Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. “They Say, I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing : With Readings. New York: Norton, 2012.
Keywords: Motivation, Argument, Translation, Readings
“What’s Motivating this Writer?”
Reading for the conversation
Most writings by authors include a specific topic which is arguable by many. We as the readers have to decipher the author’s argument and decide what is the motivation of their argument? As a student when we begin to analyze the argument we arise new but similar arguments which we can all relate to. This is the act of communicating with other people about pertinent issues.
Deciphering the Conversation
When reading someone else’s literature we must visualize them speaking to a group of people with different opinions. “The trick in reading for the conversation is to figure out what views the author is responding to and what the author’s own argument is”. Basically what is the “They say” and how does the author respond to it.
When the “They say” is unstated
Sometimes the author’s argument is not clear to the reader and must be deciphered by the reader. The author assumes the reader is familiarized with their views and sees no reason to summarize them. As a reader you have to identify the author’s thesis and try to define what argument they are trying to make.
Reading particularly challenging texts
Sometimes the author’s words are too complex for the normal reader to understand. To understand difficult writings like this they must be broken down and put into your own words. The writers may not distinguish their views in a way that is recognizable to the average viewer. This leaves the reader to question if the writer’s argument is one of their own or one that they are challenging. I like many people find this to be confusing but also interesting because it leaves the interpretation of the reading open to the reader. Sometimes the writer will include unfamiliar text which may be confusing to the average reader. This may cause the reader to stop and look up the words in a dictionary or it may be intimidating for the reader and may deter them from further reading the material. To understand difficult readings such as this, the reader must be able to translate the material and put into their own words. By doing this you must not translate the writer’s thoughts into your own beliefs but stick with the original beliefs of the author and allow your own beliefs to be challenged. Even if you disagree with what the author is saying you must read it with an open mind and show that you have listened to what he or she is saying.
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