Writing and Reading: The Missing Elements in Historical and Contemporary Studies of English Language Writing1.

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Title: Writing and Reading: The Missing Elements in Historical and Contemporary Studies of English Language Writing1.
Authors: Graff, Harvey J.1 graff.40@osu.edu
Source: Across the Disciplines. 2024, Vol. 21 Issue 2/3, p313-326. 14p.
Subject Terms: *English language writing, *Historiography, English language, English literature, British history
Abstract: Scholarly disciplines are historical reservoirs riven with contradictions. Often unaware of their own history, the humanities lead in complications, with English departments outpacing other fields of study. Both writing and English language and literature studies exhibit long-standing omissions and conflicts. This essay explores their similarities and differences, emphasizing the centrality of literacy—both reading and writing—to these concerns. These are elements of what I identified in 1979 as “the literacy myth.” They are often central across fields, disciplines, departments, and today cross-campus initiatives. However counter-intuitive it may seem, serious interest in the fundamental human activities of writing and reading, in necessary relationship with each other, is among the common major missing links in the subfields of English. To a historian of literacy, I emphasize that lack of attention to the inseparable actions of writing as a form of expression and reading as mode of understanding marks writing studies and history of English language. It is empirically, theoretically, and logically impossible to study or comprehend one without the other. Writing and reading are inseparably interrelated. This essay begins an interrelated critique and proposal for change. These fundamental connections are clear from studies of traditional classics through the present in English and English translation. We cannot understand either the production or the consumption of writing and printing, the making of meaning(s) itself, without central attention to literacy, that is, reading and writing especially taken together. What I first defined as the literacy myth continues to stand as both cause and consequence of this persisting gap in approaches and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Across the Disciplines is the property of WAC Clearinghouse and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Across+the+Disciplines%22">Across the Disciplines</searchLink>. 2024, Vol. 21 Issue 2/3, p313-326. 14p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+language+writing%22">English language writing</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Historiography%22">Historiography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+language%22">English language</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+literature%22">English literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22British+history%22">British history</searchLink>
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  Data: Scholarly disciplines are historical reservoirs riven with contradictions. Often unaware of their own history, the humanities lead in complications, with English departments outpacing other fields of study. Both writing and English language and literature studies exhibit long-standing omissions and conflicts. This essay explores their similarities and differences, emphasizing the centrality of literacy—both reading and writing—to these concerns. These are elements of what I identified in 1979 as “the literacy myth.” They are often central across fields, disciplines, departments, and today cross-campus initiatives. However counter-intuitive it may seem, serious interest in the fundamental human activities of writing and reading, in necessary relationship with each other, is among the common major missing links in the subfields of English. To a historian of literacy, I emphasize that lack of attention to the inseparable actions of writing as a form of expression and reading as mode of understanding marks writing studies and history of English language. It is empirically, theoretically, and logically impossible to study or comprehend one without the other. Writing and reading are inseparably interrelated. This essay begins an interrelated critique and proposal for change. These fundamental connections are clear from studies of traditional classics through the present in English and English translation. We cannot understand either the production or the consumption of writing and printing, the making of meaning(s) itself, without central attention to literacy, that is, reading and writing especially taken together. What I first defined as the literacy myth continues to stand as both cause and consequence of this persisting gap in approaches and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Across the Disciplines is the property of WAC Clearinghouse and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.37514/ATD-J.2024.21.2-3.14
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