Bits Creating Bonds: Lore As a Form of History in Creative Writing and Composition Pedagogy

BITS CREATING BONDS: LORE AS A FORM OF HISTORY IN CREATIVE WRITING AND COMPOSITION PEDAGOGY Phil Sandick A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of English and Comparative Literature. Chapel Hill 2017 Approved by: Daniel Anderson Jordynn Jack Randall Kenan Megan Matchinske Todd Taylor © 2017 Phil Sandick ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Phil Sandick: Bits Creating Bonds: Lore as a Form of History in Creative Writing and Composition Pedagogy (Under the direction of Daniel Anderson and Jordynn Jack) This dissertation develops around a series of related arguments about lore: the role lore played in the disciplinary histories of both composition and creative writing, the longstanding yet diminishing dependence on lore in creative writing pedagogy, the distributed network created from tidbits of author testimony that helps students form social bonds, and finally, the mode by which contemporary students are situated through new media to be bricoleurs—or bricolores— of the array of conventional wisdom regarding how writing is “done, learned, and taught.” The canon of creative writing craft books and author interviews constitutes a major source of creative writing’s rich mythography. The House of Lore is largely comprised of and informed by these tidbits, and, through pedagogical dissemination, these fragments of writing advice, reflections on writing processes, and ruminations on “the writing life” are passed down through the generations. These fragments have a profoundly historical charge, and actually contain within thems a record of how creative works come into existence. When these fragments subsequently become part of individual student narratives of learning, apprentice writers in turn have the ability to form strong and meaningful bonds with mentors, fellow students, as well as with creative writing’s past. Lore’s potential for productive value might be elucidated if we can refocus our attention on the relational and history-specific contexts that shape these new encounters. All— teachers and students alike—who come in contact with these pedagogical fragments iii recombine/remake/remix them to meet new needs in what we can begin to think of as “Lore 2.0.” These tidbits can fuel further rhetorical invention, as well as create social bonds. Through the theoretical lens of Actor-network theory, we may better visualize and understand contemporary student learning narratives with respect to writing, both in first-year composition and creative writing. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The long and arduous tasks of research and writing are long and arduous for many reasons, but are made easier and more approachable by the support of wonderful people: mentors, colleagues, friends, and family. Many sincere thanks to all who guided my research and development as an instructor. First to Ariel, for journeying back east from Southern California and for supporting my work each and every day. To my parents, Howard and Joan, who were two teaching dynamos both in the New York City public school system and at home. To my committee—I was extremely lucky to work with such a dynamic group of writers and thinkers. Daniel Anderson for his cutting-edge pedagogies, continual exposure to interesting people, ideas, and things, and wonderful feedback every step of the way. To Jordynn Jack for mentoring me in the fine art of Writing Program Administration and for her careful and creative thoughts regarding my research and professional development. Thanks to Todd Taylor for leading an unofficial teaching practicum twice a week for two semesters of film class—I learned as much about keeping students engaged intellectually as I learned about film (which was substantial). To Randall Kenan for his years of generous mentorship, advice, and reading recommendations—this project truly came into focus after our conversations about creative writing’s pedagogy and history. v Finally to Megan Matchinske for her encouragement and careful attention to my work from this project’s earliest incarnation. Professor Matchinske was instrumental in considering along with me the implications of merging the philosophy of history with creative writing pedagogy. I appreciate each member of my committee’s willingness to allow me to follow this project wherever it might lead; I cannot overstatement my appreciation of their mentorship. Thanks to the mentorship of countless faculty members at UNC—especially to Bill Balthrop, Carole Blair, Christian Lundberg, Robert Cantwell and Stephen Neigher. Similarly, I am deeply indebted to many of the graduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill, especially Chelsea Redeker Milbourne, Jason Loan, Alex Funt, Emi Steumke, Sarah Singer, Erich Werner, Ashley Hall, L. Lamar Wilson, Lindsay Starck, Sarah Workman, Anna Levett, Lee Norton, and Matthew Hotham. Thank you to the UNC Chapel Hill Libraries and the staff at Davis Library for all that they do to support undergraduate and graduate student learning. To my colleagues from the Kelly Writers House: Janine Catalano, Tom Devaney, Al Filreis, Jamie-Lee Josselyn, Blake Martin, and Jennifer Snead. To my wonderful professors at Penn, especially Max Apple, Susan Stewart, and Kitsi Watterson. To my Wisconsin cohort: Nate Brown, Samar Fitzgerald, Emma Snyder, Emma Fusco- Straub, and to Ben Thompson (who I was also lucky to call a Chapel Hill friend and neighbor as well). You are all excellent teachers as well as kind friends. A warm thank you to Judith Claire Mitchell, Lorrie Moore, and Jesse Lee Kercheval for their outstanding workshops and for being exemplars are excellent creative writing instruction. Thanks to those I learned from in UW-Madison’s Rhetoric and Composition program as well: Matthew Capdevielle, Adam Koehler, Katie Lynch, and Morris Young. Thanks also to the vi writing program directors at Philadelphia University, John Eliason and Dolores Pfeuffer-Scherer, for their commitment to teaching and teachers. Thank you to my in-laws, Gregory Djanikian and Alysa Bennett for their advice, conversation, support, and good cheer. This dissertation is dedicated to all of the students I have taught in Madison, Philadelphia, and Chapel Hill. An extra loud shout-out to the class of English 128, Major American Authors, Fall 2016. Finally, the biggest thank you goes to Elaina for continually asking, “Why?” and to Nathaniel for his insistent, “What’s that?” vii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................................x LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1: A 21st-CENTURY LOOK AT LORE ......................................................................1 Narratives of How Texts Come into Being ........................................................................10 Lore as Historically-Charged Agent ..................................................................................12 Tidbits Create Social Bonds ...............................................................................................29 “Lore 2.0” ..........................................................................................................................38 Chapter Outlines ................................................................................................................40 CHAPTER 2: THE FRAUGHT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPOSITION STUDIES AND CREATIVE WRITING AND LORE AT THE HEART OF THIS DIVISION ..................44 Seeking Common Ground and More Open Borders ..........................................................44 A Longstanding Yet Uneasy Partnership ...........................................................................49 The Closing of Borders ......................................................................................................59 Stereotypical Aversions: The Strong Oppositions between First-Year Composition and Creative Writing ..........................................................................................................64 Lore at the Heart of a Pedagogical Divide: Theory and Practice ......................................72 Resisting Lore: Practitioner Knowledge at the Margins of Pedagogical Scholarship, a Response from Creative Writing Studies ...........................................................................77 Toward a More Coherent Partnership ................................................................................90 Addressing the How and the What ....................................................................................95 Exercises in Style ...............................................................................................................99 Once More Beyond Dichotomy .......................................................................................103 viii CHAPTER 3: REIMAGINING LORE AS A HISTORICAL PHENOMENON: A WELLSPRING OF TIDBITS ......................................................................................................109 Pedagogical Metanarratives and Self-Reflexivity ...........................................................109 Lore as a Form of History: Writing about Writing as Historiographic Emplotment .......114 The Historicity of Lore ....................................................................................................125 The Archive: Locating

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