So I am almost finished revising my “Handbook of New Literacies Research” chapter on Cyberculture. The editors gave me some fantastic feedback that has made a lot of difference - basically they gave me license to: “be as radical as you like” “put more of your own opinions into it” “speculate about the future directions” and so on. One of the reasons the chapter was difficult for me in the first draft stages was because I thought it had to be more formal literature review kind of writing, which I always hate to do because it sounds stiff and stilted. I seem to be much better at writing when I can insert my own voice into it.
Anyway I am now taking them up on the radical bit *grin* and am going to talk about the global skin we wear, the wired body (cyborg), and so on. Being away from internet access on evenings and weekends has just about killed me! And I was thinking on the weekend past how much being ‘wired’ is integral to so much of my work and play now that it has become just the same as having an extra sense. I mentioned this a bit on Monday. Over the weekend (and I have this to look forward (!) to over the next few weekends as well…ugh!) I couldn’t enjoy myself properly, I couldn’t write properly, I couldn’t LIVE properly because I wasn’t wired. It made me think about young people who are wired all the time like me, and how WRETCHED it must be to be in classrooms and schools all day that are depriving them of this ‘extra sense’ by not being wired. I came across an article by Kevin Kelly and he said this:
In 2015 many people, when divorced from the Machine, won’t feel like themselves - as if they’d had a labotomy
I feel like that now!! Isn’t that a fab quote! Anyway, I am going to weave it into my chapter - maybe it isn’t a radical idea for us, but it likely will be for teachers.
Just finished my chapter for the Handbook of New Literacies Research and I’m exhausted (busy juggling too many other things at the same time). But I must say I agree with you, the editorial comments were excellent and I’m looking forward to reading your stuff… and seeing the book in print!
Comment by Guy — October 21, 2005 @ 5:37 am
All sounds really exciting; it is great that you have editors who want you to take risks. Really good.
Comment by DrJoolz — October 22, 2005 @ 6:09 am
Oh my goodness, I come back from being offline for a couple of days and there’s been a comment-fest on my blog!! Thank you for all your comments DrJoolz, I shall do my best to reply.
What was your chapter about Guy? Mine was about cyberculture and citizenship with only a slight nod to new literacies in terms of how new social practices = new literacies. I was surprised to be given that topic as I am sure there are many many others who would know a lot more than me on the topic, but I have done my best and written everything I know. I have even quoted DrJoolz in it as she knows more than I do!! I can’t wait to see the final book either, but its going to be a bit of a tome with so many authors and such big chapters. My chapter has blown way out of proportion and so far (and I haven’t quite finished yet) is 17,000 words long. I have told the editors that by asking me to add in stuff and not delete stuff they will have to suffer the consequences of a long long long chapter….. but will anybody read it now?? I worry about it being encyclopedia-ic because people might not buy it!!!!!!
Comment by Anya — October 22, 2005 @ 10:46 am
Me?? Quoted Me? Oh thank you Anya!
Comment by DrJoolz — October 22, 2005 @ 11:36 pm
Hah, at least you guys have some feedback! I’m still waiting!
Comment by Scottb — October 23, 2005 @ 9:40 pm
Ah well, mine’s a pretty straight-up-and-down literature review of digital writing in the early years. And it’s the first thing I’ve written for years that doesn’t have a crazy title. But, hey, yours is mega-length! They’ll need a separate volume just for you.
Comment by Guy — October 24, 2005 @ 7:58 am
A pleasure DrJoolz :> Hey Scott, what is your chapter about? Len hasn’t been given any feedback yet either and has been panicked while watching me work through the revisions because they are due in by the end of October! When I showed him my final tome he said: “Oh, I don’t imagine they could accommodate that length” *laugh* - oh well, it may be slashed to pieces but at least its out of my hands now and somebody else can worry about it for a while! I wanted to give mine a crazy title Guy but decided to be a little more circumspect given the way-out content :> I want to trick people into at least starting to read it!
Comment by Anya — October 24, 2005 @ 10:52 am