Monthly Archives: September 2026

Student Blogs

The Reemergence of Rhetoric

 

I don’t know if anyone else had the same experience, but I was somewhat shocked to read that rhetoric had a reemergence during the 1960’s. In the practice of ‘good’ rhetoric, I took a page from Kyla Wazana Tompkins. Though she isn’t discussed exclusively in this reading, chapter two of Rhetoric and Composition by Janice M. Lauler, I still found some overlaps between the two:

“This brings me to another exercise I do in class, which is to actually write out the model that I learned as an undergrad across the top of a blackboard (Wollstonecraft then Friedan then National Organization of Women then Radical feminism then Women of Color feminism etc etc, an obviously reductive and flawed genealogy) and then underneath to chart out other revolutionary timelines…” (p. 5, “We Aren’t Here to Learn What We Already Know”)

That brings me back to my initial shock of rhetoric in the 1960’s. The first revolution that came to mind to chart out was, the civil rights movement. Never in my educational career did it even come to mind that both sides, those for and opposing civil rights, used, studied, and analyzed rhetoric. Take, for example, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” written in 1963, written at the height of the civil rights movement, which heavily “persuaded” the masses of the injustice of Jim Crow segregation. 

If Rhetoric and Composition are now synonymous with one another, then why am I learning about it just now?

Traditional English Teaching

That’s because, as Lauler reveals: 

“…teaching also focused on reading and discussing essays, completing exercises on style, and repeating drills on grammar. Little, if any, attention was paid to helping students get started, investigate ideas, consider readers, receive feedback on drafts, or revise.” (p. 7)

All of these aspects are of huge importance when it comes to composition. Without rhetoric, how does a student even begin to form a thought or question that engages and challenges themselves and their readers? Sure, I learned about Martin Luther King; no, I did not learn about his letter and what makes it successful writing. Successful in that it made people think, question, and eventually change their behavior, beliefs, and even racial laws:

He uses ethos by presenting himself as a minister and a scholar, thereby establishing credibility. He appeals to pathos by vividly describing the suffering and injustice faced by African Americans in Birmingham. King writes about the brutality of segregation, the bombings of African American homes, and the emotional toll it takes on the community. These emotional appeals elicit empathy and anger from the readers. King also uses logos by presenting a logical argument for the necessity of nonviolent direct action. He explains that negotiations with white authorities have failed, and waiting for justice is no longer an option. He argues that civil disobedience is a moral duty when faced with unjust laws. King invokes the moral and ethical principles of justice and equality, drawing upon his deep knowledge of philosophy and theology.” (ProfessorCatMaster607)

How can we expect students, or anyone, from that matter to write using rhetoric if there’s still a major emphasis on ‘correct’ grammar (p.20), which, ironically enough, makes grammar worse.

This is written after a nice meal of soup con mi madre. Consider my mind blown and zen.

Student Blogs

like a kid in a candy store, except everything is free and made of big words

In reading Janice Lauer’s “Rhetoric and Composition”, I find myself thinking about my experience with the act of writing throughout my years in school. It feels odd to be able to put a name to all the work I’ve done before, both as a student and during my experience as a tutor. The margins of my print-out copy of the reading recall my experiences in the classroom: “i always talk about how students consider themselves ‘bad writers’” and “dr. walters is that you” in response to the idea of revision.

i come with receipts

In particular, I found myself reflecting on what Lauer calls the current-traditional paradigm, and how for most of my life, writing was taught to be a challenge with subjective parameters. There was an idea of what good writing was, who did it, and where it could be found. Rhetoric was a two-day unit (vocabulary test included), and feedback from teachers focused on punctuation and sentence counts. This experience with writing often extended past me. When I talk about how people learn to write, I tend to refer back to a student of mine who considered herself a “bad writer”. In reality, her issue was a weak grasp on things like comma placement, something that we were able to fix in just a few tutoring sessions. Her voice, however, was something that seemed to come naturally. She was adamant that she wasn’t good at writing, and for the first half of the semester, was hesitant to engage with our class. I think years of being told writing could only be done a certain way taught her to feel shame in her work. To coax her out of her shell took delicate care and, unconsciously for me, many of the ideologies Lauer covers.

