Feel These Words

Susan Weinstein

Description

Feel These Words is the story of nine young people from Chicago—Jig, Crazy, TeTe, Mekanism, Robbie, Marta, Patricia, Jose, and Dave—who regularly write poetry and/or song lyrics, but not for school. The Writers, as author Susan Weinstein calls them, are skilled in a variety of literacy-centered discourses through which they develop sophisticated understandings of core rhetorical issues and explore concepts of identity, social positioning, gender roles, and sexuality. Despite a deep engagement with imaginative composition, their work regularly goes unrecognized or is devalued due to the normative trends in standardized curricula and testing. Weinstein argues that this devaluation exists because their writing is informed by discourses that use language, forms, and styles different from—and at times at odds with—the mainstream. She explores the ways in which educators can focus not simply on what they believe kids need to be taught, but also on what makes them want to learn.
Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. "I Am Me But Who Am I?"
INTRODUCING THE WRITERS

2. "You Never Let Me Speak"
POWER, LANGUAGE AND LEARNING

3. "Questioning Myself and the People Around Me"
IDENTIFICATIONS AND COMMUNALITY IN IMAGINATIVE WRITING

4. "You Gotta Be a Writer to Get in the Game"
UNDERSTANDING RAP AS A LITERATE DISCOURSE

5. Pregnancy, Pimps & "Clichéd Love Things"
WRITING THROUGH GENDER AND SEXUALITY

6. "My Work Sparked an Interest in Someone Else"
THE PLEASURES OF IMAGINATIVE WRITING

7. "Book Smart, Street Smart & Everything in Between"
WRITING, LITERATE IDENTITY AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

8. "If You Can't Write You Can't Succeed"
CHANGING ATTITUDES AMONG EDUCATORS AND YOUTH

Epilogue: Where Are They Now?

Appendix
Notes
Works Cited
Index

Sujets

• Literacy

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 04 juin 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438426587
• Langue: English

Extrait

WRITING IN THE LIVES OF URBAN YOUTH

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F E E L T H E S E W O R D S

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Feel These Words

W R I T I N G I N T H E L I V E S O F U R B A N Y O U T H

S USAN W EINSTEIN

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2009 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Cover photo by Guillermo Delgado.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu

Production by Diane Ganeles Marketing by Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Weinstein, Susan, 1965- Feel these words : writing in the lives of urban youth / Susan Weinstein. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4384-2651-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-4384-2652-5 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Creative writing (Secondary education)—Illinois—Chicago—Case studies. 2. English language—Composition and exercises—Study and teaching (Secondary)—Illinois—Chicago—Case studies. 3. Youth— Education (Secondary)—Illinois—Chicago—Case studies. I. Title. LB1631.W354 2009 808'.066071277311—dc22 2008033402

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To my students

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Contents

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Acknowledgments Introduction “I Am Me But Who Am I?” INTRODUCING THE WRITERS “You Never Let Me Speak” POWER, LANGUAGE, AND LEARNING “Questioning Myself and the People Around Me” IDENTIFICATIONS AND COMMUNALITY IN IMAGINATIVE WRITING “You Gotta Be a Writer to Get in the Game” UNDERSTANDING RAP AS A LITERATE DISCOURSE Pregnancy, Pimps & “Clichéd Love Things” WRITING THROUGH GENDER AND SEXUALITY “My Work Sparked an Interest in Someone Else” THE PLEASURES OF IMAGINATIVE WRITING “I’m Book Smart, Street Smart & Everything in Between” WRITING, LITERATE IDENTITY, AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT “If You Can’t Write You Can’t Succeed” CHANGING ATTITUDES AMONG EDUCATORS AND YOUTH Epilogue: Where Are They Now? Appendix Notes Works Cited Index

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