Monday, June 27, 2005

Genre Sirc-umvention

We have evolved a very limited notion of academic writing (or any genre, really).  Our texts are conventional in every sense of the word; they write themselves. They are almost wholly determined by the texts that have gone before; a radical break from the conventions of a form or genre (and I'm not speaking here about the academic convention of the smug, sanctioned transgression, e.g. Jane Tompkins) would perplex--how is that history writing?  what community group would need that for its newsletter?  how is that going to help you get a job? A Happenings spirit would begin at the point of Elbow's "life is long and college is short" queasiness with academic writing ("Reflections on Academic Discourse" 136). (10)

A-la Geoff Sirc's English Composition as a Happening.

Posted by Derek Mueller at June 27, 2005 9:58 PM to Genre