Lunsford-Feminism and Textual Ownership

This essay really caught my interest. It had never occurred to me that textual ownership or author's rights could be such an issue in the writing world today. I also did not look at copyrighting as something in terms of branding or creating an original piece of work. I had always associated the term copyright with writing. I believe that an author should be able to receive credit for their work without going through the corporate ladder. I agree with websites and blogs that allow writers to express themselves and enable others to view their work. While some writing is better than others, it is at the readers discretion to enjoy it or not. Publishing and claiming legal copyrights have become such a prolonged process that many writers are starting to question whether textual ownership is losing its power. Lunsford brings up several points as to why this is such a problem today. One point I agree with is that the shift in values of society has been the underlying reason. Everything today is corporate and if not they will soon be bought out by a corporation. It is hard to have anything original or organic and writing will soon be all corporate. Hopefully the internet can survive this change and help author's get their work out if they want to.

Heath- Dilemmas of Identity

The essay Work, Class, and Categories: Dilemmas of Identity written by Shirley Brice Heath explores the role different identities play in writing. Heath addresses the dilemmas of identity by forming a narrative that deals with different problems. The scene takes place in an urban area on the third floor of an abandoned school. Here, a group of kids from all different backgrounds are free to express different forms of art such as writing, dance, and even music. Throughout the essay, Heath looks at how each is affected differently based on their class, work ethic, or social background. Each kid was somehow shaped by the community around them.

I personally did not agree with this essay. While I do think that where a person comes from or what ethnicity, religion, or even social class you belong to does have a impact on writing, I feel the writer's beliefs are really what shows. A writer evolves their own identity throughout their life and who is to really say if we have just one identity. I have read many different pieces of literature from the same author in which each new piece they write they reinvent themselves. I don't think that any one person has just one identity but a combination of identities.

Royster-Voice

In her essay, When the First Voice You Hear is Not Your Own, Jacqueline Jones Royster examines the different voices any one person can have in rhetoric. Royster discusses a situation in which she was viewed as an African-American woman in her writing. Readers agreed that when she wrote like this she was using her "authentic voice." Royster was frustrated by this accusation because she felt that she had many voices and not just one authentic voice. I have had similar situations occur to me throughout my life. I have felt that my voice has been lost in the world at some point. One instance took place when I was a sophomore in high school. I began working at a Mexican restaurant as a hostess. I was the only "white girl" working at the hostess stand amongst Spanish girls. The Spanish girls would always speak in spanish which made me feel left out. I felt the need to adapt to my environment and learn Spanish in order to fit in with these girls. Although my voice had not been heard in my surrounding environment, I overcame the situation and adapted to my environment. Royster makes an excellent point that a person can have several different voices.

Berlin- Rhetoric and Ideology

In this essay, James Berlin discusses how ideology impacts rhetoric. Berlin divides the essay into three sections which represent the different forms of rhetoric. These forms include Cognitive rhetoric, Expressionistic rhetoric, and Social-Epistemic rhetoric. Each form of rhetoric is affected differently by ideology. The first form known as cognitive rhetoric. Cognitive rhetoric is a thinking process that has the end goal in mind always. It is a form of problem solving in which the writer is mainly concerned with recognizing the problem and finding a solution. Expressionistic rhetoric takes a different approach. This form of rhetoric is based on the author's experience. It is a sensory experience about what is real or what exists to the author. The rhetoric is the author's own personal genius. The power of this rhetoric is located in the author, text, and writing process. Social- Epistemic rhetoric is in a category on its own. This form of rhetoric exists through the individual's cognitive. Social-Epistemic focuses on the social community and how individuals are affected by the material world around them. The end goal/solution is only possible through a specific social group. Berlin explores these different forms of rhetoric to see how a writer/reader is affected by ideology.

Winds of Change-Hairston

When it comes to the writing process many teachers and students rely on the paradigm of current-traditionalism. Teachers tell students to organize their essays into the five paragraph theme and students use that process as a general safety net. In the education system, writing has always been taught as a strict process leaving little grey areas when it comes to form. Many teachers only focus on what is wrong with the paper rather than why it is wrong. In The Winds of Change, Maxine Hairston discusses how the writing process is turning over a new leaf and many teachers are trying to incorporate more flexible ways to write. One of the main problems with the current-traditionalism process is that it does not allow students to understand the concepts of writing. It merely shows them the steps to organize it. With the new change of writing that Hairston talks about, teachers are going to focus more on the content of the writing rather than the process itself.

I think it is important for students to understand why they are required to do things certain ways. As I have gotten older, I have realized in the educational system that high school writing and college writing are extremely different. In high school, my essays were graded more on how I organized my paper and in college it was based more on content. I feel that in high school I always taught to have the perfect product but in college I was taught to have the right information. I believe that in order to fix your mistakes you need to know why it is a mistake in the first place. By teaching students how to fix their problems instead of just reprimanding them for it, they will become better writers and know not to make the same mistake again. I think a new way of teaching writing is definitely needed in the education system.

Public Voices-Danielewicz

I think one of the most important aspects of writing an essay or anything for that matter is your voice. In this essay, Personal Genres, Public Voices, Jane Danielewicz discusses the importance of having your own voice when writing. Voice is the power behind the entire essay and really shows the reader where you are trying to go. Showing your voice can really change the way a piece of writing feels and I feel that it helps many writers relate to you as an author. Danielewicz reasons that as young people, we have the right to spread our voice through writing and to give insight behind our words. As far as academic writing goes, Danielewicz thinks we should be allowed to show more of our feelings and personal thoughts in our writing. I completely agree with this idea. Some of the best novels I have read have been autobiographies. I relate to novels more when they have real feeling behind them, show personal struggles, and engulf me with the authors true feelings. Without having a voice behind your writing it would not make as much of an impact to the reader.

Later on in the essay, Danielewicz talks about the structure of her classroom and how she teaches to help students bring out their personal voices. The way her classroom was structured really reminded me of my AP Language in high school. We did many peer reading groups and got together to review each others essays. I think this helps a lot when it comes to writing because students can see if their work is making an impact on someone else and where they can improve their writing. These kinds of peer groups can also help a writer define what type of writer they are. Whether it be fiction, autobiography, etc. writers can see their best qualities and choose the path that is right for them.

Cognitive Process Theory- Flower

This essay written by Linda Flower and John R. Hayes analyzes the cognitive process of writing that many writers use. In the essay, the authors address four specific points which are important to the overall cognitive process. These points include :

1. Writing is best understood as a distinctive thinking process

2. These processes have a hierarchal organization

3. Writing is a goal directed process

4. Writers create their own goals in two ways: Goals and Sub goals

All four points explained by the author summarize that the cognitive process of writing can be looked at as a stage model or predetermined process in which the writer must use to express themselves completely. One of the main themes throughout this essay emphasize that whether the writer chooses for his work to be a planned five step process or think they are just writing freely, all writing is a planned process. Our minds subconsciously plan out what we want to achieve in the writing process. Each writer considers their goals and organizes their work to represent their thoughts.

I can agree with this essay. I have used the writing process since I learned to write. Whether I choose to make a rough draft or pre-writing sheet where I establish my goals, I am always using some type of planning in my head. I think specific points I want to make in a piece of writing and then work around those. Writing really is a cognitive process.