Rewriting: How To Do Things With Texts

by Joseph Harris

"Like all writers, intellectuals need to say something new and say it well. But unlike many other writers, what intellectuals have to say is bound up with the books we are reading . . . and the ideas of the people we are talking with." What are the moves that an academic writer makes? How does writing as an intellectual change the way we work from sources? In Rewriting,  a textbook for the undergraduate classroom, Joseph Harris draws the college writing student away from static ideas of thesis, support, and structure, and toward a more mature and dynamic understanding. Harris wants college writers to think of intellectual writing as an adaptive and social activity, and he offers them a clear set of strategies—a set of moves—for participating in it.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Teaching, Grad School, Academic, Education, Read For School

150 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2006

Reviews

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you multiple higher powers. This is a fascinating book. The argument is strong: all writing is rewriting. But the gift of this book is that it provides the scaffold for the construction of a fair and transparent interpretation.

How can we be intellectually generous to academic writers while forwarding, revising and applying their ideas? This book offers clear strategies for this process.

Excellent short book. Excellent.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely every student in the humanities needs this book. I am a PhD student and I never took a course on HOW to engage with the scholarship of others. How should I cite other texts? How do I signal where I disagree or what I want to add? Rewriting is the book I wish I had been given as an undergrad.

My only criticism is that the book needed a proofreader. There were several sentences in which there were missing or repeated words. Still, this book is tremendously useful and if you're reading this review, you probably should own a copy.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This happens less and less as I enjoy the job I have more and more (and get older and older), but every once in a while something comes along that makes me want to be a teacher again, and "Rewriting" by Joseph Harris is one of those things. Here is Harris on what he works toward when planning a semester's writing course, "I want to give students a series of chances to surprise me, to rewrite the course I have designed -- to notice unexpected things about the texts I assign and to bring new texts to the table for us to talk about, to put their own spins on the familiar moves of intellectual writing, to develop their own projects as writers, to say something that responds to the work of others but that also feels new and their own. My aim, that is, is to make the writing classroom, like writing itself, a space of possibility."
(sigh. I want my classroom back. I want to make that too.)
And I could, better than I ever did, having read Harris' book which, as he says a good writing course should do "teaches both a practice and a habit of mind -- a way of doing things and a way of thinking about things." In this case, "things" being writing in response to others' texts but in such a way as to forward one's own writing project -- asking academic-writerly questions such as "What uses can you make of this work? and What else might be said on this subject?
I would say more, but you shouldn't be reading my review of Joseph Harris' work, you should be reading this book, if you are a writing teacher, or interested in the craft of academic writing, that is.

[W. D. Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The errors in syntax and grammar are easy to overlook because the content is bang on. I learned so much about engaging with new forms of scholarship and bringing that information into my own creations. I am eternally grateful it was assigned. Hidden gem. ✊🏿

[alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

DR B COUNT YOUR DAYS

[lila]

on my knees crying this was so boring

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris provides an original and helpful way of thinking about the process of revision. He views all writing as "rewriting," either rewriting what others have written or rewriting what we ourselves have written. He focuses in particular on the "moves" that writers make. These include "coming to terms," "forwarding," "countering," and "taking an approach." "Coming to terms" is a more sophisticated way of thinking about summary. More than just repeating what an author has said it involves understanding an author's "project," that is, understanding what a writer is trying to do on his or her own terms. "Forwarding" is extending the project or views of a writer. "Countering" involves delimiting or changing the direction or another writer, a more sophisticated view than just "refuting" or "disagreeing." "Taking an approach" is related, in my mind, to classical ideas about imitation. This move involves doing something along the same lines of what the author is trying to do. It wouldn't necessary be the same "project" of a particular writer, but it might involve the same "approach" to a different project. In his chapter on revising, Harris talks about how to use these moves in response to a writer's own writing. And in a helpful afterward, he reveals how he teaches these ideas in his own course.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris helps any writer--first-year college student, graduate student, teacher, essayist, journalist--see how intellectual writing involves "doing things with texts." He coins insightful terms (such as "coming to terms" and "forwarding") to describe the moves such writing makes. His examples, drawn from published writing and his own experience, illuminate these moves. The book makes you want to write!

[Bastia Marlowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading for graduate literature degree. Of course, that does not mean I didn't critique the heck out of it, even in class. I do not like my time wasted so I appreciated Harris' straight-forward, no nonsense approach to revisions and the purpose of graduate writing. His explanation of concepts were not hard to follow and usually along similar veins of how I think. I would suggest this book to any graduate student, not just in Literature, who wishes to understand the role of their research writings better. Harris' approach is much more hopeful than most books because at the least, a novice graduate student feels as he/she has something to contribute.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for class, but it's a pretty interesting book. Honestly, I did the speed read thing, so I need to go back and re-read for more specific use.

