Contents
Read “All Writing Is Autobiography” by Donald Murray. Write a response to the questions below by commenting on this post.
- What did you think of this text? Explain!
- What is it mostly about? Write a 2-4 sentence summary. Be specific. Refer to the text itself. Use quotes even!
- What is the genre of the text? What is the tone?
- According to Murray, what makes writing autobiographical? Is all writing autobiographical? Explain.
- Did the author successfully convince you to change your mind or think in a particular way? How? What did you find particularly effective? Or, if he did not change your mind, why not? What could the author have added to help persuade you more?
- Do you find that you incorporate autobiographical aspects into your writing? Explain.
In Class Assignment (Finish for HW if you have not completed in class!)
Reading and Writing Questionnaire
Reading and Writing Questionnaire
Module 2 - Week 2 Monday - In Class Assignment
1) It was very interesting and informative.
2) It is about how they publish many forms of writing. There is a poem in the text.
3) Nonfiction and the tone is very direct and informative.
4)The writing is autobiographical with what telling people to do what is important to me.
5)They didn’t persuade me because it was too informative and wordy.
6) I can do what telling people to do what is important to me.
Dear Alan,
Good start. Please make sure to add more explanation, I want to hear WHY you found it interesting / informative, WHAT you took away, etc. What makes ALL writing autobiographical, can you expand on that.
Warmly,
RC
1) It was very interesting and informative.
2) It is about how they publish many forms of writing. There is a poem in the text.
3) Nonfiction and the tone is very direct and informative.
4)The writing is autobiographical with what telling people to do what is important to me.
5)They didn’t persuade me because it was too informative and wordy.
6) I can do what telling people to do what is important to me.
Sorry for posting four times it didn’t work immediately so I clicked it multiple times and it posted four times.
No problem! I have to approve posts sometimes (I don’t know why) and they don’t post right away.
Warmly,
RC
1) It was very interesting and informative.
2) It is about how they publish many forms of writing. There is a poem in the text.
3) Nonfiction and the tone is very direct and informative.
4)The writing is autobiographical with what telling people to do what is important to me.
5)They didn’t persuade me because it was too informative and wordy.
6) I can do what telling people to do what is important to me.
1) It was very interesting and informative.
2) It is about how they publish many forms of writing. There is a poem in the text.
3) Nonfiction and the tone is very direct and informative.
4)The writing is autobiographical with what telling people to do what is important to me.
5)They didn’t persuade me because it was too informative and wordy.
6) I can do what telling people to do what is important to me.
Donald Murray’s article “All Writing Is Autobiography” is the perfect way to start this class off. The writing is very informative about the topic of autobiographies, showcasing several of them written by the author. Each example serves a purpose and helps the reader to develop a grander idea of what exactly is an autobiography. Now I use the word autobiography quite frequently these past few sentences, but what does it mean? Most think of it as a genre where the author writes about himself and his experiences with others throughout life or a certain period. That is the most basic idea, but it goes far beyond that. Your style of writing and the language used are part of what makes up an autobiography. Even the tone you set in your writing is part of your identity as a writer, making your writing very defined in the sea of countless writers. Genre is crucial as some writers are known for the genre they write in. For example, Donald Murray is famous for his informational writing, much like this one. If it is not clear already, this one article has really expanded my idea of what an autobiography really is. Before reading the article, I was led to believe autobiographies are limited to retelling your life story. When it turns out anything can be one, poems, articles, any form of writing can fall under the category of an autobiography. Upon further reflection, I realize I often incorporated some autobiographical elements into my writing and schoolwork. Words can not simply express how my views on writing have changed.
Excellent! I absolutely loved this description of the piece and learning about your takeaways. I particularly loved how you define autobiography.
Great job!
Warmly,
RC
The reading “All Writing Is Autobiography” by Donald M Murray was very intriguing, I enjoyed how the author used poems to further explain his point and what he was trying to convince to the audience.
Murray establishes very interesting points on how our writing always becomes part of our life story and part of who we are. He states that “We become what we write. That is one of the great magics of writing. I am best known as a nonfiction writer, but I write fiction and poetry to free myself of small truths in” meaning that he writes parts that are true in his stories in which most are fictional and have not happened. Murray believes that when someone writes like this that they are “remaking” themselves.
The genre of this text is informative, and the tone is formal.
I believe that the author did not change my mind on whether all writing is a autobiography but made me think more about what makes a autobiography and how authors write about themselves even in a fictional story that is not entirely about them. The author could have added a poem that was not written by him to show us that others writers do the same in their work.
I believe that I do incorporate autobiographical aspects into my writing because a writer can be inspired by moments they have lived in their life to write a similar moment in their story or piece of writing.
