On Gaddis - the Italian classical painters are taught like this: you work all day, you learn learn learn. Light shadows colors form everything. That night you wipe off everything from the canvas. The next day you come back and try again. You're not starting from scratch. Your body remembers, even if no one else thinks so. You ruin all the precious results of your ambition with the intention of returning with truer understanding.
I have been reading a lot of composition theory from the 70s and 80s lately. The generation of scholars celebrate process writing—writing that is less purposive, that focuses on experience, that writes about itself. Your piece feels like a process essay. It probably nice to have a corner of your life where product can be process. I am going to start using this form in by classroom for a number of reasons. To amplify student agency, to push back on high stakes grading, to open up spaces for AI use where utility is more important than efficiency, to make writing more enjoyable. Wish me luck!
I hadn’t heard about process essays, but that’s lovely and I’m glad you’ll be using it in the classroom—I know I’d have appreciated it as a student. Best of luck!
On Gaddis - the Italian classical painters are taught like this: you work all day, you learn learn learn. Light shadows colors form everything. That night you wipe off everything from the canvas. The next day you come back and try again. You're not starting from scratch. Your body remembers, even if no one else thinks so. You ruin all the precious results of your ambition with the intention of returning with truer understanding.
I have been reading a lot of composition theory from the 70s and 80s lately. The generation of scholars celebrate process writing—writing that is less purposive, that focuses on experience, that writes about itself. Your piece feels like a process essay. It probably nice to have a corner of your life where product can be process. I am going to start using this form in by classroom for a number of reasons. To amplify student agency, to push back on high stakes grading, to open up spaces for AI use where utility is more important than efficiency, to make writing more enjoyable. Wish me luck!
I hadn’t heard about process essays, but that’s lovely and I’m glad you’ll be using it in the classroom—I know I’d have appreciated it as a student. Best of luck!