After I learned how to read, I enjoyed children’s books, such as The Bobsy Twins and Black Beauty. These were short, easy to read and grew my vocabulary. As I grew, my interests changed as well. I discovered books such as Little Women and Heidi. These took me to other countries as well as other times in history. But, I also found comic books. The antics of Archie and Jughead spoke to the humor level of a elementary-schooler.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but all of these came from differing genres, which is defined by Writing Commons as “a classification scheme for texts” (Moxley). But, we as teachers need to also remember the lesson for students that is also in this article, “As you progress through your academic coursework, you will be introduced to different disciplines and various ways of developing and substantiating knowledge claims. A successful writer is able to navigate from one genre to another” (Moxley).
Of course, as I grew, my tastes in literature changed and evolved. In high school, I was introduced to the classics; Poe, Faulkner, Williams, and Fitzgerald. While I enjoyed these very much, I still liked my “low brow” romance books. Even now, my tastes change and are varied.
As an undergraduate, and especially now in graduate school, genre was and continues to be a huge subject. We have to decide which track we want to take in our writing courses. We are asked continually which genre we write to and who our audience is. Bill Hart-Davidson argues “that genres are habitual responses to recurring socially bounded situations” (39). In my opinion, he is defining genres as the same thing over and over again for the same people.
I do agree with this assessment to a certain degree. But, Hart-Davidson also gave me something to think about when he expanded on this idea of “no single text is a genre; it can only be an instance of that genre as it enters into contexts (activity systems) where it might be taken up as such an instance” (40). In other words, an author can’t say they are writing a science fiction piece unless it has major components of other science fiction texts.
Andrea Lunsford reminds us that “writing is performative” (43), when she quotes Kenneth Burke theory that “language and writing have the capacity to act, to do things in the world” (44). This is why I appreciate writing so much; it has the ability to entertain, to inform, and to educate. However, it can also change the world.
Moxley, Joe. Genres Introduction, https://writingcommons.org/genres-introduction. 05 October 2010
Lunsford, Andrea A. Naming What We Know:Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies Utah State University Press, 2016 Pages 43 – 44
Hart-Davidson, Bill. Naming What We Know:Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies Utah State University Press, 2016 Page 39
Hart-Davidson, Bill. Naming What We Know:Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies Utah State University Press, 2016 Page 40
Donna, my tastes in genres have also definitely changed over the years. I used to enjoy fiction, and now I read poetry and nonfiction almost exclusively. I agree that is is important for students to be able to navigate through and write in a variety of formats. How do you plan on emphasizing this in your classroom?
As far as “an author can’t say they are writing a science fiction piece unless it has major components of other science fiction texts.other science fiction texts,” is it not possible for the author to determine their own genre? Will you emphasize this in classrooms to show why it is important for specific components to be in a paper?
The idea that a text can’t, in solidarity, call itself part of a specific genre without incorporating the elements and conventions of that genre is something that really hits home for me. As a writer of fiction who dabbles primarily in fantasy writing, I have to understand what defines fantasy. Without knowing that, how can I create a text that readers can identify as part of the fantasy genre? Using the queues established by a genre signals to the reader what they’re about to read, and that is important in setting a reader’s expectations of a text.
Hey Donna,
I think everyone’s preferences and tastes change over time to some extent. I think the quote you provided (“A successful writer is able to navigate from one genre to another”) is especially interesting because I think it is idealistic but true. The reason that I would say it is idealistic is that one author cannot and will not ever write at the same caliber across all genres. A great fantasy writer may fail miserably at romance. A great writer of research papers might create abysmal office memos. To me, genre flexibility is the sign of a great writer, but not all great writers are flexible. Overall, your post really made me think about myself as a writer and what I consider to be my strengths and weaknesses.
Hey Donna,
I definitely experienced that same shift in taste as I grew older; however, some preferences stood the test of time. People change so drastically from adolescence to adulthood, and our reading tastes are no exception. I like how you highlighted the quote that states that good writers should be able to maneuver between genres. I agree with this to an extent but I don’t know if it is always true. Stephen King may write an excellent horror but a terrible romantic comedy. Tolkien may craft the most beautiful work of fantasy but absolutely fail as a writer of office memos. These are overly specific examples, but I would still consider these writers effective even if they have limitations within genres or forms. What do you think about this? Do you consider versatility necessary, and what do you think your own strengths and limitations are as an author?