Prologue.

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This semester my English class is composing a portfolio of our favorite blogs and in-class writings, which shows our strengths and views on the people, places, and things we encounter and read.  There are a total of four blogs and four in-class writings each displaying my opinions, views, and beliefs on certain subjects.  The main purpose of the in-class writings are to help get our minds thinking about things that we have read.  They are meant to help us formulate ideas and write them out in complete thoughts.  The blogs are meant for us to start brainstorming ideas and formulate them into complete thoughts for our ongoing project, the Ethnography paper.  Through the blogs we are able to give each other feedback and advice, which is very helpful when trying to write a well constructed paper.
Which brings me to the Ethnography paper or the research paper.  By definition an Ethnography paper is a paper about studying a different branch of culture.  I have chosen to study and observe a local tattoo place:  Danny's Ancient Art Tattoos.  The reasons for observing this place are written out in my first paper, I-Researcher.  The observations I have made and the layout of the place are written in my second paper, Lay of the Land. Background research about how tattoos came to be, the health effects, and the people that "ink up" are in the third paper, which also contains an interview segment from the people of the shop.  All the papers that were written this semester are based upon our location we have chosen for ourselves.  
Through my papers from this semester, you will be able to see how much I have grown as a writer.  From adding more detail to my writing to making my voice stand out more, my papers have become stronger, because I have incorporated me, and my own personal style, including much personality.  My ability to catch the writers attention from interesting titles to keeping the reader entertained by my sense of humor are all qualities of becoming a stronger writer.  Not only will you get to know me through my writings, but you will get to know about one of the most artistic places and people in Blacksburg, Virginia.