ERIC ED393123: Fencing with Words: A History of Writing Instruction at Amherst College during the Era of Theodore Baird, 1938-1966. Refiguring English Studies Series.

333 Pages·1996·8 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 215 281
ED 393 123
Varnum, Robin
AUTHOR
Fencing with Words: A History of Writing Instruction
TITLE
at Amherst College during the Era of Theodore Baird,
1938-1966. Refiguring English Studies Series.
ISBN-0-8141-1677-9; ISSN-1073-9637
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
96
NOTE
333p.
National Council of Teachers of English, 1111 W.
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(120)
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EDRS PRICE
*Educational History; Educational Practices;
DESCRIPTORS
*Freshman Composition; Higher Education;
Instructional Effectiveness; *Instructional
Innovation; *Rhetoric; *Writing Teachers
Academic Discourse Communities; *Amherst College MA;
IDENTIFIERS
Historical Background
*Baird (Theodore) ;
ABSTRACT
Citing the revolutionary ideas that Theodore Baird
brought to his freshman composition classes at Amherst College
(Massachusetts)--ideas such as requiring students to write often and
from experience--this book examines the innovative work and
groundbreaking ideas of Baird and his staff. The book focuses on
Baird's pedagogy and his belief in a connection between
self-knowledge and wr.iting. The book considers the influence of the
social and political forces outside the classroom on what happened in
class--forces that existed within the larger institution of Amherst
College as well as national and international forces related to World
War II, the Cold War, and the civil unrest of the 1960s. Unlike much
historical scholarship in composition (based mostly on composition
textbooks), the book encompasses a wide range of materials, such as
course descriptions, student papers, staff memoranda, and teacher and
student recollections to form conclusions. Through this examination
of one writing course, the book paints a complex picture of a
fascinating period of social, cultural, and academic change in the
United States. Each chapter contains notes. Appended are a
description of English 1-2, English 1 assignments for fall 1946, an
exchange of letters, and selected student papers. Contains 101
references.
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*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
*
from the original document.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
bt.utk together. 1
Iline !hid A great deal of support iii ptitting, this
aid the scseral
vould like first to thank im editor, titephen North.
tor their helptul t.rmt. hill
re\ ie \\et.' to v. hom he sent np, mantis: ipt
members ot my doctoral
And .Rivice. 1 m.ould like ako to thank the
Peter [IlboN%, nd
,:onnlitttee. ( harles Adams. 1 ),i iii Bloome.
gut,lar.L
earher
lerrington. for helping ine \\It!) the book in its
Antic'
like to thank the members past
,1 dissertation. rhird, 1 m.ould
,t.!tied (;ood Group. espet. i.ili \ Robin 1)irard.
lid preNent of the
tibbons. Sherrill F larbison. Sara Jonsberg. Ruth
Men FEr.(11r1,11n,1
I ion MIlt."mil Anne
Ovt en Jones. Sarah krIborne. loin
1 e.1111011,
feed-
tOr
Mulhn. for listenny to 1r.mtt of In\ chapters and
back And friendship.
Baird. J(din Hook
I am also gratciiil tki Robert liagg. 1 heodore
;ikon.
Aterjohn Cameron. G. Armour Craigian 1/1/ard.Walker
hard, Roger Sale. ( ;col
1 homas Looker, 1),Ile Peterson,Wilhant Priti
generously makmg
frev Shepherd, John Stiller, and I )ouglasWIlson tOr
adahle to lne.
their tune, then' resources. ,md their memories a\
D'Arienlo and her NtatI .1t the
.1E1 greatly Indebted to 1)Arta
I
the materiak in their
Am. IlleN 161 helping me to use
ArnherNt C .(Alege
I )ouglas Wilson at the Amherst (
care. I am also indebted to
the .1olles I !branv
)ttiLe of Pubh, Attains and to 1)aniel 1 onibaido at
tOr making photographs A\ allaNe to MC
ahout the 10\.e
the book \\ mid not ba e been possible NA
.Martia /Agarms
Nuppolt of in% Catnik. Jurh. 'soffit. and
CHAP1 LR ONE.
A Maverick Course
cultural history of the tw o-seincs-
F,Ihiiii.., with I I ;,1,1., is a so, ial and
I 1
generally listed as English
ter freshman writing courw.
Theodore Baird at Amherst t.'ollege from 193s
ss Inch %%as directed by
engaged sonic fifty instructors
to NW). By Baird's estimate, the course
.ind siN Il1011s.ind students during its almost thirtv-vear span, yet per-
teachnig of writ-
haps bek ails,: it flourished during a period when the
protessionahred, little has been published
ing had not become fulls
noted.
Thom it. I. von ,o, as one of the men w ho taught the course has
.md Is knoWn to have influenced
It -enjoys a certain s ag(ie reputation
(Gibson 1985. 137). III .1 1985 historical
a number of college teachers-
2 has influ-
article. Ann Berthoff referred to those whom English
1
that by the date of-publication of
eni ed as an -Amherst Mafia.- noting
themselves
her article. the members of thh -Mafia- had dispersed
k72.1.W11,11. is pei haps most immediatek remarkable
across the country
staff-devised a
I -2 is that Baird and the members of-his
about English
each seinester Mid used
new series of sequenced writing assignments
write frequent-
theill III common.They also required their students to
their students wrote to
ly and from experience. and they brought w hat
litiw Baird and the
Jass for k lasSill(till diSilission. My story concerns
of writing.
members of his staff understood their niission .is teachers
translating that understand-
how they argued w ith one another about
their students responded. Ni sti try also has
mg into prat tit e..ind how
and ss ith the w avs Individuals Use and
to do w ith intellek tual polith s
What I have
karil to list: language to gain contrtd of social situations.
both nit- (. ontemporary tortipt.sithm
to say should have impla ations
pcdagog\ and tor i iurent intellectual politiks.