Comments on: Critical Analysis of Your Own Writing http://www.dailywritingtips.com/critical-analysis-of-your-own-writing/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:28:21 -0500 hourly 1 By: Stephen Thorn http://www.dailywritingtips.com/critical-analysis-of-your-own-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-245304 Stephen Thorn Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:21:24 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3321#comment-245304 ShellyD: I fear I've offended you with my comment about our educational system. If that is the case I sincerely apologize. Please allow me to clarify. I did not intend to imply that teachers are unable or unwilling to teach students to be proficient in writing -- far from it; I consider teaching to be the noblest of professions, and the teaching of reading and writing (regardless of language) to be the most vital task our schools can possibly undertake. My diatribe was aimed more at the educational system that devalues critical topics like literacy and skill with words in favor of 'junk classes' and attempting to inculcate values and gray-area relativistic morality into our children. (I am quite capable of teaching my kids what is right and wrong, thank you Washington, and frankly your version of it stinks like a skunk in a deep fryer.) Being a tool of those who would rule us, the educational system is aiding in producing hordes of semi-literate homonculi with the attention span of a chimpanzee on PCP (but by God, Coach, can that kid throw a ball!!) who will be ripe for conquest by the time they're old enough to graduate. We see the fruits of this today, when many persons under the age of about 35 choose their President with the same level of intelligence and discernment they use in voting for the next American Idol, who haven't read anything more challenging in the past year than the instructions on a microwave dinner, and who keep clamoring for things that have failed in the past in the hopes that THIS time they'll work. ShellyD: I fear I’ve offended you with my comment about our educational system. If that is the case I sincerely apologize. Please allow me to clarify.

I did not intend to imply that teachers are unable or unwilling to teach students to be proficient in writing — far from it; I consider teaching to be the noblest of professions, and the teaching of reading and writing (regardless of language) to be the most vital task our schools can possibly undertake. My diatribe was aimed more at the educational system that devalues critical topics like literacy and skill with words in favor of ‘junk classes’ and attempting to inculcate values and gray-area relativistic morality into our children. (I am quite capable of teaching my kids what is right and wrong, thank you Washington, and frankly your version of it stinks like a skunk in a deep fryer.) Being a tool of those who would rule us, the educational system is aiding in producing hordes of semi-literate homonculi with the attention span of a chimpanzee on PCP (but by God, Coach, can that kid throw a ball!!) who will be ripe for conquest by the time they’re old enough to graduate. We see the fruits of this today, when many persons under the age of about 35 choose their President with the same level of intelligence and discernment they use in voting for the next American Idol, who haven’t read anything more challenging in the past year than the instructions on a microwave dinner, and who keep clamoring for things that have failed in the past in the hopes that THIS time they’ll work.

]]> By: ShelleyD http://www.dailywritingtips.com/critical-analysis-of-your-own-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-239114 ShelleyD Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:25:47 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3321#comment-239114 Addressed to Mr. Thorn- As a high school English teacher, I cringe just knowing the majority of students cannot write a decent paragraph, let alone a uniform and concise one. Many people do not realize that although we (teachers) would like to give appropriate time to the writing process, the curriculum doesn't allow the full process to take place. And...no more researched term papers, just projects! I'd love to go into the use of calculators as well, but that's another post, er... entry...I mean, article. Addressed to Mr. Thorn-

As a high school English teacher, I cringe just knowing the majority of students cannot write a decent paragraph, let alone a uniform and concise one. Many people do not realize that although we (teachers) would like to give appropriate time to the writing process, the curriculum doesn’t allow the full process to take place. And…no more researched term papers, just projects!

I’d love to go into the use of calculators as well, but that’s another post, er… entry…I mean, article.

