...she asks the readers to reflect on our own writing processes, attempting to deconstruct how we arrived upon the whole final product (22). Of late and depending on how much freedom I have, sometimes a paper topic/thesis will grow from just a word or sentence that I particularly like. I borrow liberally from the styles I admire, and I suppose I proceed in an effort to pay homage to that writer.
At first, I did not think that this was a useful exercise for me for I cannot imagine sharing this type of approach to a class of reluctant and inexperienced freshman comp students. But then I remembered a class discussion on the benefits of encouraging students to try and emulate a particular writer or style. This type of process experiment is appealing to me because there’s a perceived detachment between the writers’ words and who they are trying to imitate.
I like this idea Cheryl. One of the projects that I used for my students comes from the book "Hip-Hop Poetry and The Classics" It basically involves comparing and contrasting a piece of classic literature with the lyrics of a hip-hop song. Students not only had to analyze the writings, they also had to create a work of their own in the style of the poet or the lyricist. The assignment was always well received and the students especially liked it when I brought a track of the song and played it for them, sometimes doing a little dance diddy just for giggles. I'll bring the book tonight so you can peruse through it.
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Peggy
Peggy, I like this "Hip-Hop Poetry and The Classics" lesson. Do you have a copy of that? Students tend to enjoy lessons like this because it allows them to go "deeper" into their own world, or merge school with home life. It allows students to see how everything is interrelated.
ReplyDeleteYes Renee, I do have the book and I will bring it to class of Monday.
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