{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"702: On Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling (Ep 2: Much Ado About Nothing) with Dr. Greg Ungar","description":"Welcome back to our series, \u201cOn Becoming: The Art and Craft of Personal Storytelling.\u201d In this series, we take a close look at personal essays written by real students, talking about why we love them, what makes them work, and how they came to be. On Becoming speaks not just to the craft of writing, but to what I believe the personal statement is at its best: a record of becoming, the often messy, hopefully meaningful process of finding yourself\u2026 through the process of storytelling. In this episode, we slow things down and focus on a single essay, which the author calls \u201cMuch Ado About Nothing.\u201d Together, we take this essay apart, looking at the storytelling choices on the page, the deeper ideas underneath them, and how the essay captures a moment in the student\u2019s becoming.&amp;nbsp; Dr. Greg Ungar is a professor at the University of Denver. Greg grew up in California and spent six years working on the assembly line at General Motors before finding his way to college, where reading (and thinking) changed the direction of his life. Greg went on to study philosophy and theatre arts at UC Berkeley, and later earned advanced degrees across a wide range of disciplines, including sociology, criminal justice, acting, and theatre and drama. He\u2019s someone who has spent a lifetime thinking deeply about identity, work, class, performance, and what it means to make meaning out of lived experience.&amp;nbsp; We hope you enjoy.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; Play-by-Play:  3:23 \u2013 Why do Ethan and Greg love reading stories and poetry together?&amp;nbsp; 5:34 \u2013 Do college essays need a title?&amp;nbsp; 6:47 \u2013 Greg reads the essay, \u201cMuch Ado About Nothing\u201d&amp;nbsp; 12:03 \u2013 What does Ethan love about this essay?&amp;nbsp; 13:25 \u2013 What did Greg notice while reading?&amp;nbsp; 19:23 \u2013 How does the author use structure to keep the reader engaged?&amp;nbsp; 25:02 \u2013 How can humor be used in college essays?&amp;nbsp; 30:58 \u2013 How does the author show different roles and identities throughout?&amp;nbsp; 40:24 \u2013 Closing thoughts  &amp;nbsp; Resources:   \u201cMuch Ado About Nothing\u201d Essay College Essay Essentials&amp;nbsp; College Essay Guy\u2019s Personal Statement Resources College Essay Guy\u2019s College Application Hub  &amp;nbsp; ","author_name":"The College Essay Guy Podcast: A Practical Guide to College Admissions","author_url":"http:\/\/collegeessayguy.libsyn.com\/website","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/40126495\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/198674395"}