Is it an Act or an Art?
Sometimes I wonder what good I am doing by writing essays based entirely on what the teacher has taught us. From a literary aspect there doesn’t really seem to be a point. I can see how having to write these short essays will require us to learn, or at the very least understand, what we have been taught. I can do that in a discussion though. Why torture me with worthless, garbage bound essays? Especially when I have to pretend like I am writing something revolutionary.
In all reality I think that students have never really been required to write in a scholarly manner. In high school it was better to write from your own voice. I guess it promotes creativity, or at the very least helps students find their own voice. I am not entirely against this idea, but students cannot be expected to write in a scholarly manner without ever being taught the technique. The essays that we read by Ong and Bartholomae should be taught in a simplified version to 1010 students to help them understand that their high school essays just won’t cut it here in the university. Imagine if every student was taught how to imagine their audience and then were encouraged to write above themselves. It might even be effective to give them examples of writers who have succeeded in writing this way. Students would then have something to work from. When we expect students to reinvent this form of writing we can expect remedial work.
I agree with the baby analogy. It made me think of jazz musicians. It is encouraged in jazz to play your instruments on the very edge of your capability. Granted you will make mistakes, but you will also grow and constantly push your capability. These musicians didn’t start out playing brilliantly; they worked for years to perfect the art. Many of them started by playing other people’s work, then they found their own voice, and then they continued to push themselves until they had created a unique and powerful sound. It is the same with writing. Ever since elementary school we have been learning the art of writing. First, by copying sentences off of the black board, then by writing in our own voice, and now in the university we must be pushed into the realm of scholarly essays. Sure we will make mistakes but we will succeed if we keep at it.
While writing this whole bit about pushing yourself I realized that I have been writing for my teachers and not for me. I sit in my comfort zone and never push myself. No wonder my writing sucks! Maybe this is what Bartholomae means when he says that “writing is an act of aggression disguised as an act of charity.” We should push ourselves, writing in disdain of the views of everyone else including our audience, but present it in an accepted way.
P.S.- Hey Layne we’re still cool. You’re hilarious
In all reality I think that students have never really been required to write in a scholarly manner. In high school it was better to write from your own voice. I guess it promotes creativity, or at the very least helps students find their own voice. I am not entirely against this idea, but students cannot be expected to write in a scholarly manner without ever being taught the technique. The essays that we read by Ong and Bartholomae should be taught in a simplified version to 1010 students to help them understand that their high school essays just won’t cut it here in the university. Imagine if every student was taught how to imagine their audience and then were encouraged to write above themselves. It might even be effective to give them examples of writers who have succeeded in writing this way. Students would then have something to work from. When we expect students to reinvent this form of writing we can expect remedial work.
I agree with the baby analogy. It made me think of jazz musicians. It is encouraged in jazz to play your instruments on the very edge of your capability. Granted you will make mistakes, but you will also grow and constantly push your capability. These musicians didn’t start out playing brilliantly; they worked for years to perfect the art. Many of them started by playing other people’s work, then they found their own voice, and then they continued to push themselves until they had created a unique and powerful sound. It is the same with writing. Ever since elementary school we have been learning the art of writing. First, by copying sentences off of the black board, then by writing in our own voice, and now in the university we must be pushed into the realm of scholarly essays. Sure we will make mistakes but we will succeed if we keep at it.
While writing this whole bit about pushing yourself I realized that I have been writing for my teachers and not for me. I sit in my comfort zone and never push myself. No wonder my writing sucks! Maybe this is what Bartholomae means when he says that “writing is an act of aggression disguised as an act of charity.” We should push ourselves, writing in disdain of the views of everyone else including our audience, but present it in an accepted way.
P.S.- Hey Layne we’re still cool. You’re hilarious
posted by Anonymous at 10:04 AM
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