This week’s reading resonated deeply with me, as it explained how putting traumatic experiences or sources of intense stress into words can improve both physical and mental health. Throughout my adolescence and twenties, writing was largely what helped me cope. Facing numerous setbacks and losses, I often felt alone, with no one to talk to. In my culture, depression and stress are not taken seriously; consequently, when going through such experiences, people do not speak about them, fearing judgment or ridicule regarding their feelings or the situations they are facing.

I agree with the authors when saying that the brain translates abstract, chaotic, and analog emotional experiences into structured, linear, and digital words, and that putting feelings into writing allows the brain to organize lived experiences and gain perspective on trauma. During difficult times, writing down my experiences and emotions has often helped me detach, making it easier to analyze and confront them, and it has frequently helped me feel better, not only mentally, but also with my blood pressure, which is often too high.

In my work today, I recommend that my clients keep a journal. I advise them to write about whatever is tormenting, stressing, or exciting. I tell them there is no need for formal writing; they should express themselves freely. After all, as the authors note, the best results come from free, unconstrained writing, where one can write without worrying about grammar or spelling.

This week’s reading made me reflect on queer theory and sexual identity. I grew up in a culture where these kinds of subjects weren’t discussed, let alone at school. I could even say that thinking about them was taboo; it was a case of being heterosexual or not existing at all. So, reading this article really gave me food for thought.

The article rejects the idea that heterosexuality is the natural or « normal » standard for human behavior, arguing instead that sexual and gender identities are not fixed biological truths but fluid constructs shaped by culture, language, and history. It made me think back to all those times at school when, whenever sex was discussed, heterosexuality was presented as the only option. The article examines how social and legal institutions privilege heterosexual norms, which perfectly reflects the society I grew up in.

The article views gender as something one does through repeated social acts and behaviors, rather than something one is. It challenges normative heterosexuality and the nature of teacher-student interactions, seeking to dismantle binary oppositions such as heterosexual/homosexual by demonstrating that these categories are unstable and limiting. Frankly, this kind of perspective does not exist in my culture. Children today still receive the same sex education that I did; on the other hand, they have the internet, making other forms of education more accessible.

This week’s reading took me back in time. It completely transported me to Haiti, where teachers, especially in writing, were constantly focused on the technical aspects rather than the creative ones. They weren’t the type to encourage the imagination to break free. My literature teachers almost made me hate writing because it was presented as work and not as something you could do with pleasure.

Teaching was not seen as an act of freedom that helps students question and transcend boundaries, as bell hooks argues. Instead, teaching was focused on academic learning, not on the holistic well-being and liberation of both students and their peers.
This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy school and learning. But I think that with an approach like bell hooks’s, which believes teachers should care for students as a whole, addressing their mind, body, and spirit, rather than treating them as passive recipients of information, I would have experienced greater fulfillment in my learning.

My literature professors reduced essay writing to a purely mathematical and strategic exercise. With a carefully calculated method, they killed the fun of writing and pushed students like me to prefer text analysis to actual writing. As Murray defines it, writing shouldn’t be an elegant way of reporting what one already knows, but a continuous process of discovery through language.
Instead of acting as strict examiners focused solely on grammar and corrections, my teachers should have acted as coaches, guiding students in their development and fostering their creative freedom.

This week’s reading prompted me to reflect on my own communication style specifically, the language and writing methods I employ. It made me consider how I integrate the art of persuasion or rhetoric with the practical process of crafting texts, known as composition.

Through the lens of rhetoric, I was able to examine how the messages I convey in my frequent leadership roles can leverage logic, emotion, and sometimes even credibility to persuade audiences and coordinate collective action. As I read, I kept thinking about how symbols and language can persuade, shape meaning, and coordinate social action.

Reading about composition reminded me primarily of my current job, which involves writing numerous case notes for my superiors to review later. It particularly brought to mind the practical process I use to draft documents or texts tailored to a specific audience, a discipline centered on a structured writing process that includes planning, invention, drafting, revision, and finalization to ensure effective communication in professional settings.

I appreciate that the author portrays invention not merely as an innate talent, but as an art grounded in inquiry strategies and cognitive frameworks. She also views composition as a multifaceted discipline that is enriched by crossing the boundaries of other fields such as psychology, philosophy, and linguistics.

Hi everyone,
My name is Itana, but my friends call me Love. I am in my second semester as a master’s student in Communication Studies. I also earned my bachelor’s degree at Kean University in 2024.

Four things I love most are praying, spending time with my family, especially my one-year-old son. I also love books and music. My family is the center of my life; I truly view them as a blessing and cherish every moment we share, always looking for ways to create new memories.

I currently work as a refugee case manager, a role that brings me great joy because I can help people in need, especially in the times we are living through. Every day, I do at least one thing to make someone else’s life a little easier, and that makes me feel useful and lifts my spirits.

I am also a singer. I have been making music for as long as I can remember. My genre is jazz, but I also love gospel music. I was part of a church worship team for six years, until I no longer enjoyed doing it. Now, I leave that role to people who are passionate about it.

I have always loved books. When I was younger, especially when I was a teenager, they were my refuge. Whenever things weren’t going well, I could always find an interesting book to escape into and forget my problems for a while. And that is what often inspired me to write myself.