Excellent! This is a great response to the reading. I am glad that it made you rethink / deeply think about autobiographies. I really liked how you suggest that the author could have added a poem from another author to showcase his argument. I think that is a fantastic suggestion.
Excellent work!
Warmly,
RC
All Writing Is Autobiography by Donald M. Murray made me look at writing styles and genres in a new way. I have always believed that you can hear a writer’s voice in their work, but Murray also states that oftentimes a writer’s words can become a form of reality for them despite starting off as fiction. In a way, their words can come to life and become a memory just from the thoughts that come after writing. No matter what is being written or who it is being written for, the writer’s voice and who they are, are still very present. Murray says “…―yet when I am at my writing desk I am the same person. As I look back, I suspect that no matter how I tuned the lyre, I played the same tune. All my writing ― and yours ― is autobiographical.” This statement, in my opinion, best sums up what this piece is explaining. Whether the writing falls into nonfiction, poetry, or any other genre, the writer’s life and language will always exist in it. Even if it hadn’t existed beforehand and became part of the author after the fact. The tone is a mix between candid and a bit grim. The author’s choice of poems and essays/columns are what make me feel that almost grim feeling, but it is also a part of what makes the entire thing feel so candid. He is straightforward about those, what some may see as, dark moments and the way writing was and continued to be for therapy in a way.
According to Murray, something that started as fiction can turn into an autobiography solely from thinking about what was written and it becoming a part of one’s life after. The sentence “The poem that for a few seconds was imaginary has become autobiographical after being written” explains the way that once an event is written into existence, it also begins to exist in real life and hold space in a writer’s mind. Which is what makes all writing autobiographical ― you are in every piece that you have written and will ever write. This in a way solidified my belief that a writer’s voice and who they are appears in their writing, but also made me see the possibility that a writer’s work becomes very much a part of who they are at the end too. A writer is themselves as they sit to write any and every genre of text. In that way, all writing is truly autobiographical. I, for one, have found myself in essays I’ve written, whether it’s small personal anecdotes in personal essays or questions I’ve asked readers throughout essays about events in history.
Dear Kiana,
Excellent job! I loved how you really deeply analyzed the piece. I think your analysis of the tone is really interesting. I also really like how you included quotes and discussed them.
Excellent!
Warmly,
RC
The writing of Donald M. Murray Is Autobiography it had a lot of details like when he said “i was 64 when i wrote it” it shows details.
its about him writing a autobiography about him for someone to pass it on and how the writing was used. the first sentence of the last paragraph shows it all.
the genre is based on a true story and the tone is direct to the reader
what makes writing autobiographical is the way it is written and how its written there are many ways to do that from tone to story line.
no the author did not successfully convince me to change my mind but helped me understand more with the amount of info he gave us readers.
yes i did find that i can put autobiographical in my own storys.
Dear Ibrahim,
Good start. I really like how you use quotes and respond to them and carefully look at the tone. I would love to have you provide an even more specific definition of the genre. What did he help you understand the most? What is his main thesis?
Good start!
Warmly,
RC
1) the reading was interesting and gave good details
2) the reading gave good ideas about how they created many forms of writing. I noticed a poem in the text that was talked about
3) the story gives off Nonfiction vibes and the tone is forward and factual.
4)The writing is autobiographical I believe because they giving people advice to do what is important
5) no because I didn’t get persuade because it was a lot of information to process.
6) I think that I do take autobiographical ideas into my writing because I can be inspired by anything I find interesting
Dear Justin,
Good start. I would love to have you explain more about your thinking / response to the reading. Details such as : WHY you found it interesting / WHAT details you liked, WHAT you took away, etc. What makes ALL writing autobiographical, can you expand on that. An autobiography is when a person tells a story of their life, what is the author’s thesis about autobiography?
Good start.
Warmly,
RC
Warmly,
RC
1. The text was rather interesting in regards to the ways that writing can change the way you think and feel about a slew of different topics, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, or autobiographical.
2. The passage is about this writer explaining the different kinds of writing, and him coming to a conclusion that everything can be autobiographical due to the fact that every person, of all different creeds and classes, are able to create their own story in their head around something they read.
3. The genre is autobiographical, and technically nonfiction. the tone is very blunt and somber on the part of the writer while also coming off as nostalgic and melancholic.
4. Murray explains that he thinks that all writings are autobiographical because every person of every kind can see their own story and interpretation of someone elses story. I personally don’t agree because some experiences are simply not compatible with some people.
