Quanesha
Burr
“Composition at the Turn of the
Twenty-First Century” by Richard Fulkerson is an informative and challenging
piece to read. In the article, Fulkerson explains “the variant contemporary
approaches to teaching college writing” (658). He gives his readers a description
of each techniques strengths and weaknesses, and he highlights four main areas
he wants his audience to pay attention to. Fulkerson goal is to prove or show
disconnection and issues which are more evident “early in the twenty-first
century than it had appeared to be around 1990” (654). In my opinion, he does a
great job trying to defend his assertions or prove his points. Readers become
frustrated just by trying to understand and read his article. The audience is constantly
trying to grasp all the information he provides which proves there is just too
much going on in general. After reading this article, I would like to know more
about what was occurring in 1990. From previous readings, extreme turmoil
existed way before now.
Furthermore, I lacked knowledge about “critical/cultural
studies [CCS], (2) expressivism, and (3) procedural rhetoric” (Fulkerson 655). This
article helped me to really learn about all three and it also made me think
about a conversation the class engaged in. While reading Fulkerson’s article, I
started thinking about the question Dr. Zamora asked which was “How were you
taught to write?” When I was reading this article, I really wished there was
more of a variety or uniqueness to the way in which I was taught. I really
liked “expressivist composition” (Fulkerson 666). I wish I was a student who
experienced a teacher engaging in this technique. What this technique engages in or practices
can be compared to the way I write now.
Moreover, one main point Fulkerson makes that
stuck out to me was “the actual question of what is good writing is more
problematic than ever” (681). This quotation goes back to a comment I made in
class about students constantly having to adjust to their teachers. Effective
writing to one teacher may not be effective writing to another.
