Self-Assessment Letter

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”

~Henry David Thoreau~

Dear Reader,

The following piece entitled Out in the Margins; Or, On the Genealogy on Book Reports was dreamed haphazardly, but was crafted intentionally into a two part structure. Admittedly, I was lost conceptually from the onset. I dreamed. I rode my bike. I walked to and from meetings. I played with my son, kissed my wife. I dreamed. I thought about the blog assignment the College Composition students were doing at the time of the project's conception. I dreamed. I felt the word “blogs” roll off my tongue. It felt like “blah,” but ending with the heaviness of a word like “log.” I dreamed. I thought about the word “genealogy.” I dreamed some more. I thought about Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morals. That’s a good title..and any title starting with “On the” sets a lofty precedence.

I thought about book reports. I tried to get real. What was my experience? I dreamed. I went back to high school and thought about Mrs. Kennedy’s class. Then the structure for the project hit me. Margins...I live in the margins of my mind. The piece then took shape into the first part I called “Inside the Margins” and the second part I called “Outside the Margins.” I was rolling, but soon I would be scrolling. I wanted the project to be in a genre that went beyond a traditional argumentative paper. I began by writing the poem “The Alhambra Leaves,” based on a book-report type biographical interview project on Washington Irving that I did in high school. However, I wanted to stretch myself and write more than a poem. I thought about the blog genre. I dreamed.

So, reader, I would like you to know that the following work was crafted while simultaneously dreaming and crafting a blog. Visit www.blog-reports.blogspot.com to see the process writing of this assignment dated by blog postings. If I could blog my imagination I would. I first posted the assignment, then added the poem I wrote, then added the first draft of the assignment. After an in-class workshop, I posted email comments by my peers, the final draft, and the letter you now read. I feel the project was successful and will be something I use in future classrooms to evolve the age-old practice of book reports into a new literacies practice I have decided to name “blog-reports.”

Finally, I think the overall grade for the project merits an “A.” I approve of however the work will be assessed. Therefore, I initialed the given criteria. Above all, I hope you enjoy the writing and thank you for your time and conversation

Sincerely Yours,

Adam Mackie