SQR 6

Lisa Marie Lopez
Rachel Reyna

Ms. Trang
English 1301
October 17, 2010

Closing My Eyes as I Speak: An Argument for Ignoring Audience Author(s): Peter Elbow Source: College English, Vol. 49, No. 1 (Jan., 1987), pp. 50-69 Published by: National Council of Teachers of English
Summary: “Closing My Eyes as I Speak” is an article that speaks of the things writers do that could either make their essays good or bad. John Ashberry states that, “Very often people don’t listen to you when you speak to them. It’s only when you talk to yourself that they prick up their ears.” The author goes on by explaining the quote and says that writers tend to speak to themselves leading the readers to stray from the subject, or what they are reading, meaning that there is not much of an interest found in the reader because the writer goes off brainstorming to where the writer is the only person who understands what is going on. The article later describes this way of writing as writers based prose, which is where the writer benefits for himself. He goes on talking about how reader and writers based prose could help benefit the writer. Writer based prose is basically a tool the writer uses to only hear his/her own voice and blocks out the audience. The author explains that writers based prose is “unclear” and a “complete mess”. Reader’s based prose is explained as a method that could also create unclear and unsaid words. In this process, the writer thinks too much of the audience, and it is hard for them to speak their mind. The article is mainly about cognitive learning.
Question: What method would you use when writing your essay? Would it be reader base prose, or writer base prose?
My opinion is that I would rather use writer base prose because, I believe if writer based prose is used, your essay will be unique and unlike any other. I tend to use writer base prose because I have the mentality where I don’t tend to follow or connect with the reader. Each of us as individuals can’t always connect with one another. We all are different in our own ways. Not all of us have the same stories to tell or the same opinions. I could base my essay on pickles and the reader might not connect with me because the reader hates pickles. Writers can’t always satisfy the readers. If no one used writers based prose, then there would be no individuality or any characteristics that would separate us from the rest of the world. Some readers might actually be able to understand what you have written because they have been there, or they have experienced what the writer has experienced before. The writer could write about some kind of romance novel and a child could read it and not interpret what he/she just read. Writer base prose could benefit writers in many ways, not only by showing how artistic they are, but by sharing their experiences to the world and maybe create a change.