Outline for McGill Writing Centre Presentation

Writing as Dialogue: Rethinking the Role of Reading

7 March 1997

Background

Theoretical: why authentic written dialogue matters

Practical: how my Eighteenth century course was set up

Exploring the context

Will's Coffeehouse:

Looking at the writing

What does the writing so produced look like, and how does it evolve? Examples:

Milton's Satan discussion

Johnson's marriage views discussion

John Oldham's Satire discussion

Some first year students catch on

I've set up a HyperNews forum to continue the discussion we've begun here today. Please feel invited to participate -- and to reflect on the process as part of my presentation about the nature and constraints of authentic written dialogue.


To Russ Hunt's Web Site