Literary Theories: A Reader & Guide “by Tony”

 

I wasn’t really looking for it. I was digging around for Moore or Soter, or even Appleman. Once I found books by those authors, I needed something else, so I picked up Literary Theories: A Reader & Guide. When I attempted to open it to see the table of contents, it landed on the title page instead. To my surprise, “Edited by Julian Wolfreys” had been marked through in a dark orangy yellow. Beneath it was “by Tony.” When did he do this I wondered as I looked at the script of probably a first or second grader?

I laughed at my son’s bold act and was reminded of Milner & Milner’s chapter in Bridging English titled “Enabling Writing.” Toward the end, the authors discuss apprenticeship, mentor texts, and imitating writers as a way to boost students’ confidence when they set pen to paper.  As soon as he could scribble, Tony was told he was a writer; I like to think he just took the notion of imitation to a new level.*

 

*Of course I do not condone plagiarism, and that is not what I’m suggesting here. I’m musing about what happens when at an early age we get the notion that we can be writers. For some of us, we always believe this; we’re confident; we’re determined. Others decide otherwise, perhaps due to too many red marks on their papers or too many rejection letters.  

Books/Authors I mention: