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For reasons I can't figure out, a message that Will sent to CASLL got
sent to me for verification by the listserver.  What he posted was
this:

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> Date: Fri, 24 Jul 1998 16:08:45 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Will Garrett-Petts <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: writing about literature
> To: [log in to unmask]
>
> My thanks to those of you who have replied, both
> on & off list, to my initial query re: writing about
> literature.  Please continue to feel free to provide
> feedback on what you'd like to see in a text like the
> one I'm writing for Broadview Press.
>
> Here's a question for Russ:  Henry & I were talking
> over lunch, & we both felt a little puzzled about how
> you reconcile your position on the "arhetorical" nature
> of student critical writing with the need to teach
> writing in literature classes.  In other words, what
> do you do with your own lit. students?
>
> Regards from "hot & steamy" Kamloops (it's 40 c. + today).
> Splashhhhhhh!   That's the sound of me jumping into
> the pool.     Will

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I hate to say it, but it's stunningly gorgeous here today: clear,
crisp, mid-twenties, stiff breeze.  I've only got a minute but I
wanted to respond quickly to Will & Henry's question, and promise a
longer response to anybody who's really interested.

I don't think there's a _special_ need to teach writing in literature
classes -- there's a need to teach it in _any_ classes -- but because
I have observed that conventional writing in all classes is radically
arhetorical, I create a situation in which student choose, discuss,
and share literature in writing among the class.  Writing isn't
"turned in" to me, or evalated by me, it's _used_ -- to decide what
to read, to decide what to do research on, to discuss texts,
whatever.  The audience for any piece of writing in my class -- and
I'll bet my students do more writing than anybody else's, whether
teaching writing or "content" -- is always other people in the class,
and its purpose is to persuade them to read something, to explain
something to them, to report relevant research findings, to organize
an activity, or to participate in a publication.  Most of it, I don't
read at all.  If you want to know how this might work in excruciating
detail, have a look at the course materials for my 18th century
literature course, or for the first year course we did last year as
part of the Aquinas Program.  They're on the Web; you can get to them
through my Web site, by clicking on "Courses and Teaching."

                                        -- Russ
                                __|~_
Russell A. Hunt            __|~_)_ __)_|~_           Aquinas Chair
St. Thomas University      )_ __)_|_)__ __)  PHONE: (506) 452-0424
Fredericton, New Brunswick   |  )____) |       FAX: (506) 450-9615
E3B 5G3   CANADA          ___|____|____|____/    [log in to unmask]
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      ~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.StThomasU.ca/hunt/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~