Alyssa Vasquez
ENG 1301.28
Instructor: Trang Phan
10/20/10
Closing My Eyes as I Speak: An Argument for Ignoring Audience
Peter Elbow. “Closing My Eyes as I Speak: An Argument for Ignoring Audience”. College English, Vol. 41, No. 1 (Sep., 1979), pp. 19-37
Summary:
In the article “Closing My Eyes as I Speak”, Peter Elbow talks about the benefits of ignoring the audience. For some people an audience can sometimes help out the speaker but most of the time an audience can intimidate the speaker and block or disrupt their writing process. To prevent writer’s block, Elbow also claims ignoring the audience in these early stages of the writing process can ultimately result in better writing. Writing that is "writer-based" instead of "reader-based," according to Elbow, is more natural, authentic, and trustworthy. Elbow then discusses the role of audience awareness from two models of cognitive development: the Piagetian (individual psychology) and the Vygotskian (social psychology). Both models have explanations and remedies for writing that is "too thin." The Piagetian model claims that language begins as a private act and as we mature, we learn to become more social, to "decenter." The solution for such writing, says the Piagetians, is to "think more about the audience." The Vygotskian model, on the other hand, states that language begins as a social act and as we mature, we learn to better hear our own voices for ourselves.
Question: What does the author mean by “the effect of audience awareness is somewhere between the two extremes: the awareness disturbs or disrupts our writing and thinking without completely blocking it” (p.51-52)?
Response:
I agree with Elbow on all accounts. The awareness of an audience can be intimidating and block our thoughts during the writing process, thus making it difficult to create a great draft. Speaking up is sometimes really difficult if we think of people. The same goes in writing. It is sometimes hard to put our ideas in words, thinking what should be written first, what should be included, and what should not be included. Having rough draft can really help us get the best result. Pouring out all the ideas first and then put them in place. Audience is one of the things that keep us from speaking up our ideas. When I have a topic to write about, I usually try to relate to it and that makes me write in writer based prose, but when it’s like a research paper I try to write in reader based prose because I have to think of what my teacher is going to want to read and see in my paper. It’s very difficult to think and write when I have an audience to think about, it just blocks me but at the same time I’m trying to write in reader and writer based prose, because I believe it’s better to be equal because an audience will always be available.
