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.