Post 3/27

The academic case study seems to be able to bring in previous research more effectively than the nonfiction case study. Because the latter is concerned with constructing a narrative (for example, ends in a satisfying way, with Lorraine and Brian exchanging a concluding joke), bringing in other research might feel clumsy and ruin the fluidity of the prose. It's interesting that Brian writes about this tension between academic and creative writing and in doing so constructs his argument creatively. The benefits to this form are in demonstrating the point he is trying to make with Lorraine: that impressive, political writing can be conveyed creatively. Another advantage to a creative nonfiction case study is that we are better able to understand the relationship between the tutor and the student. Since many of the studies we have read for this class are attempting to understand the relationship between tutor and student, this seems a refreshing and honest take on how the tutor feels about his work and student. I would like to see this paper paired with Lorraine's perspective and see where tutor and student overlap in their ideas about the writing center and where they diverge.

The advantages to an academic study like Carol's and Prim's are that the form covers more ground. By using experimental tools and couching observations in relation to previous studies, the narrative (for I think there is a narrative, even in this academic study) is able to draw many strands together. We get a perspective on Fei's journey that feels comprehensive. We learn her context and learn the context of the writing center as well as the academic structures around it. The academic paper is also better able to make conclusions and offer suggestions for improvement in the writing center, whereas the advice and conclusions from just one tutor and his student, while valuable, might contradict another tutor/student pair's experience.

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