]]> By: Stephen Thorn http://www.dailywritingtips.com/critical-analysis-of-your-own-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-199283 Stephen Thorn Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:44:06 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3321#comment-199283 Ms. Peterson, I agree with your premise that many young, modern readers are not adept at maintaining an attention span sufficient to read anything more involved than a People magazine blurb about what celebrity is pregnant now. I would like to recommend an exceptional article on the subject of aliteracy (as opposed to illiteracy) in Cemetary Dance magazine's August 2009 issue . As writers we face a rough and rocky road ahead because although our schools endeavor to teach children how to read they also teach them that reading is not of great value in daily life (much as long division isn't important because everybody has a calculator now). Readers -- at least those who read anything more involved than the headlines in the local opinion rags -- are thinkers, and thinkers are a threat to the societal order and the control of our masters. Consequently, we are trying to 'out shout' all the white noise our society floods people with -- daily worries (job, money, sex, health, family, etc.), the other leeches of attention (video games, sports, the Internet, etc.), and so on -- in an effort to get folks to read our words despite the uphill battle. Reading takes effort and thought (neither required to sit and stare at a screen), as well as a measure of proficiency in the task (reading at a post-grade school level), and many people cannot or will not put forth that effort, especially for a multi-page document that would take more time to read than the person wishes to invest. Now the big question: How can we combat the rising tide of aliteracy and literature ennui that threatens to make all writers, poets, and authors obsolete? I'm looking for suggestions... Ms. Peterson, I agree with your premise that many young, modern readers are not adept at maintaining an attention span sufficient to read anything more involved than a People magazine blurb about what celebrity is pregnant now. I would like to recommend an exceptional article on the subject of aliteracy (as opposed to illiteracy) in Cemetary Dance magazine’s August 2009 issue . As writers we face a rough and rocky road ahead because although our schools endeavor to teach children how to read they also teach them that reading is not of great value in daily life (much as long division isn’t important because everybody has a calculator now). Readers — at least those who read anything more involved than the headlines in the local opinion rags — are thinkers, and thinkers are a threat to the societal order and the control of our masters. Consequently, we are trying to ‘out shout’ all the white noise our society floods people with — daily worries (job, money, sex, health, family, etc.), the other leeches of attention (video games, sports, the Internet, etc.), and so on — in an effort to get folks to read our words despite the uphill battle. Reading takes effort and thought (neither required to sit and stare at a screen), as well as a measure of proficiency in the task (reading at a post-grade school level), and many people cannot or will not put forth that effort, especially for a multi-page document that would take more time to read than the person wishes to invest.

Now the big question: How can we combat the rising tide of aliteracy and literature ennui that threatens to make all writers, poets, and authors obsolete? I’m looking for suggestions…

]]> By: Chris Millar http://www.dailywritingtips.com/critical-analysis-of-your-own-writing/comment-page-1/#comment-197727 Chris Millar Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:15:39 +0000 http://www.dailywritingtips.com/?p=3321#comment-197727 A couple of quick points. Firstly, the thing that initially hit me in the quoted piece was the character claiming to be the Alpha and the Omega - it was a very real shock. But a bigger shock was that his audience did not recognise the quotation and everything that Big J was saying about himself. And yet there is much about the Bible and Jesus that is not known by the majority of people here in the UK, so maybe I am wrong to be shocked by the non recognition. Secondly, the three minute attention span is not unique to your side of the Atlantic. We have supposedly intelligent politicians (another oxymoron for your attention) who are incapable of understanding, let alone formulating, a lengthy reasoned argument on any subject. Our three year old grandson seems more capable of paying attention for more than three minutes. A couple of quick points. Firstly, the thing that initially hit me in the quoted piece was the character claiming to be the Alpha and the Omega – it was a very real shock. But a bigger shock was that his audience did not recognise the quotation and everything that Big J was saying about himself. And yet there is much about the Bible and Jesus that is not known by the majority of people here in the UK, so maybe I am wrong to be shocked by the non recognition.

Secondly, the three minute attention span is not unique to your side of the Atlantic. We have supposedly intelligent politicians (another oxymoron for your attention) who are incapable of understanding, let alone formulating, a lengthy reasoned argument on any subject. Our three year old grandson seems more capable of paying attention for more than three minutes.

]]>