College English May 2002

The Cultures of Literature and Composition: What Could Each Learn from the Other?

Peter Elbow

Abstract

he history of relations between composition and literature has involved a vexed tangle of misunderstanding and hurt.Both fields would benefit if we could think through some of the vexations.That's what I'm trying to do here.But I won't talk about the most obvious problems: political and material issues of power, money, and prestige.These matters cannot be ignored, but I will mention them quickly and pass on.Composition has been the weak spouse, the new kid, the cash cow, the oppressed majority.When writing programs are housed in English departments, as they so often are, teachers of writing are usually paid less to teach more under poorer working conditions-in order to help support literature professors to be paid more to teach less under better working conditions.I'm hoping that these material vexations might be starting to recede just a bit now-as composition gets stronger and more secure, as writing programs find they can prosper outside English departments, and as literature itself struggles because of weak support for the humanities (not to mention frequent attacks on "professors" and all of higher education).Even the virus of relying on part-timers and adjuncts is increasing in mainstream literature, too.I ask only that we not forget how hard it will be to get past the deep legacy of anger, hurt, and guilt.I won't even address the much-discussed question of whether writing and literature should marry, stay married, or divorce.

Journal
College English
Published
2002-05-01
DOI
10.2307/3250752
CompPile
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
labor and working conditions
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Citation Context

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