At my writing workshop earlier this week, hot Italian babe of an exchange student asked why she ain't allowed to make radical claims when writing an academic essay. It's *her* essay, (goddammit), and what's wrong with wanting to be radical and extreme.
It took me a long time to explain to her and the class - yes, the group of sycophants who quickly aligned with her once the question was broached - why academic writing had to be reasoned and reasonable. I had to explain why qualifiers were needed, why bare overgeneralisations were not acceptable, why the chosen position must be defensible etc etc.
After a long while, I got them to see that academic knowledge making would be a joke if everyone made ludicrous claims and the biggest braggart wins.
When I was recounting to my boss, she said, "That's why we have academic writing and creative writing." Finally, a glimpse of how the academic writing researchers see creative writing researchers!
3 comments:
please, introduce her to me.
There is an interesting conflict here I think.
I can relate to the desire to be "radical and extreme". On the other hand, if one wishes to be "academic" (as you have pointed out) there is a need for logic and evidence to support the argument.
There can be a great deal of fun (I know, I still practice the art) of debate by means of reductio ad absurdum. But that does not in any way reduce the need for debative discipline. It is a debate line that needs to be followed by the contradiction, including supportive evidence and logic.
I know this because I did - in my teens - get absolutely trashed in a formal debate for being "radical and extreme" without the benefit of evidence to support.
So, perhaps there is an answer. Suggest to your exchange student that she should practice the "art" of being extreme and radical in a forum such as the Student Debating Society. No doubt she will either be a great hit, or she will get a great hit. There is nothing more effective than being rubbished by ones peers.
Sunit, she'll bite your head off, if that's the last thing she'll ever do.
Probligo, I know you. Well, to be honest, some people just want to make a statement for the sake of doing so. Even if they had no reason to make provocative statements, they think a radical paper would get them the grades. I've spoken with their lecturer. He was so funny, going "And for your radical writing, here's your D and your D and your D and your..." if it really happened.
I think the point did get through to her, that's why I still give it to her that she is a good student.
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