Anyway, it's handy for those of us that have to write academic papers, yet don't feel quite at home with the mores of doing so. It gives some good perspectives on how to think about other people's work, entering the "academic conversation" well, and reworking ideas that are commonly used.

Good resource!

[lydie holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

absolutely loved this book. i learned so much on how to improve my writing it’s kinda crazy! i usually do not soak up as much info in these types of books but i was HOOKED and there was literally no plot to be hooked to haha i just love learning how to better myself and how to become the best writer i can possibly be! i definitely recommend this!

[Cortney Mere]

Personally, I don’t always like the word choice or definitions used, but as Harris points out, the word choices and definitions are not the point. The point is that I am thinking about how to teach moves with text. This was a slow read because it got me thinking. After reading this, I have much to process, adapt, and try out in my classroom.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thankfully, this book was not as much of a snooze as I thought it was going to be! Still wasn't exactly what I wanted to spend my time doing, but I did walk away with some ideas for class, so I'll take it!

[Prionti Nasir · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had this as the textbook for our academic writing class. I certainly take away a nuanced and structured approach to academic writing, and feel much more informed about handling intertextuality and literacy in my texts.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Never really explained 'how to do things with texts' or how to show students these skills. A lot of theoretical thoughts about writing. The book is geared towards secondary teachers; however, many of the tasks seem more appropriate for college-aged. Overall boring and nothing really groundbreaking.

[Edward Ferrari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely useful terms and perspective, I plan to come back to this.

[Shana Karnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super smart and probably worth a re-read or two!

[Denise Sudbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had this resource when I started writing the mother of all intellectual writing... a dissertation. Better now during the revision than never!

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best professional texts I've read.

[Great Words Monger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my book reviews here:
https://greatwordsmonger.wordpress.co...

[Annelisa Burns]

This is my favorite book on writing. I prefer it to They Say/I Say (but don’t tell anyone). I use these moves in my own writing and this language in my tutoring and editing all the time. So helpful.

[Lainey Workman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best romance I’ve ever read 😍😍

[paige frankenfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely changed my views on writing and gave me good ideas that I can continue to use

[Sydnee Patak · Rating 3 out of 5]

this gets 3 stars because he’s smart and the advice is good but i was so bored and i slept on top of this book.

[sdw · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book written by an academic about academic writing. Harris asks us to reframe our academic writing as rewriting – recognizing the intertextuality of academic work – both in terms of engaging other critics and in terms of the texts we analyze. For example, he discusses when to quote and when to paraphrase. He also suggests we stop thinking of “responding” to texts or writers and instead recognize that we are forwarding our responses to their ideas to a third reader, who is the actual intended audience.

Most academic writers would benefit from reading chapter 3 which provides etiquette and strategies for politely disagreeing with points made by other scholars and also realizing when an attack on a scholar’s writing is not necessary to your project.

The chapter discussing the difference between revising and editing is also very useful.

In the end, this book helped me think more critically about how I engage and cite the work of academics in my own academic writings.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this is really going to transform the way I talk about composition in my classroom. I hope to use many of Harris's suggestions in order to help prepare my high schoolers for the rigors of academic writing at the university.

This is NOT a book of lesson plans. And thank goodness! This IS a thought provoking look at the writing moves that can and should be made. The various projects and examples will inspire you to come up with new ways to teach writing in your classroom.

I cannot recommend this highly enough.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really appreciated the way that Harris taxonomized the standard "They Say/I Say" moves into a more nuanced rubric of ways that we respond to others through our writing. I also liked how he named each of these forms of responses and provided several detailed examples of each move in all of the chapters. Finally, I appreciated the distinction he drew between revision and editing, which is often something that is difficult for an undergraduate to understand.

[Laurel Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite whatever comes to mind when you read the title of this text, or glimpse the cover, this text would be a wonderful addition to just about any composition classroom. Easily accessible for students, and chock full of sample projects, and more various sources texts to get your students not only writing, but understanding why they need to make the rhetorical moves that professional writers do.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book to use for teaching a writing course. Harris offers several useful tips for teaching the augmentative essay especially. I specifically liked when he cautions the reader against arguing with the text you are using when writing your own essay.

[Maral]

I'm re-reading this in preparation for the course I'm teaching next semester.