Heads up: Assignment 1 (Literacy Narrative) is due in two weeks, on Tuesday, October 12th, 11:59pm.
Here’s what you need to do this week (~1hour):
– Read from the JTC:
> “On Writing as Style and Entering a Conversation,” by Lisa Blankenship (pp. 16-18)
> Intro to Section 3: “Literacy as (re)Making Language,” by Seth Graves (pp. 47-50)
– Answer the following questions in the comments below (please write all your numbered answers in one single comment that you will publish after having responded to all the prompts):
1. This is how the text begins, and I’d like you to answer this rhetorical question here: How would you describe your style as a writer?
2. Mini creative writing exercise: describe the room around you. Don’t overthink, just write what comes to mind and try to be as precise as possible. Immerse your reader into your environment.
3. Now that you have been introduced to the literacy narrative as a genre, what do you think you will write yours about? What is a story you want to write with the “I” pronoun? (This is only to get you thinking about Assignment 1; you can change your mind later).
4. Please comment on someone else’s response, whether it is about their responses to the readings, or their prospective topic for the literacy narrative.
Remember: All comments are to be posted by 11:59 pm on Thursday nights, so that folks have time to read them and comment on them by every Friday meeting.
What we’ll do on Friday:
– We’ll discuss the readings and your responses.
– We’ll talk about Assignment 1, the literacy narrative, in relation to the Seth Graves reading.
– We’ll address a common step of starting to write an assignment: how/where do you start? How to combat writer’s block? We’ll see that focusing on language helps you put on your analytical lenses.
– I’ll answer any questions.
1. I feel like my style as a writer is a bit inappropriate, this means that I do not use suitable words and form of writing. My form or writing is more of a common one than a professional one, I think I need to improve that.
2. The room I am in is a bit small, in fact it is the living room of my house which has a small table with four chairs and two pieces of furniture, one large and one small, its walls with a satiated gray and white color and a table for my studies.
3. I think I will write the literacy narrative about my experience living in United States. Since I came here almost 5 years ago, I would write about my transition from one place to another.
Hi Jessica
I like your topic for your essay and I can relate to the writing style being a more common one rather than a professional one
Hi Jessica, the topic you proposed sounds like a great one for the literacy narrative! that would definitely work.
As for your style, I wonder how you would define suitable. I think “inappropriate” is a very harsh word to use on oneself. I can imagine perhaps that an “academic” or “professional” style seems far off, which would perhaps lead you to describe your style as inappropriate, but there are ways to express your own style while responding to the criteria of academic writing. The only criteria, as far as I am concerned, is language reasonably free of unintended typos and mistakes, and an assignment that responds to the instructions. Happy to discuss this more anytime!
1. I do not think I have a specific style as a writer yet, but I would describe myself as a writer who tries to incorporate personal experiences to the topics I am writing about because I believe my writing comes out better when I have an in-depth understanding of the topic.
2. In my room there is a large white closet, on the other side of the room there is a large mirror that is above a small shoe rack next to a shelf with small accessories. My bed faces the wall with the mirror and has a shelf right next to it with personal belongings such as my laptop and book.
3. I am still unsure about what story I would like to write but I believe it will be something that has to do with a serious issue in America because I would like to bring more attention to the topic.
I definitely relate to having a personal style of writing and being able to write well when my understanding of the topic is also good. I would also love to read about serious issues in American especially by a college student like me.
I can relate to the fact that you dont have a specific style because I dont either and I also like to include personal experiences in my writing
Hi Karla, it took honesty to acknowledge that you don’t feel you really have a writing style yet, and this is definitely something this class could help you with! The important bit is to listen to yourself and see how you can combine your style with the demands of academic writing, which can be flexible!
As for your intended topic, discussing a serious issue in America sounds very good — you would just have to make sure you can personally relate to that issue. The assignment should focus on yourself and your experience in relation to that issue. What language comes at play? How can you analyze that (e.g. when you think about that issue, how do you relate, and what words come to mind? why?). Hope it helps, let me know if you’d like to discuss more!
Hi Professor
Thank you for the feedback!
I would like to discuss more and also I want to share my idea for this essay
Thank you
1. As a writer, I would say my style has a lot of excess in it because I want to make it seem more flowy and natural. Along with my writing being natural, it has to be personal as well.
2. I’m in a large room with some students quietly whispering and most on their laptop or phone to pass time. The walls are brown and there’s a large painting and large windows.
3. It’s not set in stone what I want to write about but I think I will write about something personal to me or my experiences with mental health.
I also like to make my writing sound more natural and have a good flow to it, so that my audience can understand what I’m saying more clearly. I don’t usually like to add personal things about myself into my writing, but I’m open to the idea of doing this.
