!

ana 8oslnskl
CC8 632
18 SepLember 2013
WrlLlng and Cenre
8eadlng Mary Sollday's !"#$%&'% )#*$#+, -$./.*0 1++.0*2#*/+ 13$4++ /5# 6.+3.78.*#+9 l
am deeply rooLed ln Lhlnklng abouL how Lo make avallable for sLudenLs rheLorlcal slLuaLlons for
Lhelr LexLs as well as connecLlons wlLh audlences. Whlle Lhls ls someLhlng l've LhoughL abouL
before, quesLlons of real" slLuaLlons and audlences have LhwarLed my ablllLy (my
responslblllLy) Lo creaLe Lhese lnLeracLlon spaces. As a composlLlonlsL (and one LhaL has Lhus far
been slLuaLed wlLhln Lhe requlred flrsL year wrlLlng course), l wanL Lo creaLe a space for lnqulry,
lnvenLlon, sLudenL dlrecLed dlscovery and composlLlon LhaL works Lo communlcaLe rheLorlcally,
buL ln a course LhaL ls a parL of Lhe general educaLlon requlremenL - noL of a sub[ecL maLLer or
dlsclpllnary allgnmenL of Lhe sLudenLs' pursulL - l quesLlon how Lo lmplemenL noLlons of genre
rooLed ln +/'*3# ln fleld or professlon as +./:'/#& 8./#$'3%. Sollday wrlLes
ln general educaLlon, professors encounLer whaL ls arguably a less well-deflned
rheLorlcal conLexL because Lhey asslgn genres for sLudenLs who, requlred Lo Lake Lhe
course usually do noL lnLend Lo ma[or ln Lhelr speclal flelds." (47)
l know LhaL l cannoL expose sLudenLs Lo Lhe varleLy of genres Lhey wlll encounLer, so whlch ones
do l enacL ln Lhe (llmlLed) scope of Lhe course? l wonder, across flrsL year wrlLlng courses, whaL
genres are prlvlleged as lmporLanL and lf Lhere ls any unlversallLy ln Lhelr emphasls. As ls, l'm
noL sure whaL genres l deem lmporLanL. l Lhlnk LhaL's due Lo a sLress on communlcaLlon and
rheLorlc - a focus on whaL composlLes LogeLher creaLe a LexL, how/where/why/Lo who or whaL
Lhe LexL funcLlons, and gaLherlng maLerlals LhaL wlll crafL such a LexL. 1he moLlvaLlon of Lhls ls
whaL Sollday descrlbes as whaL dlsLlngulshes experL wrlLers from novlce wrlLers ln LhaL Lhe acL
of readlng and gaLherlng (and scrapplng) maLerlals ls parL of crafLlng a LexL, LhaL lnvenLlon and
focus can occur ln Lhls manner. l see Lhls less as masLery (Lhe bulldlng of experLlse Lhrough
wrlLlng ln genres LhaL she seems Lo supporL), glven Llme, dlverslLy, scope, eLc. ln Lhe classroom,
and more of exploraLlon wlLh Lhe asplraLlon of exposure/uncoverlng. lrom readlngs ln genre
sLudles before, my undersLandlng of genres funcLloned concepLually as heurlsLlcs, someLhlng l
dldn'L flnd expllclL ln Sollday's careful work (perhaps Lhls ls glven due Lo lLs orlenLaLlon ln
WrlLlng Across Lhe Currlculum). 1he heurlsLlcs dlffered ln focus, ln a more general sense ln a
flrsL year wrlLlng class, sLudenLs are asked Lo engage wlLh dlfferenL genres Lo expose Lhem Lo
ways of wrlLlng LhaL go beyond essaylsL prose/form. 8uL ln a more focused sense, comlng from
my Lechnlcal and professlonal wrlLlng background, genres were used as heurlsLlcs for
approachlng professlonal wrlLlng slLuaLlons one mlghL encounLer - more local Lo a
fleld/dlsclpllne. 1he emphasls ln boLh examples ls noL masLery or experLlse, buL exposure and
pracLlce ln maklng rheLorlcal cholces. ln wrlLlng Lhls, a blog enLry l wroLe over a year ago, before
my flrsL day Leachlng ln Lhe flrsL year wrlLlng classroom on Lhe noLlon of experLlse (bolded
emphasls mlne):
Jeff Rice wrote a post called Rough Cuts: Creativity:
I enjoy writing about and speaking about the creativity process, though not from the
position of being a creative writer. Im not. Im also not an artist. And Im also not
interested in art or creative writing. Instead, I think of my academic writing as creative.
At home the other day, I compared my work on a new book project about social media
and craft beer as being like a musician getting back into the studio. I have a project in
mind. I have a concept. I want to create it. I need to get into the studio. I dont think this
is a romantic view of academic writing, but rather, a desire to create. That is, I dont
claim the process to be inspired from above, artistic, or generated by some muse or
locale. Instead, I enjoy the labor and work of creating. Sometimes it works out.
Sometimes it doesnt.
After some humbling talk about difficulty doing and publishing his own academic work
and interesting remarks on Roland Barthes that serve as yet another reminder that I need
to read Barthes, he goes on to talk about the new TA reception his wife, Jenny Rice, was
hosting as composition director:
The TAs will largely be responsible for exposing first year students to the creative
process of academic writing, and they do so as they, as well, work to understand such
struggles (dissertation writing, trying to publish, etc.). They are on dual tracks of
expertise searches: as students and as teachers. My only observation on this experience
comes as one who has directed composition programs, taught the TA practicum many
times, and, of course, been a TA many years ago. Its a pity we fret so much over
expertise. Expertise is ethos, but it also can shut down invention entirely. A typical
composition program devotes endless energy in trying to be expert. It cant, of
course. TAs and young student writers can only explore their creativity.
lL makes me Lake pause as Lo whaL l mean by genre and whaL l'm asklng my sLudenLs Lo do (and
consequenLly, noL do). WhaL does genre mean Lo me pedagoglcally? And who/whaL ls lL ln
servlce Lo?