Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Writing, Craft and Atomic Energy


Question: Why do we need to write responsibly?

Answer: When we write, we are “crafting”; we are like the people who developed atomic energy. “Crafting” is putting ideas to work. As Albert Einstein famously stated in 1946: “The release of atomic power has changed everything except our way of thinking…. The solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind. If only I had known, I should have become a watchmaker.”

Comment: Crafting is doing. Crafting in writing is putting ideas to work. And we need to be aware of what we are doing when we write because whatever we write has consequences. I guess that’s what this article means. It’s a good thought that doesn’t mean much in the writing exercises of the classroom. Still…. RayS.

Title: “Craft Knowledge of Disciplinarity in Writing Studies.” RR Johnson. College Composition and Communication (June 2010), 673-690.

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