"Student" Writers

For today's blog, I read from the text of Min-Zhan Lu, Chapter "Professing Multicultaralism: The Politics of Style in the Contact Zone" verse 6: "Why is it that in spite of our developing ability to acknowledge the political need and right of 'real' writers to experiment with 'style,' we continue to cling to the belief that such a need and right does not belong to 'student writers'?" (491).

I've been guilty of doing this--valuing "real" writing over "student" writing. More often than not, I consider my own writing to be at the "student" level, and that "real" is ambiguous and essentially unattainable. I know Min-Zhan Lu addresses the issue as it pertains to multiculturalism in teaching writing, but I don't think this downplaying of student writing only pertains to those in various contact zones.

I think this calls for a reevaluation of what is meant by "real" writing. In the first place, I have come to realize that it is a large disservice to equate the term "professional" with "real." I have known much non-professional writing that I would consider real, and a great deal of professional writing I wouldn't. I'm not going to give a concrete definition here, as it is currently quite subjective. However, I will feel somewhat satisfied if people (i.e., you, my fellow teachers) consider a little more carefully about the terms they use.