there’s a joke in here somewhere

Only in college did I realize what studying English could entail. For the first time, I was able to see English as not just Shakespeare and five-sentence paragraphs. I fell in love with writing as a craft and being able to help others understand it. I know now that this is because of the nature of rhetoric and composition, being a “human science”, as described by Louise Wetherbee Phelps. I found it funny that as I read, I was able to connect ideas with experience: the theories of invention I had come across while generating writing across classes or the factors that influenced my feedback to students I tutored. What a surprise, I thought, that although I was not aware of the science, there exists a reason for the things I learned to do. More than that, while reading about the growth of the field of rhetoric, I was fascinated by the idea that composition had been, “considered only a teaching practice”. To me, it only made sense that the field grew. I was reminded of the saying: “how you do something is how you do everything”. The way we compose—the way we put together our words—is the basis of almost everything we do. It is how we express ourselves, why we write to-do lists, where we get the information to write a report. Of course it is natural that we study it.

“it is ALL connected” – me, re: writing being interdisciplinary

I am excited to finally “put a name to the face”, or so to speak, with all I have learned about writing so far. During our check-ins last week, I spoke about how, for me, returning to school meant practicing being more deliberate. The information in this reading is similar. It forces me to look back on my learning experience with a new lens and pick it apart. When was I taught this idea? How? Which of these ideas do I subscribe to, and what experience taught me to think otherwise? Even the philosophical aspects, which I sometimes struggle to wrap my brain around, excite me. It feels like I am about to open a whole new set of toys with which to write with.

Student Blogs

like a kid in a candy store, except everything is free and made of big words

In reading Janice Lauer’s “Rhetoric and Composition”, I find myself thinking about my experience with the act of writing throughout my years in school. It feels odd to be able to put a name to all the work I’ve done before, both as a student and during my experience as a tutor. The margins of my print-out copy of the reading recall my experiences in the classroom: “i always talk about how students consider themselves ‘bad writers’” and “dr. walters is that you” in response to the idea of revision.

i come with receipts

In particular, I found myself reflecting on what Lauer calls the current-traditional paradigm, and how for most of my life, writing was taught to be a challenge with subjective parameters. There was an idea of what good writing was, who did it, and where it could be found. Rhetoric was a two-day unit (vocabulary test included), and feedback from teachers focused on punctuation and sentence counts. This experience with writing often extended past me. When I talk about how people learn to write, I tend to refer back to a student of mine who considered herself a “bad writer”. In reality, her issue was a weak grasp on things like comma placement, something that we were able to fix in just a few tutoring sessions. Her voice, however, was something that seemed to come naturally. She was adamant that she wasn’t good at writing, and for the first half of the semester, was hesitant to engage with our class. I think years of being told writing could only be done a certain way taught her to feel shame in her work. To coax her out of her shell took delicate care and, unconsciously for me, many of the ideologies Lauer covers.

there’s a joke in here somewhere

Only in college did I realize what studying English could entail. For the first time, I was able to see English as not just Shakespeare and five-sentence paragraphs. I fell in love with writing as a craft and being able to help others understand it. I know now that this is because of the nature of rhetoric and composition, being a “human science”, as described by Louise Wetherbee Phelps. I found it funny that as I read, I was able to connect ideas with experience: the theories of invention I had come across while generating writing across classes or the factors that influenced my feedback to students I tutored. What a surprise, I thought, that although I was not aware of the science, there exists a reason for the things I learned to do. More than that, while reading about the growth of the field of rhetoric, I was fascinated by the idea that composition had been, “considered only a teaching practice”. To me, it only made sense that the field grew. I was reminded of the saying: “how you do something is how you do everything”. The way we compose—the way we put together our words—is the basis of almost everything we do. It is how we express ourselves, why we write to-do lists, where we get the information to write a report. Of course it is natural that we study it.

“it is ALL connected” – me, re: writing being interdisciplinary

I am excited to finally “put a name to the face”, or so to speak, with all I have learned about writing so far. During our check-ins last week, I spoke about how, for me, returning to school meant practicing being more deliberate. The information in this reading is similar. It forces me to look back on my learning experience with a new lens and pick it apart. When was I taught this idea? How? Which of these ideas do I subscribe to, and what experience taught me to think otherwise? Even the philosophical aspects, which I sometimes struggle to wrap my brain around, excite me. It feels like I am about to open a whole new set of toys with which to write with.