5. The author was very convincing in their argument that autobiographical techniques exist in all forms. however, while I respect their take and think that they are very well written and educated, i personally don’t think that all people are capable of relating enough to make a work autobiographical. i can see where the author is coming from but i personally dont agree.
6. I do not incorporate autobiographical aspects in my writing because I have no experience that can be alluded to when I am writing pieces.
Dear Ahmed,
This is a good start. I like how you explain your thinking. I would like you to really think about the author’s thesis (main argument) and discuss whether you agree or disagree with it.
Good start.
Warmly,
RC
I enjoyed this text because it gave a perspective I never thought to think about in the past. I found it interesting to read and it made me look back at my own writing to see if I agreed with the author’s point of view. The genre of this text is informational autobiography. The text is mostly about how every single piece of writing we’ve written is an autobiography to some extent, whether that is small or large. Our childhood and life experiences influence our writing. Our own writing can also take a toll on us, He explains this simply by saying “we are what we write”. He further explains this by saying how writers don’t explicitly have to be upfront with their personal opinions(“I believe, In my opinion” etc) but their bias can show when stating their advice. The poem helped me understand what he meant and he effectively proved to me that a lot of writing can be autobiographical without trying to be. After reading the text and going back to my own writing, I saw that I wrote essays, poems, texts that had nothing to with my own life but ended up writing in my own personal element without thinking. I unknowingly gave characters problems I’ve faced in my own life and let them find the solution the same way I did in real life. The reader may not have known but I knew that there was a piece of my own life in that writing.
Great job! I love how you include quotes in your response and show your thinking process. I am glad that you found the piece interesting and thought-provoking. I really like the connection you made to your own writing and how your experiences have shaped your writing.
Great job!
Warmly,
RC
1. I think “All Writing Is Autobiography ” by Donald M. Murray is interesting and sophisticated because he develops a theme that people have there own experiences and many choose to showcase it to the world as he describes important moments in his life.
2.In All Writing Is Autobiography , Murray begins off by describing how his work is published in different genres and builds on to a perspective that even while using these genres you are developing a story about your life and experiences.Murray describes that many might not realize but the writing that they compose are about what they endured.
3.All Writing Is Autobiography by Donald M. Murray is a narrative in which he explores his writings and tries to inform his audience that every writing that is composed is an autobiography
4. According to Murray , all writing is autobiographical because everyone has there own perception of the world and that plays a huge role while they are writing,
5. Ultimately , Murray was able to convince me that all writing is actually autobiographical since when writing i rely on my experiences to tell my story , Murray was able to do this by incorporating his own life into the autobiography to further explain his point.
6. I do incorporate aspects of my life into my writing unintentionally , mainly to tell my story to the world .
Dear Amadou,
Great job! I really like how you thoughtfully respond to each of the questions. I would love to see you add quotes to support your thinking. Good explanation about how you came to realize that for you, all writing really is autobiographical.
Great job!
Warmly,
RC
Donald’s Murray article “All Writing Is Autobiography” was a very interesting article because he introduces a better understanding of what a autobiography actually is by writing about his own life and his ideas. In this essay Donald Murray mentions “we are autobiographical in the way we write” and “we become what we write” indicating that each person experiences different obstacles seeing the world a different way which can influence the way a person may write. The genre of the story is non fiction and the tone is informative. According to Donald Murry our life experiences make all writing autobiographical. All writing is autobiographical because everyone is different and may see things differently then someone else will no matter what genre they are writing about. The author did convince me to think a particular way by making me realize that I can express who I am or how I feel by writing. Donald Murray made it clear that all writing is autobiographical because Donald stresses that we express who we are by “what we write”. I don’t think I incorporate autobiographical aspect into my writing ,but now that I know more about it based off the reading I will try to add these aspects into my writing.
Dear Christopher,
Great job! I really like how you use quotes to support your thinking. I also like how you discuss how the reading helped you become more aware of your writing and how your experiences influence your writing. What does it mean to have an informative tone? Can you explain more and provide an example?
Great job!
Warmly,
RC
1. I think this text by Donald Murray is very perspective changing and I agree with his theory that all writing in some way is autobiographical because if you think about it, it kind of is.
2. Donald Murray says (“We are autobiographical in the way we write”). Which I completely agree because if I was to write my own story your understanding things from my perspective. Donald Murray also says that (” We make up our own history, our own legends ,our own knowledge by writing our autobiography”). This completely supports the theory that all writing is autobiography.
3. I would say the genre is an autobiography.
4. Donald Murray says all writing is autobiographical because things are told in someone’s experiences and perspective. You gain an understanding from their experiences and an understanding of what they went through.
