(The) Writer's Mind: Cover Memo for the Portfolio
The reflective essay is a chance for you to introduce the lyric essay, to analyze your writing performances that led to writing the lyric. Reflect thoughtfully on your strengths and your remaining weaknesses as a writer.
Ultimately, you will share your vision for yourself as a writer. You must draw on evidence from your writing to present an argument about the significance of your development as a writer over the semester. |
This document is to be at least 2 pages single-spaced, with paragraphs indented only by a single space. |
Notes
You would benefit from reflecting on the experience of writing the three drafts of the Complaint Narrative.
You could also examine how we use our dominant narratives to shape our memories of the signature events of our early lives (in the Memento project), and then how the creative and figural exercise of language might challenge our certainties about our own origins: the genre of the lyric essay challenges the writer to adapt to the conventions of inquiry that define the genre.
You could also examine how we use our dominant narratives to shape our memories of the signature events of our early lives (in the Memento project), and then how the creative and figural exercise of language might challenge our certainties about our own origins: the genre of the lyric essay challenges the writer to adapt to the conventions of inquiry that define the genre.
Note: be sure to use specific examples of your own writing to illustrate your reflections on your writing. QUOTE from your writing, perhaps using different stages of the writing process to reveal significant developments. In any case, do not merely assume the reader is as familiar as you are with what you have included in the portfolio. You want to guide your reader in how best to understand the changes you have undergone through revision, etc.
You may contrast an early draft of an essay to a later one of the same essay to show
You may contrast an essay written early in the semester to one written later in the semester.
Or you may address the weaknesses in an essay or essays, saying what you would do if you had a chance for a further revision.
- how you have undergone a transformation of your understanding of writing in-scene versus exposition
- how you've developed a reflective voice
- how you’ve revised in light of insights from class or workshop discussions
- how you’ve changed your writing to respond to the needs of audience or context
- how the changes you’ve made have been major ones, not just within sentences, but within paragraphs or the essay as a whole
- how you’ve dealt with incorporated comments from me or your peers, written or spoken.
You may contrast an essay written early in the semester to one written later in the semester.
Or you may address the weaknesses in an essay or essays, saying what you would do if you had a chance for a further revision.
This reflective Cover Memo is an essential part of the portfolio. It is your opportunity to interpret for me what you’ve learned this semester, how you have been challenged, how you have developed as a writer, and how much your writing has improved.
Also, you should feel free to refer to the class readings and discussion whenever it is appropriate.
Also, you should feel free to refer to the class readings and discussion whenever it is appropriate.