"Forever Overhead" by DFW

What caught my eye most about this piece is the immense amount of detail.  All the senses are accounted for in this short story.  DFW describes things that help the reader feel, hear, see and smell.  It allows the reader to be able to visualize the story even more, almost as if they were there.  One example of incredible detail in "Forever Overhead"was this passage, 

          And past all this, reddened by a round slow September sun, are mountains, jagged, their tops’       sharp angles darkening into definition against a deep red tired light. Against the red their sharp    connected tops form a spiked line, an EKG of the dying day.

But again, DFW added enough detail to keep the audience intrigued and alert, but not enough to where we get lost in all this extra nonsense.  Just as Carr and Barthleme both gave advice about.  I find it so incredible to be able to write like this.  I, myself, find it extremely difficult in y own writings to know when I have reached the point of too much detail or too little.  All these authors seem to have definitely perfected that aspect of writing.  Something very admirable.


              Melinda Terry

Workshop - Thursday, Jan. 30

Write about a situation in which you and/or someones "encountered a shimmer of possibilities in a messy, disordered life."
-Tobias Wolfe

Tips: 

• Make use your notes from last class & the aphorisms from Barthleme's "Not Knowing"
• Action must take place in the range of 1 to 3 days (Aristotle). Retrospection transcends time
• Every single concrete instance in this situation must contribute to how the story operates, thus the meaning of the story (Flannery O'Connor) 
• If your situation is commonplace (some people say love is commonplace), use the background (backstories about characters and yourself; the landscape) to make it defamiliar, more original & new (Alan Lelchuk and Tobias Wolfe)
• Knowing where things happen in time gives the reader a connection to you and a way into your story (Tobias Wolfe)
• Make the reader see and feel the situation (Alan Lelchuk)
• Reflect upon your choices (Tobias Wolfe)
• What were the internal movements within you? (Tobias Wolfe)
• Language is the supreme creator of empathy (Tobias Wolfe)
• Make your writing and your authoring emotionally present (Tobias Wolfe)

Bad Writing, According to TB:

• Wooden ear for language 
• Self-indulgent 
• Self-conscious
• Sermonizing  

Saunders and DFW

Saunders talks about a few points that I personally have never given much thought. The one that caught my attention the most was the idea of a short story full of details. DFW did a wonderful job of this in one of the short stories about 9/11. The story was so descriptive and full of detail it almost felt I was living the whole experience. DFW also does a great job of leaving some things out for the reader to think about on their own.

In my own writing I plan to keep the story simple but with lots of details so that my audience feels like they are actually experiencing the story themselves. I also want to try to leave a mystery for the readers, in a way that they can decide what they think happens or is gonna happen.

Saunders and DWF

My favorite idea that Saunders proposed was the idea that in order to explore political ideas in the highest possible way, you need to embody it in the personal. Saunders believes that the personal is something that no one can deny, regardless of political stance. If you put an idea in a human connection, people will rise to the occasion and feel the human pain in a way that they might not if it was presented in a more conceptual way. This idea can be applied to DFW’s short story about 9/11. DFW describes the way he personally experienced the day we all remember: September 11^th. Since most of us remember vividly the day America was attacked, DFW left a lot of the details of the day out.  This also can be applied to Saunders idea, which is to leave out as much as possible. DFW focuses more on his individual feelings, thoughts, and emotions as the day of 9/11 unfolded. The more efficient he became, the more respectful he was being to the reader. Saunders said efficiency would imply greater intimacy with the reader. DFW used very vivid images that allowed the listers to relive that tragic day from a new perspective.

Saunders’s techniques can also be used in my own writing. Even if I don’t write about politics, I can still use a personal approach in my story in order to form a connection with my audience. I can use Saunder’s technique to take a more intuitive approach to story telling. I could start with an idea, not really fully understanding the significance behind my idea, and let it form into a story that will eventually secrete meaning.  Then, I can revise my story to take out as much as possible, focusing only on my feelings towards the experience. I can start by pointing out the flaws in each of my characters, and then begin to revise each of the characters. This, like Sanders explains, will make the characters more three-dimensional and loveable. This personal approach will also be something that no one can deny, no matter his or her opinion of the subject. 

Saunders and DFW

Saunders has some very interesting points for writing a story.  One of his points was to keep it short and sweet.  DFW does this very thing in his story that he wrote about the attacks on 9/11.  While we are listening to the story, we notice little details that he describes and he makes it like we are actually experiencing the event in the home with him.  He makes the story short but the point and the message comes across very clear and he leaves you wanting to know more about the story.

I can use this technique in my own writing.  If the story is good and it is detailed like DFW's were but still short, the message will be conveyed and it will leave the reader's wanting more.

Saunders and DFW

Saunders had some very interesting points about writing a story. He had ideas such as sometimes he writes with a general idea in his head, but never sure where he will end up with a piece of writing. He also says that it often is good to cut out a lot of the story because then you can be more intimate with the reader. This is an interesting point to me because if you are able to cut things out then the reader can fill in the blanks in a way that is more relatable to them. In Saunders writing he used very vivid imagery which allowed the reader to picture exactly what he was describing. He also said that you should slowly unravel the character because it is through those that you can raise questions.  DFW also uses the imagery that was discussed before in letting the reader imagine exactly what you want them to. In my project I would like to make sure I describe stuff in such detail that people reading it can connect to it the way I intend for them to do so.

