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The concept of genre was one I was very familiar with prior to taking this class. I’ve loved to read for as long as I can remember, and I have read many different classifications of novels. However, some of the readings we looked at this semester and some of the projects we completed really challenged me to change my perspective of genre and rethink what I already knew. When thinking about genre now, after taking this course, I think of how liberating and powerful it can be. I think of how each genre has its own rules, and how the genre an author chooses to use is so very important in conveying their message.
A reading that comes to mind in relation to genre is Should Writers Use They Own English? by Vershawn Ashanti Young. This composition critiques a New York Times piece by Stanley Fish in which he discusses the “proper” way to read and write. Young argues that there is no proper way, and he does this by writing in his own personal dialect. While this made for a somewhat slower read at first, it created such an interesting insight into a different culture and gave me a new perspective on what it means to write “correctly.”
Additional readings also helped me understand this concept because they themselves were different genres. We watched videos, read articles, personal narratives, letters, and even cartoons.
Should Writers Use They Own English-Vershawn Young.pdfAdditionally, we ourselves were able to experience composing in a variety of ways. Our weekly reflections had to encompass a wide range of genres, including (but not limited to) written, audio recordings, and visual. This allowed us to experience not only reading different genres but being the ones to compose them as well. I have included below some of my own!
Reflection 1
Reflection 1
PROMPT: For this week's Reflection, answer the question initially posed in Alvarez, Wan, and Lee's article: Who are you as a writer? Think through all the ramifications of this question and what the answer might mean for you now, as a brand-new college student at Fairfield U. There is no other time in your life like this one. How will it change you? How will it keep you the same? How well do you know yourself?
Reflection 3
Reflection 3
PROMPT: So, imagine that Wilson and Popova are chatting about relationships, communication, and meaning making. What do you think they'd say to one another? What arguments/points would each make? Do you lean more towards the points of one versus the points of the other? Can you see overlaps in their arguments?
Reflection 5 - Hannah Salsbury.m4aReflection 5
Reflection 5
PROMPT: When you think about research, what do you see as it's main purpose in essay writing? How do you most often use research? What is your experience with source integration? And, finally, when you think of Adichie's idea, how do research and sources help emphasize or play down the "single story"?
Furthermore, our Artifacts were each a different genre, which demonstrated not only how capable we are as multimedia writers, but also how significant the genre you choose is in conveying your message, and how one should consider altering their genre in order to meet the needs of their audience. Artifact 1 was written as a persuasive narrative because we were trying to convince a prospective audience of something. Artifact 2 was an annotated bibliography and a synthesis paper because we were accumulating research. Artifact 3 was a presentation with an in-class activity because we were attempting to argue something while keeping an engaged audience. This variety allowed me to see that genre is so much more than just the type of book you read - all types of communication are different genres, and one should keep their audience and purpose in mind when composing anything.
2023
2023
Hannah Salsbury, Fairfield University
Hannah Salsbury, Fairfield University
hannah.salsbury@student.fairfield.edu
hannah.salsbury@student.fairfield.edu
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