Unity in Writing

It's almost that time again. Baseball season. Orioles fans all across the state are getting ready to celebrate the return of America's classic sport. Ofcourse the Baltimore Sun has many articles about people getting ready for Opening Day but I came across one that was more so focused on Camden Yards itself. The title was "Orioles: Camden Yards, the stadium that changed baseball and Baltimore, turns 20." In William Zinsser's book he states "All writing is ultimately a question of solving a problem."

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-camden-yards-0401-20120330,0,5511811,full.story

I tried to imagine some of the problems or decisions the writer of this article had to consider.

1) What to put in the article. There is tons of information on the history, memories, construction, and architects when thinking about Camden Yards. The author had to think about what to include and what to leave out.

2) Organization. Once the author chose what he wanted to include he had to figure out how to organize the article so that it would flow nicely and keep the reader's attention. I often struggle with this. Sometimes a constant flow of ideas does not come naturally.

3) Tone. The author had to decide what tone of voice to use when writing the article. The tone could have easily been very serious as he talks about the importance of Camden Yards to Baltimore, its economy, and the stability of the Orioles. However, he chose a more conversational tone that I think works very well. It is like he is talking to you about Oriole Park. He lets you know the facts and hear what others have to say.

I think the quotes within the article definitely add to its unity. They function as transitions from one thought to the next but they also give the reader a chance to hear about Oriole Park from people that know the most about it such as the baseball commissioner, former Orioles president, and the chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority. Even though the tone is conversational the quotes add validity to the things the author is saying.

Zinsser says " every piece of nonfiction should leave the reader with one provocative thought that he or she didn't have before." After reading this article I have learned how important Camden Yards is to Baltimore.

In addition to the unity within the article, the Baltimore Sun webpage has created unity surrounding the article. To the left there are slideshows containing pictures of Orioles fans and the stadium. There is also a google maps link that shows exactly where the stadium is located.