Elbow Article

ELBOW ARTICLE

SUMMARY: 

In his article ‘Voice In Writing Again: Embracing Contraries’ Peter elbow attemps to show the argument between using voice, and not using voice in writing. In the beginning he says the good things people were saying about using voice, like “everyone has a real voice and can write with power. Then he goes on to say the bad things people were saying, like “voice is a misleading metaphor”, or “we don’t write with a voice that is ours.”  He wants us to learn to adopt contrary stances towards voice. He also wants us to learn to be wiser in our scholarly thinking and writing. The audience he gears this to is any student. He makes the point that “students at all levels instinctively talk and think about voice.”

CONNECTIONS:

I see a connection between this article and Stuart Greene’s ‘Argument as Conversation.’ Both writers are explaining differences. In Argument as Conversation he is explaining the different types of arguments, and different ways to use them. In Voice in Writing Again he is showing both sides, of using voice, and not using voice. In both of the writings they are talking about more than one thing. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. When you listen to a passage, you can make a better connection to the writer. It makes it easier to realize the mood of the passage, or to better understand the sarcasm the writer is using. By listening you get a more straight forward view on the writing. There shouldn’t be any confusion between the writer and the listener. With “ear training” you will see voice that is true in itself, fitting the writer or speaker. I think it makes it easier to read a passage if you know the tone of the writer. I think you should use the tool “ear training” because it will help you to better understand the writer, and what they are writing. You should always try to figure out the mood the writer is trying to set, from the start of your reading.
2. I think that Elbow is playing his “doubting and believing game.” By giving a full airing to each side of the debate you can learn so much more. You will end up seeing more things that you would “remain blind to” if you just stick to looking at things one way. You don’t want to completely resolve the tension because you want to be both the doubter and believer at the same time.

PERSONAL OPINIONS ON ELBOW:

I thought the Elbow article was actually interesting. I was thinking about using voice as the topic for my paper, so it was interesting and gave a lot of information. I like how it showed both sides, using voice and not using voice. It helped to show the differences and provide more helpful information.

PERSONAL OPINIONS ON WAW:

I liked Anne Lammot’s article ‘Shitty First Drafts.’ The first thing that caught my eye was the title. I liked how it didn’t sound so proper. I felt as if she was writing casually and I liked it that way. It was easier to read and easier to make a connection with the writer. She also made it clear that no one is a perfect writer. That it’s okay to mess up. She says that “you need to start somewhere.” The first draft you write shouldn’t be perfect, it’s just a base. I liked her attitude through out the article. She seemed real, as if you were listening to her talk in a casual conversation. It wasn’t proper and boring.