Blumreich, Kathleen M.

Pace, Diana G.

English

Scholarworks@GVSU

Grand Valley ReviewVolume 18 | Issue 1 Article 111-1-1998Writing TogetherDiana G. PaceGrand Valley State UniversityKathleen M. BlumreichGrand Valley State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvrThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@GVSU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Grand Valley Review by anauthorized administrator of ScholarWorks@GVSU. For more information, please contact scholarworks@gvsu.edu.Recommended CitationPace, Diana G. and Blumreich, Kathleen M. (1998) "Writing Together," Grand Valley Review: Vol. 18: Iss. 1, Article 11.Available at: http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr/vol18/iss1/11Writing Together by Diana G. Pace and Kathleen M. Blumreich + Although we have been collaborating informally for several years (sharing ideas, reading drafts aloud, proofing and editing one another's essays), the first time we shared a written project was in the spring of 1996: with Bart Merkle, we wrote "Making GVSU Work" for the Grand Valley Review (Vol. XIV, 1-4). In that piece, we discussed various forms that faculty/staff collaboration might take, as well as some of the circumstances under which working together is "forced," "initiated," or, more happily, "serendipitous." The article concluded with our assertion that: Diana Pace is Director of Counseling and Career Services. She has a Ph.D. from the University of North Dakota. Kathleen Blumreich, an associate professor in the English Department, came to GVSU in 1987. As a university community, we need to encourage more 'shared vision' collabo-ration between faculty and staff as a way to solidify GVSU's commitment to lib-eral education, encourage interdiscipli-nary studies and research, improve the campus climate, enhance the interna-tional mission, build stronger collegial relationships, and contribute to the sur-rounding West Michigan community. (4) In an effort to practice what we preach, we have since co-authored the review of Silverman's book reprinted here, and a review of Melanie Thernstrom's HalfWay Heaven (forthcoming in the Michi-gan Personnel and Guidance ]ournab. Currently, we have plans to write an essay on Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action. And to combine more fully our academic disciplines and training, we hope to team-48 teach a Mat approac organiz~ system t the text welcom audienc( review, I and pre] readersh designee which a first rou selectin paragrap One mtse ses: of us do that nee that goe ever, nei we each draft, to Co-v recogmz, Even so, when it aries. W< mcreasec terest an a l  y e a r s  n g  o n e  w a s  m  G V S U  t  p i e c e ,  L  m i g h t  v o r k i n g  J i t o u s . "  0  ) -L Y  ) -I -c e  l -d  r -f )  . t t h o r e d  r i e w  o f  M i c h i -h n s  t o  J m b i n e  )  t e a m -W r i t i n g  T o g e t h e r  4 9  t e a c h  a  c o u r s e  o n  L i t e r a t u r e  &  P s y c h o l o g y .  M a n y  w r i t e r s  c r i n g e  a t  t h e  t h o u g h t  o f  c o - a u t h o r s h i p .  I f  a p p r o a c h e s  t o  t h e  t o p i c ,  s t y l e s ,  o r  e v e n  i d e a s  a b o u t  s u c h  b a s i c s  a s  o r g a n i z a t i o n  d o n ' t  m e s h ,  t h e r e  c a n  b e  t r o u b l e .  B u t  w e ' v e  f o u n d  a  s y s t e m  t h a t  w o r k s  f o r  u s .  