Student Blogs

Rhetoric & Composition Chapter 2 Reflection

For those new here, I take quotes and comment on them as I go.

“In high school, most students in English classes read literature, and some may write research papers, personal narratives, and book reports.” I don’t think I ever did a research paper in English class. I know history had us research a specific time or event and do a paper on it, but English class for me was always some sort of essay on the readings or personal narratives on the topics presented on the readings. Though, in two of my grade levels in high school, there were options to not write papers but present instead. I presented as I figured it would be less work for me (the one who writes too much), and I was always one of the only presenters. So, truly, high school is a free for all. The teachers in the class probably know more than what I remember from six or more years ago.

“From these experiences, most students conclude that the field of English studies entails the study of literature and, to a lesser extent, the teaching of composition. In most cases, if students decide to major or even to do graduate work in English, they assume they will be studying literature.” I did think for half my degree that English was just reading passages and writing essays on those passages, as that was all I have done. But then I switched majors to English writing and hardly ever had to just write about a passage again. I semi miss getting books for class (I loved being able to say I read more and more classics, hated having to read around five books per class). But after the switch I truly learned so many different writing styles and ways to write I did not think grad school was more passage reading. Glad I had my past experiences, as they seemed to really help out with this grad school journey.

“But only recently (in the past thirty years) has “rhetoric and composition” become a full-fledged discipline within English studies, with its own professional conferences, journals and monograph series, and graduate degrees and undergraduate majors.” I know this book is from like 2006, so this information isn’t recent, but I still find it super cool to learn about the history of this subject. Cause I have heard it said so often together that I didn’t realize there was a time they were separate (makes sense, as one thing has to come before the other). I also think it is cool there was a time when rhetoric was even more involved with our learning (though, I feel like I hear about rhetoric all the time now).

“Rhetoric and composition scholars conducted the above studies from a new perspective based on issues pertinent to the emerging field, examining such matters as whether writing constructs or only transmits knowledge, whether writing is social or individual, what the province of rhetoric is, who can be a writer or rhetor, and what the relative importance is of ethos, pathos, and logos today.” I like that rhetoricians expanded the field to include further studies, and expanding questioning. I will say a lot of the stuff brought up in this section, like questioning who is a rhetor and ethos, pathos, and logos, I have done in multiple classes. So, I can confirm Kean is good at the combining of rhetoric and composition, as I reconogize/know a lot of what was just brought up.

“Now in the new millennium, a Consortium of Doctoral Programs in Rhetoric and Composition includes over seventy-four programs. The discipline has become extremely complex and networked with other organizations in which members conduct research on writing.” 74 is a crazy amount of programs. I think it is cool to note it expanding into conducting research on writing. The discipline already got a crazy number of stuff going on and now it just expands to include research. I need an updated book to hear how crazy things have gotten since this book was released. Did we keep growing or are things standing still now.

“Little, if any, attention was paid to helping students get started, investigate ideas, consider readers, receive feedback on drafts, or revise.” I could never. Feedback and revising is like my favorite thing to do. Ask Dr. Friend. If he gave feedback, I always fixed up the essay based on that feedback. Why not?
Well apparently people were rude rats back then. No feedback? Now, that is crazy. Way crazier than 74 programs. How does one not do feedback. No one thought to tell the people what was up with their work? No one conversed? That is crazy. No fixing up work? No working with each other? Little learning was done back then.

Again, obviously things had to be invented and come from somewhere. But with writing, some of these things needed to be thought of for students to do is wild to me. And like people had to write papers that introduced this idea or defined it and made it real. Like no prewriting either? I am sure people did that, they just didn’t call it that or get all specific about it. Everyone prewrites a tiny bit. Well, for the blogs I do not. But for papers I always start somewhere. The background lore for creative works come first. Research I always gather quotes on the topics I think I am going to cover, then once I have all the stuff that stood out to me I make categories of similar themes, then I write 100 pages (joke, only done it two times, it is not a standard). Seeing/reading all these things come about is so wild as we all know of these writing steps/do them. Man, writing back then was a whole different beast.

