Rewriting a Blog

In Rewriting Joseph Harris goes a long way to explain the essence of academic writing.  It seems that most writing is rewriting, because we take the information we use from countless other sources.  Harris describes how “texts don’t simply reveal their meanings to us; we need to make sense of them.”(Pg. 15)  In “Coming to Terms” Harris talks about different ways to read someone’s writing.  He basically said that proficient readers look for “aims, methods, and materials.”  I really liked what he said about how writers take what they read and incorporate into their own work in their own words.  He talked a lot about analyzing different writings and how one should look for not only what the writer does well, but also what they seem to leave out or avoid.  I really liked how he incorporated other writings to not only serve as examples of academic writing themselves, but also for he himself to analyze them and show exactly what he’s talking about. 

Harris and Sullivan seem to have similar opinions on writing.  They both talk about writing as a “conversation.”  Harris and Sullivan both talked about the almost uncontrollable nature of internet writing.  They both clearly have a passion for writing, and blogging is really a form of rewriting.  One formulates an opinion or idea about an issue, takes in information about the issue, and they then use the information to support their writing, or in this case a blog post.  The hyperlink on the blog shows what is being “rewritten.”

The main difference between these two writers seems to be the formality with which they write.  Clearly “Why I Blog” is project of love on Sullivan’s part, while “Rewriting” is more of a guide to academic writing.  Sullivan seemed to want to express his love for blogging, and Harris seemed to want educate readers about his views of rewriting.