A f t e r  d e c i d i n g  t o  w r i t e  t o g e t h e r ,  w e  d i s c u s s  t h e  t e x t  ( o r  c e n t r a l  t h e s i s )  a t  l e n g t h ;  a t  t h i s  p o i n t ,  a r g u m e n t  i s  w e l c o m e  a n d  e x p e c t e d .  T h e n ,  k e e p i n g  i n  m i n d  o u r  i n t e n d e d  a u d i e n c e ,  w e  e s t a b l i s h  w h o  w i l l  d o  w h a t .  I n  t h e  c a s e  o f  t h e  S i l v e r m a n  r e v i e w ,  D i a n a  l o c a t e d  t h e  r e l e v a n t  r e s e a r c h  m a t e r i a l s ,  a n n o t a t e d  t h e m ,  a n d  p r e p a r e d  t h e  c i t a t i o n  s h e e t .  S i n c e  s h e  i s  m o r e  f a m i l i a r  w i t h  t h e  r e a d e r s h i p  o f  t h e  j o u r n a l  o f  C o l l e g e  S t u d e n t  P s y c h o t h e r a p y ,  D i a n a  a l s o  d e s i g n e d  t h e  o v e r a l l  " s h a p e "  o f  t h e  r e v i e w ;  t h a t  i s ,  s h e  d e t e r m i n e d  w h i c h  a s p e c t s  o f  S i l v e r m a n ' s  b o o k  w e  w o u l d  s t r e s s ,  a n d  w r o t e  t h e  f i r s t  r o u g h  d r a f t .  K a t h l e e n  t h e n  r e v i s e d  t h e  e s s a y - f i l l i n g  i n  g a p s ,  s e l e c t i n g  e x a m p l e s  f r o m  t h e  b o o k ,  r e - a r r a n g i n g  d e t a i l s  w i t h i n  p a r a g r a p h s ,  f u s s i n g  o v e r  s t y l e ,  a n d  s o  f o r t h .  O n c e  w e  h a v e  a  f a i r l y  d e c e n t  d r a f t ,  w e  s e t t l e  i n  f o r  a  c o m p r o -m i s e  s e s s i o n .  I n v a r i a b l y ,  t h e r e  a r e  p r o b l e m  a r e a s :  a  p a s s a g e  t h a t  o n e  o f  u s  d o e s n ' t  l i k e ,  a  s e c t i o n  t h a t  l a c k s  a d e q u a t e  s u p p o r t ,  a  p a r a g r a p h  t h a t  n e e d s  a  n e w  t r a n s i t i o n ,  a  s e n t e n c e  t h a t  f e e l s  c l u m s i l y  s h o r t  o r  t h a t  g o e s  o n  f o r  t o o  l o n g .  B e c a u s e  o u r  g o a l  i s  c o l l a b o r a t i o n ,  h o w -e v e r ,  n e i t h e r  o f  u s  a l l o w s  " o w n e r s h i p "  t o  s p o i l  t h e  p r o j e c t .  I n s t e a d ,  w e  e a c h  g i v e  h e r e  a n d  t h e r e ,  t h u s  a l l o w i n g  u s  t o  m o v e  o n  t o  t h e  f i n a l  d r a f t ,  t o  t h e  f i n a l  p r o o f i n g  a n d  c o p y  e d i t i n g .  C o - w r i t i n g  c a n  b e  d i f f i c u l t  a n d  t i m e - c o n s u m i n g ;  c e r t a i n l y  w e  r e c o g n i z e  t h a t  t h e  m e t h o d  w e  u s e  m a y  n o t  w o r k  f o r  a n y o n e  e l s e .  E v e n  s o ,  w e  r e c o m m e n d  t h e  p r o c e s s  o f  c o l l a b o r a t i o n ,  p a r t i c u l a r l y  w h e n  i t  r e q u i r e s  c o m m u n i c a t i o n  a c r o s s  t r a d i t i o n a l  d i s c i p l i n e  b o u n d -a r i e s .  W o r k i n g  t o g e t h e r  p r o v i d e s  o p p o r t u n i t i e s  f o r  g r e a t  d i s c u s s i o n s ,  i n c r e a s e d  u n d e r s t a n d i n g  o f  a n d  a p p r e c i a t i o n  f o r  o t h e r  a r e a s  o f  i n -t e r e s t  a n d  e x p e r t i s e ,  a n d  e v e n  a n  o c c a s i o n a l  p u b l i c a t i o n .  +  

Writing Together

http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvr/vol18/iss1/11

Writing Together

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Scholarworks@GVSU