In addition to the annotations regarding student-writer Michelle Nguyen’s organization of her literacy narrative info, please review the following notes for more info on options for your own essay organization:

Michelle Nguyen

Past in Vietnam
Present time in Vietnam

Amy Tan

Begins with a recent experience (present time)
Remembers a past experience (memory triggered by the recent experience)
Returns to the recent experience (present time)

Rodriguez

Present experience
Past experience
Back to the present time

Alexie

Past experience/memory
Present time

Malcolm X

Past experience (learning to read)
Malcolm X in the present time: “Yesterday I spoke in London, and both ways on the plane across the Atlantic I was studying a document about how the United Nations proposes to insure the human rights of the oppressed minorities of the world” (248).

Sandra Cisneros

Recalls a past event from just a few years ago (“Once, several years ago. . .”)
Recalls childhood, college, grad school years
Recalls a more recent event (“Last year, after ten years of writing professionally”

Rose

Past
Present time