5. Yes! Donald Murray gave me a new perspective because if you really do think about it your reading someone’s experience. You can find out if you can relate to them or not but it makes you feel in some way that your understanding their experience.
6. Yes I feel like I do sometimes especially when I’m writing about my own experiences and my own creative writing piece.
Dear Sara,
Great job! I really like how you use quotes to support your thinking! I also like how you really explain what makes writing autobiographical. What is the tone of the piece? How do you know?
Good job!
Warmly,
RC
I thought the text was very well explained and was in depth with the information being conveyed. It was mostly about him describing his past experiences in different forms of writing. He shared the importance of him writing these autobiographical texts. The genre of the text is Auto Biography. The tone of the text is Candid. I believe the author did change my mind in a particular way. He did it by sharing his main thoughts about the topic and provided his reasoning behind, in which it made sense to me. What I found the most effective is the imagery he provided in the text. After comparing it to my previous essays, I found I do not incorporate much as I hope to.
Dear Noman,
Good start! I like how you include a brief summary–what the piece is about. I would love you to include more about WHAT specifically you learned (include a quote!), WHAT is the author’s thesis (main idea), Whether you agree or disagree with the thesis, etc.
Warmly,
RC
Donald Murray’s article “All Writing Is Autobiography” is exceptionally educational with regards to the subject of personal histories, displaying a few of them composed by the creator. Every model fills a need and assists the peruser with fostering a more fabulous thought of what precisely is a live account. Most consider it a sort where the writer expounds on himself and his encounters with others all through life or a specific period. That is the most fundamental thought, yet it goes a long way past that. Your way of composing and the language utilized are important for what makes up a collection of memoirs, even the tone you set in your composing is essential, Kind is urgent as certain scholars are known for the class they write in. For instance, Donald Murray is popular for his educational composition, similar to this one. In case it isn’t clear as of now, this one article has truly extended actually what for me a self-portrayal truly is. Prior to perusing the article. At the point when it turns out anything can be one, sonnets, articles, any type of composing can fall under the classification of a life account. Words can not just express how my perspectives on composing have changed throughout all the years especially after reading this
Donald Murray’s article “All Writing Is Autobiography” is exceptionally educational with regards to the subject of personal histories, displaying a few of them composed by the creator. Every model fills a need and assists the peruser with fostering a more fabulous thought of what precisely is a live account. Most consider it a sort where the writer expounds on himself and his encounters with others all through life or a specific period. That is the most fundamental thought, yet it goes a long way past that. Your way of composing and the language utilized are important for what makes up a collection of memoirs, even the tone you set in your composing is essential, Kind is urgent as certain scholars are known for the class they write in. For instance, Donald Murray is popular for his educational composition, similar to this one. In case it isn’t clear as of now, this one article has truly extended actually what for me a self-portrayal truly is. Prior to perusing the article. At the point when it turns out anything can be one, sonnets, articles, any type of composing can fall under the classification of a life account. Words can not just express how my perspectives on composing have changed throughout all the years especially after reading this
Dear Adrian,
Good start! I really like how you explore how different types of writing call all be considered autobiographical. I would love to see more of a specific reference to the text (quotes) to support your argument. WHAT is he arguing, WHY does he make this argument, etc.
Good start!
Warmly,
RC
Donald Murray’s “All writing is Autobiographical” is a very interesting eye opening and complex article. Donald Murray takes his audience through a reading here he shows how almost everything we write down is biographical cause it relates to something that us the readers have most likely experienced, which is what i think its mostly about. in the article page 3 he states “In writing this paper I have begun to understand, better than I ever have before, that all writing, in many different ways, is autobiographical, and that our autobiography grows from a few deep taproots that are set down into our
past in childhood” i think this shows that our past memories can basically tend to be what we write about. The genre of the article is informative since Donald is guiding fellow readers and showing how writing pieces can be autobiographical. i would describe the tone in this article is very calm but can sometimes be grime. i think what makes a writing autobiographical is when you choose to talk bout your past. the author made me realize that i have been writing autobiographical pieces unintentionally without knowing. i realized whenever i made connection text to self connections i talk about how a piece if my past correlates to t he text/ passage thats how i’ve been incorporating autobiography in my writing.
Dear Jamal,
Great job. I love how you use quotes to support your thinking and expand on your ideas. I also really liked hearing about how the reading make you look closer at your own writing and consider how its autobiographical. When you say sometimes the tone is grim, can you provide textual evidence to support your thinking.
Great job!
Warmly,
RC
1. What I think about Donald Murray “All Writing Is Autobiography” is that it was very informative and interesting. The way he says how “We become what we write”. It made me think about the way I write about anything I read and how we make it our own by saying the way we read is autobiographical.
