COMPOSITION STUDIES BY DIANE K. OLSON, PHD, WRITING, TEACHING AND CRITICISM

WE NEED MORE COMPOSITION COURSES THAT TEACH STUDENTS TO WRITE AGAINST THE GRAIN OF TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC PROSE.  THESE WOULD BE COURSES WHERE STUDENTS IMAGINATIVELY AND CREATIVELY LOOK AT THE LIMITS OF TRADITIONAL ACADEMIC PROSE AND EXPLORE WAYS TO CREATE KNOWLEDGES AND EXPRESS TRUTHS THAT GO AGAINST THE GRAIN OF TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE-MAKING IN THE ACADEMY.  WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO EXPRESS THEIR INNER AND OUTER TRUTHS AND BRING THOSE TRUTHS INTO DIALOGUE WITH TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGES IN THE UNIVERSITY.  COMPOSITION STUDIES IS THE IDEAL PLACE TO BRING ABOUT A REVIVAL IN HOW WRITING IS CREATIVELY UNDERSTOOD WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY AND HOW STUDENTS CAN USE THEIR WRITING TO RE-ENVISION THEIR WORK IN OTHER COURSES.

WE, AS COMPOSITION TEACHERS, NEED TO HAVE GREAT COMPASSION ON THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING WRITER'S BLOCK, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS OFTEN NOT THEIR FAULT THAT THE WRITING TASKS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO THEM DO NOT APPEAL TO THEIR NEEDS TO WRITE.  WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT ALL STUDENTS POSSESS THE ABILITY TO WRITE AND IF THEY FEEL BLOCKED IN OUR COURSES, IT COULD VERY WELL BE BECAUSE SOMETHING ABOUT OUR COURSES ARE NOT SUITED TO THEIR PURPOSES AS WRITERS.  SO, WHEN STUDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING WRITER'S BLOCK, WE NEED TO EXAMINE, WITH THEM, WHAT ABOUT OUR COURSES ARE NOT SERVING THEIR PURPOSES AND THEN ADJUST OUR COURSES SO THAT STUDENTS WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE WRITING FOR US AGAIN. THIS IS THE COMPASSIONATE RESPONSE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE TOWARDS WRITER'S BLOCK, WHICH CAN OFTEN TEACH US ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE IN OUR CLASSES.

ACADEMIC WRITING CAN BE OPPRESSIVE TO STUDENTS WITH ITS ARTIFICIAL REQUIREMENTS, SO WE NEED TO CREATE COMPOSITION COURSES THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO BE A CREATIVE AS POSSIBLE WITH THEIR WRITINGS AND THEIR LEARNING.  TOO OFTEN, ACADEMIC WRITING DOES NOT ALLOW STUDENTS TO EXPRESS THEIR RELATIONSHIPS AND UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE MATERIALS THAT THEY ARE WRITING ABOUT IN A CREATIVE MANNER.  SO, WE NEED TO CREATE COMPOSITION COURSES THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO RE-ENVISION AND RE-IMAGINE THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO THE CONTENTS OF THEIR OTHER COURSES.  ACADEMIC WRITING IS TOO OFTEN ANTITHETICAL TO THE CREATIVE IMPULSES OF STUDENTS IN THEIR WRITINGS, AND THUS THEY EXPERIENCE RESISTANCES TO THE LITERACY DEMANDS OF ACADEMIC WRITING BECAUSE ACADEMIC WRITING IS NOT ORGANIC AND NATURAL IN THE LEARNING PROCESSES OF STUDENTS. INSTEAD OF THINKING OF COMPOSITION STUDIES AS IN SERVICE TO THE ARTIFICIAL DEMANDS OF ACADEMIC WRITING, WE NEED TO IMAGINE COMPOSITION STUDIES AND OUR COURSES AS RE-ENVISIONING WHAT WRITING CAN DO IN THE OTHER DISCIPLINES WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY AND IN THE LARGER WORLD BEYOND OUR CLASSROOMS.