Discovery Draft

My literacy autobiography poses problems to me from the onset. "An ill-defined rhetorical problem that you are trying to solve: why write it? for whom?" I'm immediately faced with the same essential problem I face when I'm asked to prove something in a classroom setting--my mind says, "Why should I? Someone else already has." In this case, the thought is now, "Why should I write a literacy autobiography? I know I'm literate." Barring that problem, I am then left with the issue of to whom I should write the beast. Common sense would tell me to pay attention to some of the class discussions and reading we have had and not write to the teacher. Writing to myself, again, would seem asinine. My mother? She probably knows how I learned to read and write better than I do, myself, so once again, asinine. My classmates? Maybe, but then I'm left with having to come up with the next logical problem, which is how to write it in such a way to make them even care.

So supposing I ignore my initial problem, I'm then left with how to proceed. From the samples we read in class, I have to wonder how exactly to go about writing this without boring whoever reads it. Thinking about the assignment, I recognize I have a few options. First, I can try to go with the broad spectrum from when I first learned to read. Second, I can focus on one specific event in that spectrum. Third, I could talk about the people who helped me on the path to literacy.

The last major problem I am having is that, while I remember much about my history for reading, writing is more problematic (and that might be a point to start with when I actually write my autobiography). I feel I'm not alone when I say that I've never considered myself a writer. Aside from classroom assignments, I haven't had much experience, so I might actually consider myself somewhat illiterate in this regard.

As I think through this assignment, I think what will work the best is to perhaps do a combination of focusing on a couple of major events and people in my literacy history. Specifically, I'm thinking of my third grade teacher who got me more interested in reading regularly (it sounds boring right now, I'm sure, but I can probably pull a few heart strings by the time I'm done--you know, good, pathos arguments), my father and his gift of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (no, I'm not copying the sample we read in class--it was a Christmas present in fifth grade, and, unlike the sample, I can specify in great detail why those books mean something to me) coupled with another book my brother gave me a bit later on.

Someone in class brought up the fact that for them reading and writing are compartmentalized as two separate events in terms of their literacy history; the same applies for me. I have a few memories of writing that, despite being in an academic environment, made a lasting impact on me. So my literacy autobiography might also include those.

Beyond this, I really haven't been able to come to a conclusion as to where I am going with my literacy autobiography, though through writing this I have at least narrowed down some of my options and should at least be able to make a start of it.