2. “All Writing Is Autobiography” starts with Donald Murray saying the different genres of writing he has done. Donald Murray then starts sharing his point of view on autobiography and how the different genres of writing have little or mainly autobiography in them. In the writing, Donald Murray asked Brock Dethier a question, “He answered my question, “What is auto-biographical in this poem?” by saying, “Your thinking style, your voice.”
3. The genre of the text is autobiography. The tone Donald Murray uses in the autobiography is inspirational because of the words he uses when talking about his writing.
4. According to Murray, what makes writing autobiographical is the way you think and your voice when writing. Yes, all writing is autobiographical because of the way we choose to write any type of genre of writing using the way we think to write how we are. Murray said, “We become what we write”.
5. Yes, the author successfully changed the way I think in a particular way. What Murray wrote caused me to think in a particular way where now I feel like anything I write even if it is a poem or an essay, is like an autobiography because I am using the way I think and how I want to write to make it my own.
6. I do feel like I incorporate autobiographical aspects into my writing because the way we think and our voice is what makes it like an autobiography. We are using the way we think to portray any type o genre we write.
Dear Jasmin,
Excellent job! I loved reading this thoughtful response to the piece. I am glad that the reading made you look at your writing in a new way. I like how you use quotes to support your thinking. I would love to see you provide quotes to support your definition of the tone.
Excellent job!
Warmly,
RC
1) What I thought about the text is that it was very interesting and the point that was trying to be made was a solid one and I personally thought it was a good point.
2) The text, “All Writing Is Autobiography”, by Donald M. Murray is mostly about how Murray believes that every type of writing is autobiographical. Murray tries to support this claim by bringing up past written pieces he has created in order to try and support the claim he has made. Murray used 3 pieces of writing to support that every piece that a person writes is autobiographical one way or another. Murray tries to persuade the reader with a lot of examples and is able to connect each piece back to the claim he has made.
3) The genre of the text is an autobiography because Murray writes about his life and how he made his prior pieces of writing. The tone of the text is serious and academic because Murray is serious about how every written piece is autobiographical and academic because he wants to show and teach everyone that written pieces are autobiographical.
4) What makes writing autobiographical is when you introduce your past experiences with the piece and you connect it so that you can support your claim. Also whenever you write and mention anything from the past or use past experiences to help you write, it then becomes autobiographical. All writing is autobiographical because when you write something, you end up using your past experiences to help you come up with the piece, you connect to your past experiences.
5) The author did convince me to change my mind that all writing is autobiographical. What I found effective that made me change my mind was the use of his prior works and in those passages, he did use his past experiences to create stories and used a majority part of his experiences and then added a non-fiction part to it so it would sound better.
6) I personally feel that I do incorporate autobiographical aspects into my writing because I make sure to connect with the reader and to make sure that the reader knows that I am a real person that wrote the piece.
Dear Christian,
Excellent job! This is a fantastic response to the reading. I liked how you provide evidence to support your thinking and your summary of the reading.
Excellent job!
Warmly,
RC
1. It was informative, I gathered a lot of information
2. The text was about how they publish different forms of writing
3. nonfiction and the tone seems serious
4. The writing is autobiographical
5. The author did kind of persuade me that at times some writing is usually autobiographical
6. I feel like I can incorporate autobiographical aspects into my life because I can write the way I feel and that’s exactly what the author did.
1. It was informative, I gathered a lot of information
2. The text was about how they publish different forms of writing
3. nonfiction and the tone seems serious
4. The writing is autobiographical
5. The author did kind of persuade me that at times some writing is usually autobiographical
6. I feel like I can incorporate autobiographical aspects into my life because I can write the way I feel and that’s exactly what the author did.
Dear Alisha,
Good start. Please make sure to add more explanation, I want to hear WHY you found it interesting / informative, WHAT you took away, etc. What makes ALL writing autobiographical, can you expand on that. Maybe add some quotes from the reading!
Warmly,
RC
1) i think the text by Donald Murray is a very great explain of autobiographical because it give example and explain a lot details in the autobiographical poem.
2) its about how we use our own perspective to see or let others into our perspective when writing or reading to the story. “we talk about our own language, allowing our student in their own language” for me that i think this quote means i can write my own language into the story because it can represent where im from.
3)i think the genre is autobiography because it depend on the poem
4) according to Murray what makes thing autobiographical is when the author explaining their story using their perspective and you will get into their perspective when you reading the story.
5)i think the author change my mind because it explain how can we understand autobiographical is and how can we feel when reading others reading.
6)yes when im writing my story i would want the reader to have image of what i explaining