Reflection

Looking back on writing this biography on Judy Garland, I am proud to say that I finished it. This research project was an enriching experience; it helped me prepare for college in a different way than what is normally taught in high school. I have learned APA-style references and in-text citations, but more importantly, a more efficient method of researching. It took over three months to complete this biography; I know I did not give a complete tale of Judy Garland but that was not my goal. My goal was to write about how fame affected Garland’s life and the obvious and hidden trials in her life. The research was extremely tiresome because I had to find the credibility of all of my sources in order to provide my readers with the most accurate and trustworthy information. I saw who sponsored these cites and figured out the several different factors that could bias or alter a website’s information. Then after completing my researching process, I wrote up my ten-page extended biography on Judy Garland. I held myself to a strict standard when revealing information to the reader. I didn’t want to overwhelm them; therefore I only introduced the events in her life that I thought necessary for the readers’ knowledge. The editing was the worst, because I do not have the best grammar so I always had a friend and teacher at my disposal (thank you Kyle, YOU ARE THE BEST!). I even created a presentation of Judy Garland’s life at my schools Museum Night. That part was the easiest, because after three months of study on her life I was able to answer the many questions that were thrown at me. Some even reflected on how they watched her movie every year since television came out. But my most favorite part of the night was my catch phrase; I made a hook to grab the audience into wanting to hear what I had to say. It was “You know the rumor of how Elvis Presley died on the lavatory of an overdose, well Judy Garland actually did die on the toilet.” Of course I did not mean that is a terrible way to die but I found it funny and so did my audience. Now that I am done I feel that research assignments will be easy from here on out.