Critical Expressivism: Theory and Practice in the Composition Classroom

Abstract

Edited by Tara Roeder and Roseanne Gatto Perspectives on Writing Series Editor, Susan H. McLeod Information and Pricing 978-1-60235-651-1 (paperback, $32); 978-1-60235-652-8 (hardcover, $65); 978-1-60235-653-5 (pdf, $20) © 2015 Tara Roeder and Roseanne Gatto. 315 pages with illustrations and bibliographies. Bookstores : Order by fax, mail, or phone. See our "Sales and Ordering Page" for details. Description Critical Expressivism: Theory and Practice in the Composition Classroom is an ambitious attempt to re-appropriate intellectual territory that has more often been charted by its detractors than by its proponents. Indeed, as Peter Elbow observes in his contribution to this volume, "As far as I can tell, the term 'expressivist' was coined and used only by people who wanted a word for people they disapproved of and wanted to discredit." The editors and contributors to this collection invite readers to join them in a new conversation, one informed by "a belief that the term expressivism continues to have a vitally important function in our field." About the Editors Tara Roeder is an Associate Professor with the Institute for Writing Studies at St. John's University. She earned her doctorate in English from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2014. Her research focuses on feminist theory and women's memoir; non-oedipal psychoanalytic theory and pedagogy; and queer theory and pedagogy. Roseanne Gatto is an Associate Professor with the Institute for Writing Studies at St. John's University. She earned her doctorate in composition and rhetoric at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2011. Her research interests include archival research methods and social justice in composition/rhetoric. Contents Preface: Yes, I Know That Expressivism Is Out of Vogue, But … Lizbeth Bryant Re-Imagining Expressivism: An Introduction Tara Roeder and Roseanne Gatto Section One: Critical Self-Construction "Personal Writing" and "Expressivism" as Problem Terms Peter Elbow Selfhood and the Personal Ess