After reading “How to Read Like a Writer” by Mike Bunn I retained a lot of useful information and it really opened my eyes. I made me realize that a majority of the time that I do read, I’m really only doing it out of obligation and never actually reading to have a deeper understanding of the text. The biggest example that stuck with me was the line where Allen used the metaphor of “reading like an architect”. An architect has to know what they are doing and have a good understand/ analyze of all the pieces in order to give anything structure. In that way as readers we should make it our job to carefully analyze what the writer is saying and understand what the writer is trying to evoke with their word choice. Taking time to understand these aspect could help us in our own writing. This book has inspired me to do just that because as a student in this class writing is crucial and I should take it upon myself to further my writing skills in order receive a better out come in this class.
About
Professor: Jessica Penner
Email: jpenner@citytech.cuny.edu
Class Meetings & Times: Mondays & Wednesdays, 2-3:40 PM, in Namm 519
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 – 1 PM. I’ll be available through Zoom and will send an invitation via email that you should keep all semester. Try to join my meeting at the start of the hour, not at the end—since I may be talking to other students or have another appointment after the hour is up. If those times don’t work with your schedule, we can schedule a different time. This means you’ll have to schedule an appointment in advance via email. I suggest you have multiple times in mind, since your schedule may not mesh with mine!
Course Description: A course in effective essay writing and basic research techniques including use of the library. Demanding readings assigned for classroom discussion and as a basis for essay writing.
When reading “how to read like a writer “ it made me realize that how the writer starts off their novel impacts the reader’s understanding. A quote the stood out to me was “ Would you want to start your own essay with a quote? Do you think it would be effective to begin your essay with a quote from Presi-dent Obama? What about a quote from someone else? “ This comes to show that you have to grab your reader’s attention some how. You have to understand both being a reader and a writer is as important. Question why the writer put that specific phrase there or word that would make you as a reader understand what the writer is trying to prove.