That sounds great, Dyhara. Let me know if you’d like to discuss your topic more.
As far as excess is concerned in writing style, I’m curious if you mean “fluff”, or what Lisa Blankenship quoted as “the lard factor”? If so, that can be cut in the editing process. For every paragraph, or even sentence, ask yourself: does this have a function in my essay? Are there any words that don’t contribute to my point? If so, cut them. In case of doubt, less is more. A shorter sentence (or a longer one split in two) is always better than a very long one. Gradually, you will be able to prevent this fluff from accumulating and write in a more flowy manner. Hope this helps!
1. To be honest, I do not think I have a style of writing. Most of the time, I writing whatever comes to my head. So I guess it’s kind of like a freestyle method where I jot down whatever I think and edit it afterwards.
2. The room around me is large, filled with neutral colors like brown, white, grey and black. Wood panels cover the room. You can hear pages being flipped and keyboards being clicked. There are college students everywhere trying to get their work done.
3. I may write about my assimilation into the American school system in the 6th grade or my transition to college. However, I may consider something else. I am still thinking about it.
I like how you admitted to not having a style in writing which a lot can agree on and I like your ideas for assignment 1.
I also agree that it’s true for some people to not have a true writing style. We are like kindred spirits.
Thanks, Alvin, this topic sounds like it would work!
You gave a very sensory description of the room you were in, specially with the keyboards clicking. I felt like I was experiencing the room as well. Good job “listening” and rendering your experience in words!
As for your style, freestyle can be very liberating, as you limit the critic inside you and just jot down what comes to mind. Then you can always change things during your editing process, but by jotting down your initial ideas, you’ve allowed yourself to progress to the next level of writing. The catch is to remember to edit and not hand in a text that has stagnated at draft stage.
1. As a writer, I would describe my writing style as being very descriptive because I do try my best to add as much information as I can into my writing, without over-analyzing a topic. I want my audience to understand and comprehend the message I’m trying to convey in my writing.
2. The room I’m in would be described as more of an open space that has a large sign that reads “Baruch College” and there are students walking around, making their way up and down the escalators. There are also students around me that are studying and completing work. The walls have a cream color to it and the floors are a combination of the colors black, gray, and silver. Charcoal lounge chairs are also present in this open space.
3. I’m not too sure what I want to write about, but I’ll most likely include personal aspects of myself (not too personal) and my journey on trying to figure out who I am without the presence of others and school being the main focus of my life.
I would say that my writing style is similar to yours because we both write descriptively. I completely agree with what you said about writing in a way that people can clearly understand. I try to do the same thing when I write.
1. I would describe my writing style as detailed and expressive. Since my writing is still a work in progress, my style is constantly changing and evolving.
2. The room I’m in is small, quaint, and mostly empty. The walls are painted white and have been stained over time. There are a few worn-down wooden chairs and tables along with large windows that show scenic views of the park across the street.
3. For my narrative paper, I will most likely write about one of my travel experiences.
I feel like the way I write is very similar, I also change things a lot throughout my writing process.
I feel like I am in the in the aspect that my writing style is constantly changing.
1.The way I would describe my style as a writer would be descriptive and creative. Obviously, it might change throughout my years but I think that my style also tends to change because I don’t feel that I am locked into one style.
2. The room around me is large, with a lot of things going on. Students and teachers walking to their next class, leaving the building to get something to eat or greeting their friends. Tables and chairs so people could do their work or eat. Also, an elevator to get students and teachers to their destined location.
3. I’m not so sure what will be my topic but I may try to write on my experience of my senior year in highschool which was ruined due to COVID
Covid seems like a really good topic to write about. I feel like many peoples lives were changed during the time when the pandemic was at its peak.
Writing about Covid and how it impacted your experience in high school would be very relevant, Rafael, definitely! Make sure you focus on the language at play in that experience. How did the way you define highschool evolve with the pandemic? How did your relationship with high school change? How were your expectations subverted?
From your answer to question one, you seem to have great awareness of your style and how it can change, especially how it can be malleable. That’s great! Having a consciously descriptive and creative style will always help you because it means that you have a good ability to pay attention to what’s around you and render it on paper, and it also means that you are open to thinking (or writing) outside the box.
1.When I write it always depends on what I’m writing about and whom I’m writing to. The formats that I learned in high school have started to become the way I write essays. Most of the writing structure was introduction, body, and conclusion. Different types of writing always lead to different styles of writing. For me, my writing is more descriptive. I prefer to know a lot about a topic and have confidence in writing it.
