‘I Stand Here Writing’ essay
Dear Sommers,
In your ‘I Stand Here Writing’ essay, you state that if there were one thing you would teach your students, it would be to view themselves as sources of ideas and consider themselves Emerson’s transparent eyeballs. You also state that you would show them that their voice and vision create a new source. First of all, I must say that your essay does a great job of proving your point. When I read it the first time, I thought it was a bit peculiar and very different from anything I have read. There are several little stories that seem unrelated. However, after reading it a few times, I finally understood that your writing challenges your readers to use an alternative outlook when writing. The kind that prompts us to find new traits for writing. You demonstrate that thinking out of the ordinary rather than borrowing ideas is paramount since it helps us avoid losing our own.
However, Ms. Sommers, I do not see myself precisely as you state. I am not a source of ideas, and neither am I Emerson’s transparent ball, and I think that is also okay. What you are proposing for your students is not an easy task. Personally, I find that I learn a lot from life experiences and what I read. These are my primary sources of inspiration and where I find most of my ideas as a writer. For someone like me, the level of originality you hope for your students is only through doing a lot of reading and finding sources in the mundane everyday tasks. While it seems intriguing to be the sole source of my works, that level of expertise and professionalism simply requires much skill with writing.