Audience is another thing we are always taught to consider. Super wild to see step by step my lessons coming about.
Yes yes we love hearing about discourse! The different writings of students at different ages, very important to know.
But, something from discourse communites is also here: Genre. That is something unique in writing, that usually genre is like horror, romance, stuff like that but for writing genre is the document. Like essay, resume, etc.
This reading sure is hitting all the notes so far.

“who suggested that students could reach self-actualization, their authentic voices, by using the journal, meditation, and analogy.” Interesting, I never heard about self-actualization or authentic voices. I was always taught to just write in the academic language or “write in your voice” but never really told how to do that other than Dr. Jette mentioning to type it out on your phone first. Angel (my sister) has always said I type in a specific way that it is like I am speaking. I would think my typing is different per device I am on, topic I am writing, or audience, but I think you guys can be the judge. I just be writing and not really thinking specifically on “I must sound like this” unless it is academic. If it is a “write in your voice” I do not TRY to sound like myself, I just type. Say what I want to say. Not worried about being scholarly, just type. I do not journal or meditate, so maybe there is a way to find your voice? No clue, I just be doing whatever. Interesting in the sense I never thought about people having to learn or find their voice.

“responses as aimed at improving students’ abilities and indicating what needs to be done, addressing large-scale problems, taking into account rhetorical processes, and offering comments with transfer value.” I agree with this. Writing is one of those things that can never be perfect. Improvement is always possible. You will always be fixing things here and there, always coming back to work, always finding something to change. Writing needs to live, which sucks cause it also needs to be published to get out there.

“With the introduction of open admissions policies at many universities, students brought a range of writing problems with them to college writing courses. Responding to these needs, scholars conducted research on writing dysfunction and other prob lems characteristic of underprepared students.” Reminds me of the embedded tutors/writing center/LSS in general. They saw students weren’t doing well in 1030 and put tutors in there to help. Kinda crazy how these issues are still happening now. Writing is always in trouble, huh.

“another kind of diversity has concerned the field- second-language writers and cross-cultural literacy”. I do not relate to this, but I always think about it every time we are told to write how we want to write. I always think “well, what if someone writes in a different language?” I always worried how that would be checked, how people might feel like they are better writers in a different language. For Guitar, there was someone in the Chamber whose first language was Spanish. When things got close to deadlines, it was so interesting working on papers with her, cause randomly I would go, “… huh… either it is reeeeally late and I need to go to bed now, or this isn’t English.” Sure enough, she would randomly switch to Spanish in the middle of papers. Sucks for me, I couldn’t understand her amazing work. But, good for her, as she got her ideas out quickly and didn’t worry about translating in that moment, just getting the thoughts down on paper. Guitar would sometimes tell her to just talk to him in Spanish, to get her frustrations out. There would be times all three of us were in his office, and I could tell she was getting frustrated and couldn’t figure out the words. All he had to say was “Spanish”, and she just went OFF. Everything just flowed. She was still frustrated at the end cause Guitar doesn’t speak much Spanish and I don’t at all, so we still wouldn’t know how to help her. She got her thoughts out, instead of having to pause to translate and stopping the flow, but no one really understood her. I always felt bad, that she had so much to say in Spanish but no one would ever hear, and she always had to limit herself for us to understand what she wanted to say. All these papers and conferences, everything in English, I always wonder how many amazing ideas we are missing out on by people having to translate to English. Does everything even translate to English? Do we lose greater meaning by translating, as we sometimes have to find the closest word? How many ideas have been passed on because English wasn’t able to convey them? How many papers have great ideas or lessons that I pass on because I only speak English? (I have found so many articles in different languages while working for Guitar, where the abstract is in English and has everything I would want to use for a source, but the rest of the paper isn’t translated)

“A corollary of social-construction theory that began to enter the classroom was the practice of collaboration. The first efforts involved students in writing groups responding and giving feedback and advice on their final drafts before revising. Later, groups collaborated throughout the composing process.” Now, see, collaborating in general is great. People always bring up new things I never thought of or considered to discuss. But, working together on one thing is hard. Unless everyone gets a specific job. Like you write this section, someone else does that section, AND THEN someone edits it all. Trust me. Someone will need to edit it all. Goes back to voice. If everyone takes a section, it is sometimes VERY clear there were multiple different authors, which isn’t always liked. You gotta make it seem like one, and sometimes the only way to do that is to have one person edit it all to sound like them. Gotta leave one person to edit cause everyone also edits in different ways. Personally, I know I do too much, so I just gotta take an axe to the paper and CHOP A LOT. Others might just have to make simple edits. But, we usually do MLA. Communication usually does APA, so sometimes it is easier to just let people work how they work. Everyone makes their edits. And then someone else makes it all sound the same. I am all for working with others and learning new things, just sometimes gets crazy with everyone working on one doc.

