Blog Post #8 (Ian)
Interesting take on that timeless grudge match been academic and creative nonfiction, but cringed at Goedde's frequent use of what I'll call The Other B-Word, which raised its own separate set of questions for me about how we (as tutors) shape the way our students write about racism... Though the use of this word felt central to Loraine's story - and was further complicated by Loraine's own Mexican-American heritage - it was also impossible for me to imagine Goedde parroting it with the same zeal if, say, this had been a story about Loraine using the N-word, or any number of other xenophobic slurs. Not sure if others reacted similarly, but felt noteworthy given the particular necessity (and thorniness) of having students write about race at a place as overwhelmingly white as the University of Iowa.
As for comparing this nonfiction case study to the more academic studies we've previously consulted, I feel like the pros and cons basically mirror those raised by Goedde and Loraine in discussing academic vs. creative nonfiction. Like Goedde, I think there's something to be said for the personal/human/emotional insight provided through a more narrative study, and particularly so in this instance, since Goedde is using narrative to make a case for narrative. To me, the only real shortfall of this approach is that Goedde's argument becomes slightly more implicit in the process (though not by much) which requires a different kind of reading than a more academic article at pains to preface, state, and restate its explicit claims from start to finish.
As for comparing this nonfiction case study to the more academic studies we've previously consulted, I feel like the pros and cons basically mirror those raised by Goedde and Loraine in discussing academic vs. creative nonfiction. Like Goedde, I think there's something to be said for the personal/human/emotional insight provided through a more narrative study, and particularly so in this instance, since Goedde is using narrative to make a case for narrative. To me, the only real shortfall of this approach is that Goedde's argument becomes slightly more implicit in the process (though not by much) which requires a different kind of reading than a more academic article at pains to preface, state, and restate its explicit claims from start to finish.
Your concern over the use of the B-word is noted and warranted. I did have a similar reaction to it as you did for a moment and then just continued reading. The use of xenophobic slurs, as you put it, in academic writing is an important topic to consider and is one that has multiple and developing perspectives. Who has the right to use these words and why? I’m not necessarily taking a stance on this issue, but I would like to provide an alternative perspective. Goedde’s use of the B-word in his case study might be in line with his tutoring lesson. He taught Loraine that words and dialogue can and should speak for themselves. Maybe that was his intention when he decided to include the B-word in his case study.
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DeleteI agree with your concern over the author's repetition of the slur mentioned by the student, but my question would be--would the tutor advise the student to remove the word from the piece, or does the student have greater license to use it, being of Mexican-American heritage? I would guess that, because the student is using it in a derogatory manner, it ought to be reworked. But it is of particular importance to us in our work at Iowa since, as you mentioned, the students here are not exactly diverse. I hope we can discuss this in class, as I'm interested to hear other students' reactions to the reading.
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-Kathleen