Rewriting by Joseph Harris

Rewriting by Joseph Harris

How to Do Things with Texts

In his introduction, Harris defines academic writing as the interaction of ideas. He argues, “Intellectual work both starts and ends in acknowledging the strengths of other perspectives”. In addition, Harris recognizes that the roots of all academic writing stem from the texts and works of others and therefore scholarly writing is a form of Rewriting and adding to the thoughts of other authors. He also asserts that reading and comprehension of the work of others is a form of Rewriting because you must turn it into your own language in order to make sense of it and to fully understand what the author is saying.

In the chapter “Coming to Terms”, Harris outlines the necessary questions to ask in order to fully analyze their work and take from it what an academic writer would need to create their own work. By asking the correct questions, a reader is able to define for him or herself what the author’s project for the text is. Harris says, “A project is usually something far more complex than a main idea, since it refers not to a single concept but to a plan of work, to a set of ideas and questions that a writer ‘throws forward’. The idea of a project thus raises questions of intent.” By asking the questions that get at the basis of what the author is articulating, a reader is able to outline the objectives or goals of the author, describe how the author uses evidence to construct their argument, and express the resources the author uses as his or her evidence.

Just like I have done in this blog, when a reader or a writer takes quotes from an author, the person is illustrating what stands out to them as the important aspects of the writers work. By doing this, the reader is further making sense of what the author is saying as well as the authors project for the text.

Harris, who has analyzed academic writing and reading, has a very similar view of them as Sullivan, who championed blogging as a form of writing and informing others through his opinion. Harris surprisingly uses an informal and conversational tone within his book, as does Sullivan on his blog.