We skipping forward cause a lot of what was next didn’t really describe much about the thing, it was just like “We got this section, it is basically what the title says, find more elsewhere” and moved on.

“The field of rhetoric and composition has also maintained an abiding interest in another context-civic rhetoric, the original emphasis in classical rhetoric. In terms of pedagogy, students have more recently received instruction in writing texts for various communities to which they belong, including neighborhood groups, churches, state organizations, and public media, addressing issues of concern to members of these communities.” Now this is fun. I would wanna know how to do this. It should be a part of some class at some point, cause it is cool to know how to advocate/make change. That is indeed a writing I do not know anything about doing. I mean I learned how to write a podcast and how to write in digital spaces, but I think we should also teach how to write to make change or to talk to various important communities to us.

Ideologies and Methodology was interesting. I never know how else to comment on soome of the things people say. Like “oh… interesting you thought that..” and we just go with it because you managed to get that paper published. Sometimes they some good stuff like that writing repeats the student’s knowledge, yes yes that is good I agree. I mean, some writing is just nonsense. We have all writen something after just skimming the reading and not really having knowledge on the topic, but that still (in a way) shows what knowledge we have. This was a good point.

Then it turns into a “who hurt you” thing cause… “that master narratives of human progress or human rights should be rejected and language should be considered the start of knowledge” what in the world is all this. Everything else was short, but this point was like so long and kinda two points in one. What happened, why did you write the point this way, why are we rejecting things, I am interested. What happened here. This is why I hate summaries sometimes cause what in the world caused this. Langauge as the start of knowledge, to me, feels like a whole different point. That in itself is a whole paper, tell me more, I am interested. But the first half felt like there was some tension. Maybe I just view “rejected” that way and I am just reading too into it, but truly why we throwing things out. I wanna know the story. It be like that when reading the methods of a paper, just randomly see this one summarized line that makes you go “… wait, what was that?” cause it is so out there in the stream of peace it makes you wanna read the paper that made that point, but truly who knows if it was just interpreted that way or summarized. Like what if that paper doesn’t even go deep into language being the start of knowledge and I spend all that time reading a thirty or so paged paper for nothing. I just wanna talk to some of these people to go “now, what did you mean by this, cause I read it this way and I think I am wrong”

And then the conclusion. Well. What does the book on rhetoric from 2026 look like? Cause did things change in twenty years? I mean I could point out a lot of the stuff still happening. I think I would add a section on social media maybe, as that has for sure been a change since 2006. But other than that, not much else seemed to really be all that different if I could relate to a lot of the topics. I could be wrong, maybe new stuff is out there, I do not keep up to date with all this. Very interesting crazy stuff learned here today for sure.

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“Setting up” Day

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Great to see you for Part 2 of our Orientation to ENG 5020 “Writing Theory & Practice”!  Our second meeting was a chance to further acclimate as we continue to set up the course together.  Your early responses to the “Image Gallery” check-in exercise were insightful, and it helps to get to know each other (incrementally) as we embark on this journey together.  

Here are the slides from class:

I am glad we glanced at our Course Calendar. For next meeting, be prepared to have dates for your individual presentations designated (each of you will negotiated in class which night you are slated to “take the lead”).   And it is time now to consider your selected readings.  Please take the time this week to look more closely at the Reading Roster, and for those of you who are still considering your choices, please make you have in mind a first, second, and third choice so we can cover more ground as a team. Next week we will firm up our overall plan together and make it “official”.

Centering ourselves at the beginning

I am also glad we took a moment to engage in the Spiral Journal together. Writing can be a powerful way to sharpen your own observational precision, especially in terms of self-reflection. I believe it is useful to take stock of where we are at. This kind of writing will always help you in setting an intentional direction for new growth in your life. We have our work cut out for us in this course, and yet, I also hope that our rhythm and our way of proceeding together will genuinely be something all of us to look forward to.  We will pace ourselves as we dive deeper into the world of writing theory, seeking that bridge to writing praxis.  Your preparations for the next couple of weeks will continue to be “light” as we warm-up and acclimate together.

