What do we want to do with these blogs, anyway?

In class we talked about blogging and commenting. I observed that the blogs have not really taken off yet in terms of you using them for your own purposes to develop writing & to connect to each other, and help each other out with the assignments.

So we talked about why that might be and whether or not you wanted to continue with the blogs. I think the general consensus was that there was some confusion about what was expected, as well as some reticence about being critical of one another's work. At the same time, my impression was that the class agreed that they wanted to continue doing the blogs & that commenting would be useful - now that you know you aren't required to "grade" or find fault with one another's entries. I hope I made clear that I am not expecting polished writing - or answers, in the entries - that blogs are places for reflection and exploration -- and collaboration with classmates.

So we decided to continue with this experiment, and I said I would take this discussion into consideration as I grade.

After class I was thinking that maybe it was the fact that the blogs ARE graded that is part of what is a disincentive to use them. So maybe we should talk about that? Maybe I need to find a way to give you credit for honest work and participation that won't have a chilling effect on using your work to explore, create and maybe even have fun while you are doing it.

I don't know. So what do you think?

Drafting your Personal Essay

Keep our discussion of the definition of personal essay in mind as you develop your draft. At the same time, if you are having difficulty identifying what you have to say, don't get stuck. Use your uncertainty as permission to develop detailed scenes, descriptions of places, personal portraits of the friends and family you are trying to understand - anything that might seem related. Your final essay needs a clear, compelling, artfully presented focus - but this is your draft - the place where you are discovering what you have to say.

Since the assignment is to write a segmented essay, (ah yes, and it would be a good idea to look back at the assignment sheet at some point) I strongly suggest that you write in blocks. If you aren't sure how the pieces will fit together - let that go for now. Give yourself permission to write that one scene that feels important but you have no idea what it connects to. Who knows - that may be the part that your classmates can explain to you.

And if you can - take some pleasure in this. It is like going on a trip - to the past, through your mind, into a place you have never been before (because you never fully understood or imagined it). Your topics all sounded like they would offer you surprises and opportunities if you dug in. Have fun and I am so looking forward to reading your work.

Considering Audience

Your assignments for this course require you to think about audience as you develop your essays. Because Michael Steinberg, one of the editors of your textbook is also an editor of Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction, you can begin to get an idea of reader expectations for that publication. What do the personal essays Steinberg and Root selected for your text have in common? How would you characterize the writing? The choice of material? The tone?

Some of you might want to consider submitting your work to Fourth Genre. Check out the submission guidelines (November 30 would be the submission deadline).

Other publication venues from your textbook which you should consider inlcude:


The Writer's Chronicle
Kean is a member organization of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. For samples of Nonfiction published in The Writer's Chronicle, scroll down to the sample articles, or pick up a recent copy of the journal in the English Department office.

Creative Nonfiction
Creative Nonfiction publishes creative nonfiction, as well as essays on writing about creative nonfiction. The current issue provides writers who are beginning to work in the genre with the ABC's of the craft.


Wired Magazine
Although Wired is predominantly journalism, it published "Stripped for Parts" by Jennifer Kahn, one of the essays you will read as an example of literary journalism, a form of creative nonfiction.

The North American Review
You can check out the North American Review in Kean's Library.

Welcome

I haven't worked with this site since June, and I am still struggling with some of the details. For example, it seems that when I edited the links (using Mozilla as a browser) the revisions did not show up immediately. This does not seem to be a problem in Internet Explorer. I hope all is going smoothely for you. If you have questions or problems as you are trying to get used to the technology, be in touch.

I will read your first entries and comments over the weekend. Posting your work on a blog will probably change what and how you write, and exploring and reflecting on new ways to write is one of the central goals of this course.

Volcanoes and narrative

Puffins and rhetorical analysis