In the “Starting with What Others Say” section of “They Say/I Say”: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein emphasize the importance of introducing another argument than your own early on in your writing. They start with an example that I think everyone can relate to. They describe how when … [Read more…]

In the “Art of Quoting” section of “They Say/I Say”: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein lay out techniques to use when integrating the words of others into your own writing. They make the argument that integrating a quote that is relatable to the topic of your writing can … [Read more…]

  In the introduction of “They Say/I Say”: The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein introduce the idea of using templates to structure sentences and writing as a response to others’ ideas. The authors describe how, often, students’ first reactions to the idea of using templates in writing is to … [Read more…]

  Driving at Night The air is warm but the breeze that rolls in from the open windows is brisk. It blows my long hair in all directions but mostly into my face. The sky has gradually dimmed, and one by one I can spy the stars as they peek out. My hand hangs out … [Read more…]

DFW Journal #2 In detail, describe your experiences drafting writing projects. And what about revision? What did that look like? What was your process? How did it work for you? In my experience drafting writing projects, the first draft is always the hardest for me to write out. If I do not have a clear … [Read more…]

  DFW Journal #1 If David Foster Wallace were to attend a discussion in our class, I would ask him if his investigation and writing of the “Consider the Lobster” essay led him to make any changes to his eating habits. Did he enjoy eating lobster before this assignment? Did he continue eating lobster after … [Read more…]