Steps to take each week:

  • Read my homepage post
  • Complete your work from the “to-do” list and blog about it
  • Read your peer’s blogs on our website before we meet for class!

Your “to-do” list:

Read: “Rhetoric & Composition” by Janice M. Lauer in English studies : an introduction to the discipline(s) ed. Bruce McComiskey, National Council of Teachers of English, 2006. Here is the link to the PDF file: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:5f2203ed-891e-4e5c-b626-662b58d676e9

***Please note this reading is Chapter 2 (pages 106-136) in the English studies : an introduction to the discipline(s) ebook: https://kean.on.worldcat.org/oclc/647111480.

The ebook is accessible here. Scroll to Chapter 2 for your class reading.

Blog #2 (Due 9/17) – A reflection/response on the Janice M. Lauer “Rhetoric & Composition” reading, and any thoughts on the highlights emerging from the first two weeks of class.

See you in our classroom next week!

Dr. Zamora

Student Blogs

My bout with lateness

Hello Dear Reader,

My name is Zachary Martin. I might’ve been bitten by a radioactive student and for the last three years I have been an English teacher at Plainfield High School.

Most of y’all know the rest.

I am a huge nerd.

I haven’t saved the city (yet).

I write a bit of poetry, a bit of fiction, a bit of non fiction.

(I think i’ve drained this bit for all its worth.)

In all seriousness, I am a full time teacher and I really enjoy it. I have had over a decade of experience working with kids so teaching kind of just made sense. I have to say that I really enjoy what I do and I look forward to it (almost) every day.

In my free time, I am a half of a writer. I haven’t found my particular niche yet, so I don’t really feel like I have earned the full title of writer, I feel more like a person who writes. But I will say that I’ve written some poems I am proud of. I enjoy writing fiction (even though I leave most of my pieces to bleed out on a forgotten page). And I write academically — of course— both for class and my job. I have a bit of a situationship with writing. I would consider it a passion of mine but it’s one of those things where I’ll spend hours wanting to write, but the moment I sit down I am incapable. Like The story I will write will never be as good as the one I want to write.

Before I spiral I’m gonna shift gears.

These are the most important people in my life. I try to spend what time I can with them, despite our busy schedules. This particular photo was taken on the return train from NYC, we went to try to see the Christmas tree (We failed).

I love going to shows, any kind of show. The picture above was from Dog Days Afternoon, with Jon Bernthal (oh yeah) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. I also recently saw Hayao Miyazaki, Haylee Williams, and Delaware Water Gap (not at the same time). In November I am going to a Sammy Rae and the friends show at the Brooklyn Paramount and I am so excited! (If you haven’t heard her, do yourself a favor.)

I also do indeed be chefin’ it up. I think if teaching doesn’t work I’ll write and cook. If writing doesn’t work, I’ll just cook. I wish I had a photo to add but I cannot find any, I don’t take a lot of pictures.

Last but not least, my why.

While there is the reason all of my coworkers assume, it moves me pay scale, I did the math and the amount I pay is just about the amount I earn. So that isn’t really it.

I think it’s far more simple than that. I really enjoy writing. Every day I want to be better at the craft than I was the day before. I love the feeling of looking at something I wrote a while ago and seeing where I can improve. I like knowing techniques and skills that I can pass on to my students. I want to be the best writer I can be. And hopefully, one day, after exposing myself to as much as possible, I will find my niche.

Anyway, until next time Dear Reader!

Student Blogs

On Continuing My Education

My journey of being a ‘forever’ student.

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English-Writing this past May. It wasn’t long before I decided to pursue my MA, and even pursue it at the same institution where I did my undergrad. The seed was definitely planted, though. A little over a year ago, to be exact.

It was my second time joining Dr.Zamora’s Writers’ Retreat. The first time I met her, she reminded me of a forest fire (in the best way possible, of course). She was ignited by her studies, all the programs she ran (like MyFest), and just her baseline passion for the arts gleamed through her like a second pair of clothes. Nothing would put her out. This time around, three years later, she was calmer. A stern tree rooted by wisdom only grief can grant to someone. 

