In both of the selected pieces, we are introduced to two seemingly normal, average New Yorkers.  Just under the surface lays stories worth telling.  In the case of Bernie Goetz, we find an eccentric animal lover who has a history of breaking the law and seems somewhat hell-bent on continuing to do so.  What makes his story worth telling and reading is Bernie’s “personalization” of the squirrel issue. He has taken a pregnant squirrel into his home and hand feeds the four babies once they are born.  His disregard for the laws and rules of doing such a thing doesn’t bother him in the least. Bernie has gone way beyond the old guy tossing peanuts to squirrels in the park; he has made these squirrels an intricate part of his life.

Similarly, Sean Casey has made animals his life.  His story is worth being told because he is more than just an employee or volunteer at an animal rescue, he IS the rescue. Sean is  not only involved with every aspect of the shelter, he is the most important cog in the wheel of the shelter.  Sean was seemingly groomed for this line of work from an early age.  Without giving away too much personal history the author is able to paint a clear picture of what Sean is like in person with passages like, “he’s more comfortable around animals than people.”  This is much more than a story about an animal lover, this is a profile of an animal lover that has set out to do something about an issue that he personally sees as and feels to be an important one.  Sean saw there was a need and jumped in head first into the issue and is trying his hardest to make a positive difference in the lives of these forgotten animals.

From these two articles I can identify what makes “the art of profiling” in a different genre from other works of literature. In order to profile a subject you must stick to one thing the subject does and do not talk about much else that they do. In the article Bernie Goetz, Squirrel Vigilante the author discusses who he saves squares and not much else. Socha does not bring up his any other skills he might have or if he has another career. She only talks about his work with squirrels.

When profiling a subject it is best to start off with a back story. This might give the reader more of an idea into who this character is and what they do that makes them so special. In  Bernie Goetz, Squirrel Vigilante the author talks about who he was in the past ( a notorious murder) to who he is today ( a squirrel rescuer). Starting off with a store also seems to engage the reader more than just starting off with what they do.

These kinds of articles could be sectioned off into different parts. In the Sean Casey, Pet Rescuer has different sections for the work he does,  how he started rescuing pets and where his company is today.

These kinds of writing are also very descriptive. There is alto more showing then telling.  Knight writes,  “Casey is an unassuming figure. He walks with a slight slouch and dresses in shades of gray, black and navy blue, trading a t-shirt for a hoodie in cooler months. In conversation, he tends to avoid eye contact. His short brown hair lies flat against his scalp. He holds his face in a perpetual neutral expression. Casey’s impenetrability can read as social awkwardness, or aloofness. He seems, almost, too quiet.”  Instead of saying that Casey is a quite simple guy from Brooklyn, NY this causes the reader to paint a picture in our minds of what Casey might look like if he was standing right in front of us

Hope to get good revision advice. Enjoy.

I did my best! Still a work in progress! This is Kelsea.