2. I’m in an office environment. There are box-like sections. In each section, there is a computer and office chairs. Each section has its own cabinet filled with files and documents. There are printers and boxes on the floor. The room is nicely cooled with air conditioning; moreover, it could get quite chilly. The room is bright and quiet so working and studying in this environment is comfortable. If you really focus you can hear typing and click from the workers inside.
3. I’m not sure exactly what I want to write about. Recently I haven’t experienced anything noteworthy or interesting. Currently, I think I could write about how the pandemic has affected me.
I think that writing about the pandemic would be a good choice since its a personal experience that you have alot of content to work with. But if that doesn’t work out for you then perhaps you should write a original story written in a characters point of view so that you can use the “I” in the writing.
I liked the way you described your writing style because I think of mine the same way as being descriptive and using high school essay formats.
Thanks, Darian. Writing about how the pandemic has affected you would be a great topic!
I can tell how descriptive your style is, which is great. Academic writing will require you to be descriptive as the first stage of writing (observing, listening, as you did in your description of the room around you). Then, as a second stage, it requires you to shift to analysis: what critical lenses can you cast on what you just described? We’ll talk about that more as we progress into the course.
1. How I would describe myself as a writer. I would say that I am a writer that tries to fit the expectations given to me but also adding my own charm in the writing via my feelings and conveying them in the way I write. I’m a very personal writer, I guess. I try to get emotions and feelings into words that shouldn’t be able to convey them.
2. A long corridor, at one end there is a window spanning from wall to wall. On this end we can see a glorious view of the city and its vast infrastructure, truly a sight to behold. To enjoy this view are some chairs and a bench, as well as a few outlets to charge things. As we go down the corridor to the other side we would be passing by a line of garbage bins pinned against one wall, and on the other wall, entrances to the bathrooms with vending machines separating them. There are also doors that lead to other corridors but they remain closed for the time being. At the other end of our corridor is a door with a water fountain at its side. This is our corridor.
3. I want to write a fantasy story, using the I pronoun not for myself or my point of view but for my characters point of view and themself in the story. A story with an adventure filled with all types of emotions, situations, feelings, and branching stories to build a world with words.
Like that you opened up about how you try to fit the expectations of being a writer. And your idea sounds really nice.
That sounds so exciting, Erick! I look forward to reading it!
Your description of the room around you had a great descriptive quality to it, especially through the adjectives you used. It was almost poetic, and it had a slow rhythm to it (which you achieved through commas and a wealth of details about the contents of the room) — that forces your reader to pay attention to the room as closely as possible, even if they experience it second-hand experience. Very well done!
1. I don’t think I have a specific style for writing. However I feel like my writing is always work in progress and I am always willing to change things. For example on my college admissions essay I changed topics twice, and multiple times throughout the process I took out entire paragraphs to change things around.
2. The room I am in is relatively large and has white and gray walls. There are 2 large windows on one side of the room, with 2 doors on the opposite side. One on the right for entering and one on the left leading into a closet.
3. Honestly, I am not entirely sure what I want to write about. I feel like I have a lot of ideas which I think could fit the template but I haven’t really narrowed it down at all.
Feel free to email me to brainstorm ideas, Lucas. Hopefully, after today’s class, you’ll have some ideas in mind, but I’m happy to help you explore possibilities!
I like how abrupt and concise your description of the room around you was. It made me think of Modernist writers. It was also very visual. Well done!
1. I don’t have a style of writing, it just depends on what my mind comes up with with. Like if you tell me to write a monologue I’ll just write the first thing I could remember in order to write that monologue. I just do what is required, I don’t really write as a habit to even create enough experience to say I have a certain style of writing.
2.The room around is lively, pretty comfy for one person, and it has the beautiful color of green like nature. As for the rest is seems like a organized mess. A massive bookshelf but a lack of knowledge, a cabinet full of gold statues and shiny coins hanging there. Two massive windows that let life itself fill the room with it’s aroma. A nice big mirror that flash images of anything I desire. It’s wonderful.
3. I think I’ll write a narrative about the most magical place in the world and how I learned how to swim there. ( By the way it’s Disneyworld). It will consist of the journey or step I took to learn how to swim.
I can’t wait to read your story about Disneyland (if you still want to choose that topic) because, believe it or not, I have never been et, and I am dying to!
Your description of the room was as wonderful as the room itself. Do you notice how much contrast you were able to convey? “A massive bookshelf, but a lack of knowledge”; “an organized mess” (that’s a great oxymoron)”. Through these contrasts, you express ambivalence, nuance… human nature. Well done!
1. I feel that my writing style is very personal, I tend to speak about myself and use I quite often. Sometimes I am a little informal I tend to not always use correct grammar.
