 7, 1811
Dear Diary,
What a strange and interesting week for our neighborhood. It seems the troubles that have haunted the Poe family have reached a breaking point, as David has made the heart-wrenching decision to abandon his family1. The atmosphere around the Poe household was heavy with tension and despair. Eliza is now managing the house, with Henry and Edgar just the smallest of children2.
I cannot help but feel a deep sense of sympathy for Eliza and her children, especially young Edgar–only 2 years old. To be abandoned by his own father at such a tender age is a tragedy beyond comprehension. The uncertainty of their future weighs heavily on my heart.
As a neighbor, I can only offer my support and assistance to the Poe family during this difficult time. I pray that they may find the strength to overcome this adversity and emerge stronger on the other side. In the meantime, I will keep a watchful eye on young Edgar, for I fear that the abandonment of his father may leave a lasting scar on his young soul.
John Basinger
…
December 16, 1811
Dear Diary,
I feel that I write about nothing but my neighbors and have become a dreadful gossip, but nothing new has come of my own life in recent days. My wife has become interested in the Lyceum for the Education of Young Ladies in Boston, which I cannot pretend does not make me apprehensive of the future of education3. We shall see if the movement continues to spread, though I doubt that the young ladies will find much interest in it.
Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in young Henry and Edgar Poe’s lives, as our dear neighbor Eliza has been laid to rest. She was a lovely soul, and full of life. She will be well-remembered for her spirit both in her theater endeavors and to her family, despite the terrible disease that has taken her2. Their newborn sister Rosalie will not in any circumstance remember her parents, though she likely will be happy with the Mackenzies–a good match with a well-placed family. They will ensure that Edgar and Henry will continue to see her as much as possible, though Henry’s distance2 would surely prevent the same. The Allans, however, will provide support to keep the family together as much as they can.
The Allans will be a challenge for Edgar. He is a willful child, and they will have very stern expectations of him. I pray that the family finds peace in this difficult time.
John Basinger
Works Cited
American Masters | Edgar Allan Poe biography. PBS. 2006. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/edgar-allan-poe-about-edgar-allan-poe/681/
Elizabeth “Eliza” Poe. U.S. National Park Service. Updated 2023. https://www.nps.gov/people/poe-elizabethpoe.htm#
Ray AG. What Hath She Wrought? Woman’s Rights and the Nineteenth-Century Lyceum. Rhetoric and Public Affairs. 2006;9(2):183-213. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41940049
