HIPHOP IS WRITING ABOUT WRITING I start to think, and then I sink Into the paper, like I was ink. When I’m writin I’m trapped in between the lines I escape when I finish the rhyme. - Eric B. and Rakim, “I Know You Got Soul” Tessa

“It made far more sense to us to have students really engage with writing in the writing course; the best way to do this, we decided, was to adopt a ‘writing about writing’ approach introducing students directly to what writing researchers have learned about writing and challenging them to respond by writing and doing research of their own…..[College] students are expert language users with multiple literacies: They are experienced student writers, and they’re engaged with many other discourses as well—blogging, texting, instant messaging, posting to social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube…. This book encourages students to discover how others— including Sondra Perl, Mike Rose, James Paul Gee, their instructors, and their classmates—have answered these questions and then to find out more by doing meaningful research of their own.

“These are professional writers talking about how they write—their understanding of writing ‘rules’ and conventions…their rituals…[T]hese writers are discussing many of the same concepts considered in the research articles—but they are not conducting research: They are commenting on their own experience.” (emphasis added)

THERE IS LOTS OF “WRITING ABOUT WRITING” Clockwise from above: via mbird.com, rapgenius.com, blog.modcloth.com

“They call themselves writers.” | STYLE WARS

While watching “Style wars” I began to see how dancing and graffiti was another form of literacy you would not expect.…Graffiti is an art, as a painter I have come to realize how many people think this takes no talent and is a waste of time. Some don’t realize that it is a form of literacy you just really have to look. …This document made me see that maybe I’m not noticing all of the talents and literacies people have in this world, but I am starting to really see everything that can now be considered literacy. (emphasis added) - Jess, WRT 105 student via whatyouwrite.com

THANKS! twitter.com/tessalaprofessa hiphopocracy.wordpress.com