After we wrapped up workshopping what we’d been working on for those last three weeks, she told me about the MA opportunities here at Kean. Shamefully, I didn’t even know what an MA was. She expressed her enthusiasm for us to be able to continue working together. An opportunity that would pay for half, if not all, of my tuition. The thought of working with a woman like her felt enticing, for sure, but more so intimidating. Me? An undergrad nobody to work with a DOCTOR? 

Yeah, no way.

The Tide Changes

Still, I was flattered. I let some time go by and never revisited the proposition. I would’ve been satisfied enough to tell people that Dr. Mia Zamora wanted me in her program. 

“Engrave that on my tombstone. Here lies Alyssa Rivers, a student who was asked by a scholar, poet, doctor, wife, mother, friend, and sister, to work close alongside her.” My friends are used to my dramatics by now.

It wasn’t until last semester that another mentor of mine, Abrianna Jette, told me about the academic route she took. After her bachelor’s, she received her MA followed by her MFA ( a master’s in creative writing), and then her PHD to become the wonderful professor she is today. She explained the purpose of an MA and all the classes you can take:

I heard Racial and Ethnic Identities in Literature, Advanced Poetry, How to Teach Writing, graduate-level psychology courses, and there it happened: with some kindness and a few strawberry sour patches, the tide changed. I’ve never been more sure. I was going to pursue my Master’s.

One Week Into My Master’s Program

Poetry was my first love. I knew MFA programs like the back of my hand. MA was completely new to me. Why am I doing this? I knew I wanted to do this for myself, that I was on the route to becoming a professor, and not only because of my mentors; yet, I became speechless when someone would ask why. Why? 

If we took money and jobs out of the equation, would you choose to be in school? If so, why? My answer became simple: to learn and share. I am here to learn as much as I humanly can; I am here to share what I’ve learned as much as humanly possible. It is my passion. School just so happens to give me the routine, resources, and discipline to do so. It is why I went to China, on a whim, to study for four months and teach 1st graders English; it is why I got my 200-hour yoga teacher certification, with my first free community class coming up tomorrow.

My plan goes as follows: MA>MFA>>P.H.D. Obviously, whichever journey life permits and whatever comes between, because we have so little control of our destiny at the end of the day, but a baddie with 4 degrees? Sounds hot to me. 

What, like it’s hard?

“I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones, and variations of mental and physical experience possible in my life. And I am horribly limited.” 

Slyvia Plath

If I am so blessed with top-tier brain health well into my 70’s, I want to continue learning until I can no longer see, hear, taste, or smell. I want to teach until my breath crashes down like a tsunami after it reaches its climax. It is not possible to grasp all the shades, tones, and variations in this one life…it is still beautiful to try. Until then,

-Your forever student. 

Student Blogs

A Bit About Me

Hello everyone! My name is Adamari!

I’m in my second semester as a grad student in the English Studies M.A. program. I did my undergrad at Kean as well, where I majored in English (the writing concentration, of courseee!) and minored in Marketing.

Now, for some things about me…

I love (love, love, love) traveling! I’ve been to over 10 countries either on my own (backpacking), with friends (also backpacking), or with family (this time with a suitcase hehe). The entire experience I find to be unfathomably liberating! 

I love my friends. I’ve spent my happiest memories giggling with them over nonsensical things or rehashing old drama again and again and again. I love my family (but my favorite is my mom <3). I have two younger sisters (ages 6 and 15) who are my life source. My family is majority women, which I love sharing because it’s the reason I’ve grown to the place I am today. I’m also the tallest girl in my family! 

My favorite show is Sex and the City (and going against public opinion, I love the movies) and Succession. My favorite color is green. I love the beach. I’m a bit of an introvert. I’m currently reading Famesick by Lena Dunham. I love The Strokes, they’re my favorite band! I love concerts! I love taking pictures! I looooveeee coffee (I get headaches when I go without it)! I have three dogs (Caesar, Luca, and Benji and I love themmm, but I prefer cats).

And finally, why am I in this program? I love writing and I want to get better at it. Even though I lean more towards the creative side of writing, I know being in a more research, “academic” writing space could only benefit me. I do have hopes for an M.F.A. the future, but I’m happy where I am now. 

