Porter IWA

"Intertexuality and the Discourse Community"

Before Your Read:

I get help from peers in workshops and in class. Sometimes I go to a Writing Center when I feel that there is an organizational issue in my paper or short story and I've stared at it too long and just can't see what's wrong. Sometimes I will read things aloud and often times the problem lies in order of processing so when you read it aloud it will stick at the point of the problem.

I get ideas from people-watching. Flannery O'Connor said that everyone days at least one absurd thing a day, whether it's absurd for them or the rest of the world.  I watch for the absurdities. I also word jumble. Often times putting two words that have no connection together leads to an amazing connection. For formal papers, I pick subjects that I have strong reactions to. Either way, good or bad, or for Peter Elbow--maybe both.

Summary:

Porter focuses on the idea of thoughts and ideas being borrowed and shared between texts in the term "intertexuality".  The problem, ofcourse, arising in what is original and creative when built upon other things? The summation of the conclusion becomes the distinct differences between collaborative notions becoming one's individual creative work and definitions of plagiarism in the discourse community. The link that I believe my students will be making is between Porter's idea of intertexuality and Allen's argument of collusion. Which influence on one's work is acceptable? Does it really come down to the physical aspect of peers writing or correcting work? I don't believe that it does, for many different reasons, however, it will be hard for my students to understand building ideas and having ownership. I think the best way to begin that conversation will be discussing giving credit where it is due.

QD
4:  I imagined the argument of acceptability would be based on the discussion the paper enters into. For instance, if the student writes a paper for a class based on an assignment, the acceptability is based on whether it meets the requirement and the goal of the paper. However, Porter evaluates the work based on other's surrounding that student and whether it meets their approval. This is an odd notion, if I'm understanding it correctly, because what if someone in the reading community questions the originality of the writer, or the goal of the assignment, it doesn't mean that the paper doesn't exist because of non- approval, it simply means further evaluation is needed. When I think about how my own writing has been workshopped, I understand that this is the way writing works in a reading community, however, whether or not the group approves of my fiction piece does not mean I will not continue writing it.


5. I believe that Porter does have a strong argument that individuality is greatly affected by intertextuality and that creative voice is sometimes hard to find. I'm sure Porter is neither the first to write about this, nor going to be the last. This is the intertextuality in process with his writing and then again with me writing about his writing. I think the key to demonstrate to our students is that rhetoric is a ladder that we all build upon with ideas but to give credit to the previous stair. This is the determination between originality and plagiarism.

AE
2.  For this course you will be asked to build upon others' ideas to continue a conversation in writing discourse. While many of you will need help learning how to incorporate another's thoughts with your own, note that I will accept drafts that need help and work as a learning opportunity. However, take excellent class notes when we discuss how to cite and avoid claiming another's work as your own.  Accidents happen but when you have been taught the difference it becomes intentional. Intentional plagiarism and theft of another's works and thoughts will result in failure of the course and possible judiciary proceedings.

MM

Porter hasn't really changed my ideas of writers working alone. I still know that writers work physically alone while writing but have ideas from other things in their minds during incubation. I can see how the idea of it being somewhat a group process, but I still see writing as an act done alone.