In addition to his radical approach to the classic writing style the structure Dr. Piazza created for the class was both individually as well as peer focused. This is to say that we would have to write on an issue and share both with the class as well as with Dr. Piazza in a one on one session every single week. The presentation of our work was, in my opinion, the most important aspect of the class. The fact that I had to share my thoughts and ideas with not only a class of my peers but also with one of the most adored and respected teacher I have ever had the pleasure of knowing pushed me more than any grade on a piece of paper ever could. I was driven, along with every other member of the class, to show what I was capable of putting down on a piece of paper. And while I can look back on this experience with fond memories at the time it was a different story. Let me take you back to my first presentation in Writing Seminar. I stand alone in front of the class with nothing more than a piece of paper and a cold sweat on my back. The fear starts to settle in, the words become hard to pronounce, and the threat of anxiety slowly creeps into my psyche. The podium in front of me is my only ally. I hold myself up as my knees grow weak. Seconds turn into minutes and the threat of anxiety has morphed into full out panic.

Then without warning, a moment of clarity is thrust upon me. I am in a class with 20 kids who I have known for the three years. A deep breath and my senses start to come back to me. Soon enough the words on the page become clearer and I start to read the words I worked so hard to put down on the page. Fear is replaced with satisfaction as I see nods of approval around the room. My voice comes back and I start to speak with confidence and passion.  Before I know it I run out of words to read and after a few moments I was surrounded by the sweet sound of applause. There was no better feeling than sitting down after presenting your work. Knowing that I overcame the fear that gripped me only moments ago was more satisfying then any grade could ever be.

Before my experience in Writing Seminar I completely detached writing and speaking. They were never associated in my mind before I was forced to present my writing. This was due to the fact that I wrote for the teacher completely even going as far as to tailor my opinions to what I thought the teacher wanted. Now I understand that there is a need to convey your ideas in a way that the reader can not only understand but also relate to. This idea was driven home in our reading ofMacrorie’s Poison Fish. So much of the writing I have done and in some cases continue to do could be called Engfish. Engfish is; “the phony, pretentious language of the schools” (Macrorie, Ken. “The Poison Fish” Pg. 297).  I find myself constantly writing in strict accordance with Macrorie’s depiction of Engfish. I often find myself writing in unnecessarily complex ways in order to appear knowledgeable. For example I just edited that previous sentence with Macrorie’s definition of Engfish in mind. Before I wrote “I often found myself trying to convey with opinions in an overly complicated and often ineffective manner rather than simply stating my opinions in a clear and concise way.” Even when trying to explain Engfish I found myself using Engfish. This has been a theme throughout my writing career. I operated under the perception that writing was a time to showcase my extensive vocabulary. But after my reading of Macrorie I now understand that an author’s authentic voice is more important than the ability to use a thesaurus.

The need to connect to the reader was something I had never truly comprehended until I had to stand in front of the class and present my opinion on a subject. This connection between reader and writer was something I had previously overlooked because I was never assigned to present any writing in a public forum. It forced me as a writer to not only acknowledge but to also tailor my writing toward a certain group of people. And while I in no way alter my opinions in accordance with the audience I do alter the way in which I present my arguments in an attempt to create the most effective piece of writing possible. Presenting my writing with a specific audience in mind allows me to counter my own argument and present necessary explanations throughout a paper. To point out the frequently asked questions and to subsequently dismantle said questions only strengthens a paper. Rather then simply presenting an opinion and providing evidence I now recognize the shortcomings of my argument and account for them in the most logical way possible. The logic I use in writing was not previously geared toward a specific audience. Instead I would formulate my argument based on what I thought were the most important issues. Now I try to generate an argument with a specific audience in mind. This is something that has been difficult for me because, in the majority of cases, I am simply writing with the teacher in mind. But because of the presentation-based style of writing seminar I understand that targeting an audience and tailoring your writing to that audience is a crucial aspect of any writing.