2. The walls around me are wooden, light brown with shading colors. There are multiple tables and cabinets; red, short, white, tall, black, each containing something. The lights are shining brightly as they are turned on with a yellowish tint, warm and not too yellow. There are boxes and clothes scattered around the room, either on the floor or on a table.
3. I am not entirely sure what I would write about, but I was thinking why not write about how I live in 2 separate countries during the year, Poland and USA.
I also see myself as a writer with a personal writing style. Usually in my first draft, I would veer off topic mentioning my personal experiences. I also have problems with confusing formal speech and informal speech.
That sounds like a great topic, Sebastian! Translingualism, or even just cross-country experience, is a great way to write a literacy narrative.
Nice description of your room, with great attention to colour, and different hues of it. Very visual as well!
As for your style: there is nothing wrong with being informal, as long as it is adapted to the way you want to convey your message. of course, in academic writing, it’s hard to convey complex ideas with informal language, which is why you want to choose the best way (tone, choice of vocabulary, grammar) to convey your message or argument in the most effective way. Grammar can be easily fixed by coming back to basics (shorter, simpler sentences) and using the review tool in Microsoft Word (a must!).
1. I describe my writing style to showcase a flow of my own interpretations on a text or a concept that is cohesive. I try to structure my sentences to make them descriptive and clear for the audience to understand. I find this style to be more unique to me because I can see my thoughts written nicely on paper.
2. I am currently in a large room with white walls. There is a black L-shaped couch with a bunch of throw pillows in-front of a television, a coffee table decorated with objects that are neatly placed, a showcase to display fancy glasses and vases, and couple of small plants. The room is organized and great to be in while focusing on completing homework assignments.
3. I am not too sure on what I want to write my narrative about as of now but I am thinking about writing about a moment where I noticed how much I have grown in a particular area. For example, I was not good in writing essays during my Freshman year of high school but I have gradually grown throughout the 4 years to have very well structured essays and score great on them. I might change this idea later.
Thanks Amisha, this sounds like an ideal way to write a literacy narrative, because it is all about self-reflectiveness and growth. If you change it and need help, please let me know!
I can see the room you are in through your description, which means you wrote in a very visual and descriptive way. It sounds like a very cosy room indeed!
1. I dont believe that I have any specific style of writing yet. I usually write about personal experiences, feelings, things that I’ve gone through. However it evolves every time I write a new piece.
2. I am currently in a room with emerald green walls. There is a queen-sized bed with white sheets and a gray comforter, with a few green and gray pillows on it. Beside the bed is a black nightstand that holds chargers on the corner. There is also a gray desk with a keyboard, a monitor, and laptop. The room is a bit messy with clothes on a chair in the corner and books everywhere.
3. I dont know what I currently want to write about but I might want to write about coming out as bi and how that made me grow as a person and how it gave me a different perspective on everything in life
Yes, that’s a very good topic, Kai! Perspective is a great word to focus on, and it’s the whole point of the assignment. What words best described you then? And now? Has your relationship with language changed in any way? Let me know if you need help developing this topic or any other one.
Yoru description of the room was very colourful! One thing struck em about the third sentence: you chose to place “beside the bed” before what is beside the bed. That changes the perception of your room or your reader, as they start by focusing on space rather than content/items. This reflects a choice you made as writer (whether consciously or not). Maybe that defines your style in some way? Something to think about.
1. As a writer, I would say my style has an abundance of detail in it because I tend to elaborate on side ideas that don’t really contribute to the prompt.
2.Im in this large room with an overwhelming smell of old books.It was many conference tables in it for students to sit together and collaborate or just interact.The walls are colored brown and the floor is carpet.
3.Im not completely sure yet but I’m going to write about my experience with mental health.
(Sorry I misread Module 4 and thought this was due on the 12th)
1. I think my writing style is sometimes repetitive, and I tend to put a lot of information. I try to always do my introduction first because I believe it helps me understand the gist of my essay so that I’m not confused down the line.
2. I am currently in my bedroom and front of me is my laptop with you giving us a lesson. My walls are grey with black tapestries on them. My bed is spread and I have a planned outfit laying on it.
3. I currently don’t know what I want to write about and I will email it to you later.
Oh wow, I didn’t expect to be part of your room description, Jada!
A repetitive style (I’m guilty of it too) translates a desire to “hammer the point home”, which is not entirely a bad thing. However, it can also mean that you’ve run out of things to say, and that comes down to the research or brainstorming process. In creative writing though, it can be a powerful figure of style. Gertrude Stein, a modernist writer who was a friend of Hemingway’s, is a great example of repetitive writing as a conscious choice. It’s all about the effect it has on the reader. It’s a statement. Check it out!