The Call To Write, Third edition

Chapter One, What is Writing? Analyzing Literacy Events

Overview Introduction to the textbook Writing in Four Contexts Looking at Literacy Events Readings Writing Assignment

Introduction to the text

The Call to Write focuses on the context of writing and reminds us that writing “takes place in many different settings and for many purposes,” (2) some more direct than others.

Therefore, it is important to consider the call to write and determine the best way to respond.

Things to consider Purpose Readers (and the writer’s relationship to the

readers) Voice and tone (formal and third person, or

informal and first person narrative?) Social context Genre (kind of writing, such as essay, fact

sheet, brochure, proposal, or letter)

Four contexts

Chapter One presents explanations and examples for the following:

Writing in everyday life Writing in the workplace Writing in the public sphere (community) Writing in school

Writing in everyday life

Writing is a part of our daily lives: Grocery lists and notes for errands E-mail messages Notes, memos, reports at work or school Text messages on our phones

Writing in the workplace

Writing for the workplace has two sides: internal and external.

Internal documents are those written to people in our own organization and include memos, reports, and e-mail.

External documents are written to people outside of the organization and include letters, reports, proposals, and e-mail.

Writing in the public sphere

Many of us write for the public sphere, or community, in a number of different ways:

A letter to the editor, supporting a position on a local issue

An open thank-you note after a successful fundraiser for your community charity

A petition for a change in policy or to support your choice of candidate

Writing in schoolWriting for school includes essays, reports,

proposals, summaries, and essay exams. Other examples:

Lab reports Journals or logs Postings to a discussion board E-mail to/from teachers and classmates

Visual examples Notice that the chapter includes a number of sample

documents, as well as more visual examples of writing, such as advertisements, newsletters, and screen prints of Web sites.

This is another feature of the book, which also includes a chapter on visual design. There are numerous real-world examples throughout the text.

What is a literacy event? They are also called literacy narratives. It tells a story that shows the significance of

reading and writing in a person’s life. The essay by Frederick Douglass fits a special

subcategory of literacy events because it is also considered a slave narrative.

Readings on literacy events Frederick Douglass, pages 30-31 Eudora Welty, pages 31-32 Margaret J. Finders, pages 32-34

Writing assignment: analyzing a literacy event Your task is to “identify a particular meaningful

encounter with writing…” (35). Notice the list of four questions on page 36; they

will help you to examine the event you choose to write about.

Your instructor will let you know whether your class will be doing this particular assignment, and provide you with additional guidelines.

Student Companion Website Go to the student side of the Web site for

exercises, chapter overviews, and links to writing resources for this chapter:

http://www.ablongman.com/trimbur Click on the textbook cover, and then

select Student Resources.