Introduction

My name's Samantha Bertocchi and I'm a 22 year-old senior at the University of Pittsburgh studying nonfiction writing.  After  finish school I'd like to go on to be a sports writer.  Through this course I hope to develop skills that will make me valuable to potential employers.

As far as nonfiction writing goes, I fell in love with it in junior high when I read My Life and Hard Times by James Thurber.  I thought it was hilarious.  He created the best stories out of seemingly normal things.  That excitement in the ordinary is what got  me first interested in nonfiction as a genre.

I also love Bill Bryson similarly for his ability to make anything more interesting than it originally appeared.  Most nonfiction I read and write is narrative based and I'm also looking forward to being exposed to a variety of types of writing this semester.