Wednesday, April 17, 2013

How would I write an essay response to "Be Specific" by Natalie Goldberg?

Natalie Goldberg's brief essay "Be Specific" argues for the use of precise language in all communicative endeavors. Just as one would not address a friend by the name of their gender, like "girl" or "boy," one should not describe the characters in one's writing so vaguely. Goldberg laments the information that is lost when communicators neglect to give things the "dignity" of their names. She gives an anecdotal example where she walked around with a botany guide and asked her neighbors to identify the very flowers and shrubs they were planting: most were unable to name them accurately.
Goldberg also gives the example of the poet William Carlos Williams, who exhorts writers to write what is right in front of them. This can only be done by training one's awareness. At the end of her essay, she applies her argument to group work, recommending that learners try to remember their peers' names as quickly as possible in order to increase attention.

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