Free write

I'm interested in the role of creative writing (particularly poetry) in the face of tragedy. I - like many - have been thinking very much about this in the wake of recent international crimes and the discussion about mourning that surrounds them. I think that poetry can magically comfort while also "calling out", can soothe human trauma and confusion by shedding light on the scaffolding that supports atrocity.

There is usually an outpouring of poetry in the wake of shared horror, and an uptick in national interest in the genre. Why might this be? Why might we desire poetry, in particular, in the face of indescribable loss? The poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths says that poetry "..speaks to the ways we are silent with each other." Rene Char said that “Poems are those pieces of incorruptible existence that we hurl at the repugnant maw of death, hurl sufficiently high that, ricocheting back, they fall into the world where names for the whole are found.”

I think all of this has to do with Mark Doty's idea of beauty as accuracy, and his notion that the morality of poetry is rooted in simple description - i.e., the more harrowing the subject, the more dignity it is afforded by straightforward language. I'm not sure I agree with this and have thus offered here a handful of poems that address public tragedies and mass anguish in different ways. I want to get your thoughts on how they succeed (or don't) and also on the role, or even responsibility, of poetry on the national stage when great loss is suffered:


Here's one by Rickey Laurentiis: https://newrepublic.com/article/120944/continuance-rickey-laurentiis-ferguson-memoriam


Another by Brendan Constantine: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/needs-many


And then one about Sept. 11th from John Brehm: http://blog.bestamericanpoetry.com/the_best_american_poetry/2012/03/pompeii-by-john-brehm.html


Lastly, Philip Metres has an interesting essay from 2011 about the demand for poetry post 9/11: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/article/242580

What is the thesis to your article for this course? What support will you cite to help you make your case?

Like Nancy, I do not yet have a central thesis but am gathering ideas. I've been interested all semester in how to incorporate creative writing into the first year writing classroom, and in whether or not it might be a more effective introduction to composition. We've talked extensively about writing not being a "trap" for students and ensuring they feel both nurtured and empowered by writing, especially as it is new to most of them.

With this in mind, I want to write about the intersection of expression and discipline, and how that can best be taught through creative writing. This is not to eschew form, grammar, or rhetoric, but rather to teach it through a more expressivistic mode. I've been exited by two papers, one by Danita Berg titled "Re-Composition: Considering the Intersections of Composition and Creative Writing Theories and Pedagogies," in which she explores how "Maintaining composition studies and creative writing as discrete disciplines may not be in the best interests of either field." She asserts that the incorporation of "traditional" composition genres such as the essay can be equally well-taught if introduced as creative writing. She also examines how the workshop setting, moreover, can teach social and collaborative techniques invaluable to student development.

I also enjoyed Patrick Sullivan's "The UnEssay: Making Room for Creativity in the Composition Classroom." His central question is, essentially, what makes writing creative? This is one I would seek to explore in-depth, if not answer, in my paper, with the help of these two scholars as well as some work by Michael Salerno, Carolyn Forche, and also some ideas from Lavona L. Reeves's "Minimizing Apprehension in the Composition Classroom." The last one I'm interested in because apprehension is an issue for writers across the learning spectrum, much less those new to it, and I think that's invaluable to discuss in tandem with creativity.

Review the learning objectives for this course. What's one thing you've learned that connects to an objective and to your future job?

I'd like to address two of the learning objectives for my discussion. To begin, I've enjoyed the critical thinking aspect of this course. The in-class conversation was always motivated by questions, with Dr. Rice always encouraging us to interrogate our own ideas about teaching, composition, and writing as an academic subject. I know that I've developed immensely as a teacher and student because I always felt that the classroom was a safe space for open discourse. Even the idea of a classroom being a "safe space" was valuable knowledge - much of the critical thinking in this class, then, is naming ideology. I knew I wanted a classroom to be safe but didn't even know I needed to term it as such.

I also see now how well-structured the class was. The form of it equaled the content. By this I mean, we were taught how to finely craft a teaching philosophy and a syllabus in a course where the teaching philosophy and syllabus of the instructor were finely tuned. I think Dr. Rice's openness about his own teaching and process motivated us to think critically about our own work and how to improve and apply it. Much of the coursework I've done here will be useful to me in the future, after careful revision appropriate for my field.

I was also interested in the grammatical information presentation aspect of this course. As someone who has always considered myself to be a staunch grammarian, I have appreciated the feedback about the place grammar has in the composition classroom. While important, it needs to function in concert with generative work and not as a trap that students fall into.

Identify where you think students may fail in an assignment in your syllabus, and how you will use that at a teachable moment by design. If you didn't produce a syllabus, discuss the relevance of this week's readings to your future workplace.

So! The hope here is, of course, that my course is constructed in such a way that my students will not fail any assignments. I worked hard to pace the course so that there is ample outlining and revising time, as well as a balance between more rigorous, academic writing and more expressive writing. This is not to say that expressive writing is "easier" but only that they get the opportunity to exercise different parts of their brains.

The few weak spots I could see would probably be in the personal essay, actually. It's their first major assignment and, coming out of high school, I can imagine they might have a hard time breaking that five-paragraph mold and really digging into the research-plus-personal-reflection aspect of a more scholarly, adult piece of writing. This is the main reason I have them write such an extensive outline and also allow them to choose their own research topics, but I can still see that first essay coming out flat or phoned-in.

I would use this as a teachable moment by asking them what pieces of writing move them, and why. Of course this would be an ongoing class discussion as my syllabus includes much "moving" work, but I would point specifically to the flatness within their writing and ask "Why is this happening?" I also think there would consistently be a tone in my classroom of "If you're going to do something, why not do it well?" I had a wonderful yoga teacher who, when her students would start to flag or give up on ab work or what have you, would always say "You're already here, in the room. Why not make the most of it?"

I suppose what I'm saying is that the writing classroom is always a space for motivation. There are less distinct "measurables" so we have to instead teach students how to expand out rather than reach up simply for a grade. This first essay assignment, I'd hope, would be some of my students' initial encounter with that beautiful moment in writing when everything comes together - background research, story, and word choice. How to teach students to aspire for something they've never experienced is always a hard road, but I think the writing classroom is the perfect place to do so. I want them to exhaust themselves on these personal essays, and I want them to feel proud of that exhaustion.

To sum up, then, the moment in my syllabus where my students might "fail" has less to do with a specific assignment and more to do with motivation and inspiration. I think that is the good fight I'd be fighting for the first few weeks, but ultimately writing would come to feel satisfying and even exhilarating for them.