John Wideman's "Our Time" is an intriguing essay of his brother Robby and the hardships of living in the neighborhood of Homewood. ... Wideman throughout his writing analyzes his life, his personality, and himself as a writer. ... He believes they have to come together more as brothers especially since Robby would never step foot out of jail ever again. ... Wideman uses his writing to confess about him pocketing money when he shouldn't have. He realizes that writing is also his way of escape and to come clean with himself. ...

• Word Count: 1012
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

There I was, sipping a cup of tea with mint and lots of sugar and admiring the rain through my small window. The winter session was just around the corner and my thoughts took me to a place filled with nostalgic memories of my family, which led to tears flowing down my face. The rain and my tears st...

• Word Count: 1360
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Through Hughes" works that included: poetry, short stories, novels, and political essays, Hughes brought his words to life and educated many people. ... Hughes" astonishing writing talents couldn't be extinguished by the forces of anyone. ... Attending an all white school was an important step in Hughes" psychological development. ...

• Word Count: 1483
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

And of course, when applying to a scholarship for being Latina, the essay topic would be to write about the challenges in my life and how I overcame them, because you know, I am Latina and therefore my life has to be complicated. ... The moment I stepped out of the airplane (thanks to my cousin Kristal and my uncle who let me borrow her papers to come to this country) was in Chicago's O'Hare. ... I was often bullied because I did not know how to communicate with someone either by speaking to them or writing. ... My writing continues to improve, however I am most proud of being able t...

• Word Count: 1963
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School