9781422287149

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The Purpose of Writing

Here are a few lines from a classic rap song called “The Message” by one of the original rap groups, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five:

Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge I’m trying not to lose my head

In another example, the West Coast rapper Blu raps about what hap- pens after death, and how people can reach heaven. Blu’s lyrics are very poetic.

Every man has his own heaven The difference is the way that he envisions it. FAMOUS WRITERS

There have been thousands and thousands of writers over the years, from ancient poets to modern novelists and musicians. Each one ap- proaches the art of writing in a slightly different way, with something different to say. For the past few years, J. K. Rowling has been one of the most famous fiction writers. She is, of course, well known for her seven-book Harry Potter series. J. K. Rowling went from someone who simply loved books and writing to being the author of the best-selling book series in history. She was born Joanne Rowling in 1965. She grew up in England, attended the University of Exeter, and then moved to Portugal to teach English. In 1990, while riding on a train, she came up with the idea for Harry Potter. At the time, she wasn’t planning on writing a book—the idea just came to her. She started writing that same day, and kept writ- ing after she moved to Portugal. She eventually moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to be near her sister. She was struggling to support herself and her daughter at that point, but she kept writing. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone took her five years to finish,