Is writing the self speaking our vulnerability in order to become empowered? In reflecting on the book “A vulnerable teacher” (1974) by composition teacher Ken Macrorie (1918-2009), I realized I perceive and sense vulnerability to be something different than he does. After explaining that vulnerable comes from “vuln” the Latin word for “wound”, he writes that “To become …
Career self-portrait, inspired by Agatha Christie a writing exercise to try “The name of Lucy Eyelesbarrow had already made itself felt in certain circles…” (A. Christie, 1957) In fiction we sometimes come across a character who is wildly interesting, confident, and in full possession of themselves. Something in us gets excited because secretly …
We ran day 1 of our career writing workshop last Saturday and the participants worked steadily from 10 to 5:30. They were very focused and all took active part in responding to each other’s work. They wrote to Baroque music, made collages and talked about them, and they listed 20 careers they could imagine doing …
“To write poetry a person must be interested in something in the world and allow that to resonate with something within.” I wrote these instructions for my students. It’s advice I apply to my own writing. I thought you might enjoy it too. Poetry is a dialogue with “other” and “outside” as well as with …
What Maggie says in Tennessee Williams’ play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, is just as applicable to a poorly written paper as it is to the annoying children she describes as no-neck monsters “…they’ve got no necks. None visible. Their fat little heads are stuck on their fat little bodies without a bit of …