PB2B from North Carolina!

The first move I identified from They Say, I Say was adding metacommentary in Navigating Genres. On page 251 Kerry Dirk writes, “I further acknowledged that it is quite rare that teachers of writing get to write so directly to students in such an informal manner.” Metacommentary is defined as a “term to describe a narrative which directs the readers attention to the text’s purpose and positioning.” (patthomson.net) Dirk realizes that it is rare for students to be taught in such a casual tone, and directs his reader to that realization by acknowledging it himself. This is effective for him, as the reader is aware of the abnormal style but still knows they are being taught something.

I then looked in Teaching Two Kinds of Thinking by Teaching Writing where I found Peter Elbow utilizing the entertaining objections move on page 58. He asks the reader a direct question of if freewriting enhances first order thinking before discussing how freewriting only works if there are other factors in play (Elbow). Elbow entertains his readers to answer their own question and then goes on to give reasons why their thinking may be flawed. This is an effective strategy, as it makes sure that the reader is on the same page as the author concerning this topic.

Next, I looked in Backpacks vs. Briefcases where Laura Bolin Carroll uses the move of introducing a quotation on page 48 by writing, “In an article called ‘The Rhetorical Situation’…” then later in the paragraph quoting a definition from that article. A quotation haphazardly thrown into a sentence without any introduction can catch the reader off guard and confuse them. It also takes away from the authority of the paper and the source. The reader may not trust a quotation if they have no background information on where it came from. This is an effective strategy for Carroll as the reader is given the information they need to check the source for validity themselves before the quote is used. This also shows Carroll’s confidence in the source, which gives the reader confidence to trust it.

In How to Read Like a Writer, Mike Bunn uses the move of signaling who is saying what to indicate, “another former student, Mike, comments…” Without this indication, the reader doesn’t know who Mike is and might not trust the comment. Indicating that Mike is a former student allows the student reading to relate to Mike and trust what he has to say. This is extremely effective for Bunn since it allows the reader to relate to the source. In a unique circumstance, the source and the author both have the same first name, so the clarification also helps the reader understand that the author of the essay isn’t quoting himself.

Also from How to Read Like a Writer, Bunn agrees and disagrees simultaneously on page 83 by saying “This is certainly shorter…” then saying he agrees with that point, but then disagreeing by asking, “What is lost by eliminating so much of the detail?” (Bunn) Bunn not only addresses the reader’s thoughts about the point he is trying to make, but validates them in a small way as well. This makes the reader feel good which encourages them to keep reading. He also disagrees though, clarifying his point later on about losing detail. This move is effective since it keeps the reader from feeling unintelligent while also showing them where their thinking is flawed.

Next I discovered some moves on my own. The first I named “Right Here, Right Now!” It describes the use of italics in How to Read like a Writer. On pages 82-84, Bunn utilizes italics to differentiate examples of his own text that he is using to explain a concept. It is very effective as it keeps the reader from getting lost flipping through the pages looking for the referenced text. The move makes it easier for the author to make the point to the reader as the example is offered right in line with the concept being described.

The “Buddy Buddy” move is used throughout Murder! (Rhetorically Speaking) by Janet Boyd and can be seen in the choice of words such as “chat, nowadays, and dazzle” The casual tone keeps the reader from being overwhelmed by any seriousness of the academic concepts being discussed. It is effective at keeping the reader interested with its light and friendly tone even while discussing serious concepts.

In Backpacks vs. Briefcases, Carroll uses what I called, “Say What Again?” where she uses multiple quotes from one source. This establishes this source as very reliable and keeps the reader from getting overwhelmed with having to check multiple sources. It is fairly effective in my opinion. Multiple sources would also be effective, but if the reader is interested in checking them, using one source is more time saving.

Spaces for Writing’s move is pretty clear, and I called it “A Picture Says a Thousand Words” The entire piece is written in comic form, which the authors utilize to keep the reader interested. Pictures are less daunting than an 8-page essay, which keeps the reader from becoming discouraged from reading. I personally didn’t like this move since it was difficult for me to follow, but I can see the effectiveness for other readers who may read comics more often.

Lastly, I named a move the “Reality Show” used in Backpacks vs. Briefcases. This move used modern and reader-relevant examples such as “Whole Foods vs. Wal-Mart” (Carroll) to show situations where we persuade others in everyday life. It was effective as the move proves the point Carroll makes that we already have the tools to use these writing examples.