Response to Susana's reportage week 5, Week7

I completely agree with Jenna; this is great subject matter to handle! It could really open itself up to the type of reflection we've been talking about in class: Your speaker says that it wasn't a good idea to go to the farmer's market on a Saturday, but then the descriptions make me wonder why? Was it really not a good idea, because of the crowding, or was the crowding exactly what made it so interesting? What about this specific crowd of people caught this particular speaker's attention? What is it that has made the organic or whole foods market such a lucrative one? I understand the appeal to health, etc. but why has this become such a boom? Is it merely the health aspect, or is there, perhaps, a type of affluence or prestige attached to it because these people can afford to spend more on their food, on something that is ultimately consumed and must be bought again? Could this possibly become a commentary on consumerism, on affluence, on some other aspect of American culture? And while the speaker states that the most interesting part was the people, there is very little in the way of actual description of these individuals. The line "as assorted as the produce section" really seemed to suggest a connection between the people and the food they buy. How might you play up/with the common cliche, you are what you eat? How are people like the varied foods they eat? What do their choices say about them?

In short, I agree with Jenna that there needs to be more description and detail here, but the "so what?" of it needs to come out as well. Could there be a way for you to bring out some answers/reflections on some of the questions above, or perhaps different ones that occur to you, in your descriptions? There is a reason that the speaker views each of these individuals or even the crowd as a whole in the way she does...that unique perspective is really what I want to see. Show me the reportage and the detail, yes, but reflect on why those particular details, that specific event, speaks to the speaker and dissect the implications of that.