Writing as product

We spend so much time talking in composition classes about writing as process, I often choose to start the semester with the notion that writing is valuable as artifact as well. Here are a few examples from the family archive:

This is, of course, a proto-document from early childhood (when my oldest daughter was maybe age three and a half): the letter to Santa Claus. Unfortunately, I've lost my ability to decode this fully, but I can make out a few words (people, very much) and, I think, most of the closing (by the way, say hello to the elves from me). Relevant topics: audience awareness, exigency, formal conventions dictated by genre, written vs spoken language (as in, usefulness of inter-word spacing)

A collaborative writing sample comes from me and my middle daughter, just before her seventh birthday:

And this dialogue as well, a final plea just before that April 13 birthday:

In this sample from my youngest daughter at age nine, I would guess, we can see the shift to digital production of texts (page 2 from an 11-page short story):

Finally, here's a birthday card sent to my youngest daughter from my parents, just a month before my father's death (note his unfailing emphasis on the importance of reading and writing):

(In handwriting that is so moving to me, dated 9/22/02, he gives his familiar polemic about the value of reading and writing:

Dear Emily:

Your Ma tells us that you are a very smart girl, and interested in Art, that fine but never forget to read a lot when young, because it has been one of my greatest pleasures.

Another suggestion; I think it would be very good for young people like you to keep a ledger. Nothing fancy, you could just jot down important things to you each day, this would be of great interest to you in later life, and might even lead to a book!

With our very best to you always, and have a happy Day.

Love, Grampa

Comments

[joanna]

Holly, this is so many kinds of wonderful--from the personal to the professional. I love the dialogic nature of the poems you and your daughter wrote--especially the one about the puppy ("not a chance (sp)," and "you want me to tell jokes to a crying puppy?" being my favorite lines.).
And look at what blogging/scanning/wordprocessing affords us in putting together these new combinations of word "gatherings."

[Holly]

Thanks, Joanna. I did kinda get a kick out of putting this together (my kids think I'm a dork for getting excited about something they take for granted). Now I need to think, maybe, about how I can adapt some of this for the classroom...

[lacoste shirts]

One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning. Practical wisdom is only to be learned in the school of experience. Do you think so?

[RamonGustav]

I think you are not quite right and you should still studying the matter.

[Buy_Viagra]

Have you been turned down by other lenders?

[Music_master]

I think you are not quite right and you should still studying the matter.

[Hot_cialis]

cialis tadalafil cialis tadalafil 100mg cialis tadalafil 20 mg cialis tadalafil american express cialis tadalafil canada cialis tadalafil cialis tadafil tal cialis tadalafil reviews cialis tadalafil viagra cialis tadalafil work cialis the dangers fda cialis the sex pill cialis to buy

[Buy Online Rx]

Blah, blah, blah, we moved on and the kids started asking different questions. 3 minutes later, a girl named Molly asked, "I've always heard that we were made in God's image, but sometimes I wonder if that means exactly in God's image. Like, we only have 2 arms, but what if God has 4?" Quick as lightning, a guy across the room yells, "Molly, duh- God transcends arms!".

[mens health]

And what about women lawyers--is it also risky to wear the wedge to a law firm interview? No one will say that the wedge is a career-killer, like flip-flops, Birkenstocks, or Crocs. But some do think they are a bit clunky, if not funky.

[RX-order]

cialis tadalafil cialis tadalafil 100mg cialis tadalafil 20 mg cialis tadalafil american express cialis tadalafil canada cialis tadalafil cialis tadafil tal cialis tadalafil reviews cialis tadalafil viagra cialis tadalafil work cialis the dangers fda cialis the sex pill cialis to buy

[Antivirus_man]

Hi, I congratulate you on Merry Christmas!

[JOBS_frend]

You write well will be waiting for your new publications.

[school_dubl]

Hi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, a cool site I like

[Realestate]

Happy New Year! Happiness and success in 2011.

[Rental]

Hi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, a cool site I like

[Rental]

Happy New Year! The author write more I liked it.

[Hotjobs]

Hi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[hollywood bistro]

As long as your food remains the best tasting and most innovative cuisine in your town, then you can be assured of a steady flow of customers.

[Excel Statement]

"I wanta puppy."

-Mee tooo!