I'm loving this article

[yesthattom]

“Just as inviting people over forces you to clean up your apartment, writing something that other people will read forces you to think well.” *link*

Comments

[kimuchi.livejournal.com]

Well that makes me feel less bad about the complete lack of literature in my high school education. I did have very thorough English composition instruction (which I mostly disregard, unfortunately).

[airshipjones.livejournal.com]

I think my favorite line from this article was the last. Actually, the whole last paragraph was great.

"The Internet is changing that. Anyone can publish an essay on the Web, and it gets judged, as any writing should, by what it says, not who wrote it. Who are you to write about x? You are whatever you wrote."

Thanks...

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

Jackie, who knows a thing or two about education, wrote to me:

Thanks, Tom, for sharing the article.  I enjoyed it.  I would have picked the same quotes, and added a few more.  Especially about asking why, being interested in everything, and looking to be surprised.

I agree with most of what Graham says, but a core proposition is off:  essay writing has not been the focus of most school assignments, thus assignments in English, or other subjects that were intended to argue (he's on point on that) a position, really are not good practice for essay writing, or for that matter, any kind of personal writing.  Schools (K-6 at least) have started to work from the premise that writing helps clarify thinking, so some kids will have a better experience.  Technology also helps.  It's amazing how much more kids can write using word processing.  They can use their energies on their ideas rather than on erasing and fixing spelling and handwriting, moving things around, wordsmithing, etc.  My take is that the best essayists in training are folks who find life really interesting and want to share their discoveries with others.