This is a little about who I am and why I’m here. 

Student Blogs

Newbie

Hello, my name is Lorraine. I am new to Kean University Master’s Program. I am looking forward to a great learning experience while achieving my goals. So far, I am enjoying my classes. I have great Professors, who are very helpful. It took me a long time to come back to pursue my dreams, but I finally made it.

I am a very determined person. Once I set my mind to doing something, I do it. Just like the Nike sneaker ad says, “Just Do It” lol.

I have quite a few hobbies. I like to bake, dance, and create projects. I started my own baking business. It’s called Splenda’s Sweet Shop. I bake goodies for the holidays. I am known as “The Cake pop Lady”. I was given that name from one of my customers. To this day, if I run into her, that’s the first thing she yells! “Hey Cake Pop Lady”!

I used to teach Science. I loved teaching that course. One particular year while teaching, I was asked to take over an ELA writing class. At first I was upset because my background was Science. Once I started teaching ELA, I fell in love with writing. Ever since then, I have wanted to pursue writing. I had plans to go back to school to get my Masters Degree, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it. After teaching ELA for three years, it kind of directed me towards English Writing Studies. That’s why I enrolled in Kean. I’m glad I did.

Student Blogs

introooooo !!

hi, everyone 🙂 below, you can find my official (but quite boring) bio, why i’m in the m.a. program, and then some more extras that didn’t quite make the cut to either! vvv excited to meet you all.

skip to specific sections here:

the (boring) bio:

Alyssa Lian Bacay is a Filipino-American poet and memoirist from Jersey City, New Jersey. She works at Kean Jersey City, formerly New Jersey City University and her alma mater, at the Writing Center, where she has organized and hosted community writing events, including monthly Open Mics and an annual Book Fair. Her work has been featured in the Jersey City Poetry Festival, the Jersey City Museum of History, One Mic Stand with SJ, redrosethorns journal, and The Gothic Times. You can find her at @alyssalianb on Instagram.

the why:

hi, everyone! one of my favorite professors tends to start each semester by posing the same prompt to his students—i am here right now because. i find it fitting to start this semester, and this introduction, by answering with this:

i am here right now because of my love for reading, writing, and the community i’ve built around it. because of my mom’s obsession with harry potter (j.k. rowling’s political views aside), i was raised from a young age to love words. i remember growing up on percy jackson, piles of journals and stationary, and scholastic book fairs. and despite the rough patch i had with it in high school, in college, i found myself returning to literature and writing.

i started my undergraduate years majoring in computer science. my parents are both in the field, and i wanted to follow their footsteps; at the time, a degree in computer science promised a stable job career and more than enough money to provide for my family. in the end, though, i was convinced to pick up a minor in creative writing after one (1) class. to be fair: i was not very strong-willed.

from there, i found myself making opportunities to be around writing more. i worked at the writing center. i became an embedded tutor. i started a creative writing club. i hosted open mics, planned an annual book fair, attended events and workshops across campus. i was reminded of how much joy reading and writing brought to my life. by the time i graduated in 2024, the computer science degree i had started with did not quite fit the person i had become.

after two years working full-time at njcu’s writing center, i decided i could not let myself sit around any longer. i spoke with one of my favorite people on this earth, my mentor, edi giunta, and she suggested i apply to kean’s writing studies program. it was a very last minute decision—but i’m glad i did it.

back to the prompt: i am here right now because i cannot imagine a life without writing, and in taking up the m.a. in writing studies, i am become the writer i want to be.

the extra:

if you couldn’t tell, i love talking about myself (blame the aquarius sun and leo rising), and i wanted to include some other things that didn’t quite fit in my bio or writerly backstory!

  • i am avid collector of hobbies, including but not limited to: reading (duh), writing (double duh), journaling, coloring, playing music, gaming (board games and video games but also specifically magic the gathering and d&d), crochet, knitting, jewelrymaking, puzzles, and more
  • my favorite books are This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Babel by R.F. Kuang, and If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura
  • i am a fiend for korean barbecue, salmon nigiri, and a sweet treat
  • i have a dog whom i love dearly and call my son (picture attached below)

thanks for reading!! and i can’t wait for the rest of the semester

xoxo, gossip girl alyssa