PB2B: Move to the Groove

PB2B

     The articles that we read in this class thus far have proven to display a high variety of moves which the authors implemented in order to help students in the quest for understanding the inner workings of rhetoric. These key moves allow writers to connect to their reader and capture their attention, which is essential for this type of academic text.

Take, for example, Kerry Dirk's first major move in the article Navigating Genres:

Funny Bone - Dirk uses a few article headlines from the popular online magazine The Onion, which effectively captures the reader's attention with humor. Using headlines such as "Myspace Outrage Leaves Millions Friendless", prompts readers to relate to the author and the concepts at hand through their sense of humor. Dirk effectively takes his target audience into account with this move by implementing catchy headlines from a source that many of the students reading his work may already follow.

Dirk continues making moves with the statement, “In other words, knowing what a genre is used for can help people to accomplish goals”. This is reminiscent of the concept of explaining quotations as outline by the They Say, I Say appendix. This move helps Dirk to really get to the point of the preceding quote and tune the reader in to his purpose for its inclusion.

In the next example, Dirk claims that, “Many of you may be familiar with The Onion”, which again follows the ‘Introduction of a standard view’ guideline set out in They Say, I Say. By prefacing his argument with this introduction, Dirk manages to strike a bond with the reader and display the fact that readers may already have some knowledge about the sources he uses in his article.

Throw it Back - Dirk follows up one of his key quotes on page 259 with the suggestion to, “[Take] what Devitt says into account, [and] think back to the previous discussion of the research paper.” This throwback to an earlier portion of the piece is an extremely effective move that helps readers comprehend his point as well as go back and review what they have already learned from the article. Big play Dirk, big play.

Another author who makes use of some seriously slick moves is Janet Boyd, as displayed by the writing piece Murder! (Rhetorically-Speaking):

Author Undercover - Boyd offers the reader a series of detective reports from students writing pieces in order to “present some rhetoric in action” (Boyd 90). This move is meant to engage students with an analysis of some writing that is ‘on their level’ and urges readers to analyze their work in a similar way. Boyd even encourages readers to ‘visualize themselves’ in a new occupation to write about the topic at hand, which is a powerful call to action for students to take part in this activity.

Following up with her calculated use of student writing, Boyd introduces one author by name, explaining “Brett Magura writes…” with a direct quotation by this particular rhetor. This is an example of Signaling Who is Saying What, and gives direct evidence as to the source and medium which she is using to illustrate her point about viewpoints and perspective in the writing process.

Janet Lennon - Boyd visualized the writing process of a student when she remarks, “I imagine that Lynch, like many students, assumed he had to work in all “five facts”…” (Boyd 96). This move helps Boyd convey to her student audience that she really takes their viewpoint into account and attempts to see the writing activity through their eyes.

Boyd later introduces a “standard view” or issue that a student author may face by claiming, “You might find that your closing argument reads so much like Traina’s that they can be considered “generic” closing arguments.” This once again helps Boyd connect her readers to the case studies she presents, with the purpose of encouraging a certain type of introspective critical analysis about one’s writing.

The final author making huge plays in his writing moves is Mike Bunn, who uses two key moves in his article How to Read Like a Writer:

Bunn displays a prime example of Making a Concession While Still Standing his Ground when he declares that, “While it might seem a little weird at first to image how published texts could be written differently…remember that all writing can be improved” (Bunn 78). This concession helps to make it abundantly clear that any piece of writing is subject to criticism and analysis, regardless of the source. This is meant to prompt students to think critically about any type of rhetoric in order to use the same principles in their own writing.

Writer’s Roadmap - Bunn utilizes this critical move multiple times in his piece by explaining to the reader where his writing is headed and how he plans to proceed with his analysis. Bunn takes the reader on a literary journey by inviting the reader to join him in a guided tour of his work by using phrases such as, “Let’s go back to the opening paragraph of this essay and spend some time” and “Let’s begin with those questions I encouraged you to try to answer before you start reading” (Bunn 82). This does a masterful job of guiding the audience towards a productive analysis and allows Bunn to really emphasis his key concepts from within the work.