Saunders and DFW

Saunders is a very insightful author. He explained how a good story starts from the unknown, which means that although you might know where you want to go with your piece you may not know the best way to get there. He also mentioned that we should appeal to the audience and make it relatable and human. Which brings up the topic of editing, he says that he cuts so much out of the original piece because the reader doesn’t need to know everything. By doing this he keeps his readers attention with shorter chapters with relevant and concise details.

DFW uses vivid imagery as far as the way he described everything, from his town to his neighbor’s personality. His language brought his story to life and made it so much more relatable. I also believe that the fact that he used such an impactful event, made it feel a lot closer to home with his audience.

I believe that I can use some of the vivid language and conciseness of both of these authors to bring my second project to life for my audience.

Skye R.

Saunders and DFW

I feel that DFW used Saunder's method of going into a story headfirst. Although DFW knew that he wanted to write about the events of September 11th, had to delve into the writing quickly in order to meet his deadline. This technique could be helpful in my own writing as well if I am having issue figuring out the specifics of my writing's subject matter.

Saunders and DFW

In Saunder's message, what I obtained from it was dramatization. I belive in stories it helps add the suspention to make the reader want to know more and to continue reading. Just like Saunder's stated that adding drama and building suspense to a boiling point was key to his stories. In DFW's story, he also added in dramatization with 9/11 . He made it realistic to the listeners about how 9/11 affected him and his neighbors around him.He used details to describe the flags, the country, and how it took a toll on America. He created the feeling of drama into his story.  This will help me further write my own memoir by adding details and suspense so one will not be bored by my text, but so that they will want to further read it. The key to a short story is adding the effect of drama and creating a climax to get the reader's attention. I believe adding this element into my own writings will help me create that effect and make a story worth reading,

Saunders and DFW

Saunders and DFW really proposed some interesting dialogue. Saunders really provoked some intriguing thoughts with advice on how to become a better writer. I thought that it was very good learning experience to hear Saunders talk about his works. I like when he talked about all the times he had a writers block and thought all his work was no good but then when he finally finished a piece it turned out better than expected and I felt that I could definitely relate to those feelings that he evoked. He also talked about how it is perfectly okay to write even when you are completely unclear as to what the purpose of your work is. As long as you write what you want to, the end result will be a new goal that you accomplished without even knowing you did it in the first place. Another point that Saunders proposed that I really felt was just great advice was when he said you have to "trim the fat" of you work so that it can be read and interpreted as efficiently as possible. All of the points that Saunders raise I though can be very easily applied to DFW's works. When DFW was talking about his perspective of the 9/11 attacks I immediately thought of how Saunders said make your work efficient and only leave what is important for the reader. DFW did this in his work as he only used subtle details that could make his reader relate to what he was talking about. DFW also used Saunders  some of the techniques about writing with the purpose unknown as DFW was literally given the assignment to write this piece a day after the crisis happened. DFW had no idea what to write about and for what purpose but he wrote what he knew and that was, the feelings he was experiencing and the place where he was at the time of the attack. I think Saunders ideas can directly relate to various sections of DFW's stories and I hope to be able to continue these techniques within my own writing. I will definitely be taking the advice of Saunders "trimming the fat" technique as I find that to be the most useful aspect of writing now a days as people just want to get to the point with the most affective use of details as possible. Overall I found these two authors to be of great assistance when trying to learn about how to write short stories.

Brison Hood

Saunder's Talk and DFW

Saunders really opened my eyes regarding short stories. It was really interesting the concepts he uses. For example, he ensures that many details can be thrown away, and also that an author many times is not a 100% sure of the message he wants to give. It is left an open question for the reader. Therefore, the reader is allowed to interpret the story in many different ways, and this is what makes the work great. Besides that, we all have many ideals that can be easily arguable. However, if we make the story something personal, it would be hard to deny the concept we want to convey.

DFW´s stories were highly descriptive, with many details and figurative language. The one about the flags showed the feelings of an entire country, and certainly, it was something that touched everyone.

I hope to be able to make a nice and rich work for project 2 by using personal experinces, with less detail but with more content.

-Renan Lima

Saunders and DFW

     Saunders gave a lot of helpful advice on writing short stories.  Saunders explained how an author takes a journey that has an unknown destination.  In other words he was saying that the author sometimes does know the exact message they want to send until after they have wrote their story.  Saunders also mentioned that the author should leave the reader with open questions.  This keeps the reader interested and lets them form their own views and connections with the message the story presents.  DFW uses this in his short stories as well.  DFW uses heavy detail and descriptions that eventually present the message to the reader, but he does this without presenting the message in a blunt, obvious way.  I hope to be able to take Saunder's advice and successfully present a message in the memoir I will be writing.  Like DFW's topic on 9/11, I want to present a message that many individuals can relate to.  By using both of the previous techniques I can strengthen my writing.

Saunders and DFW Christal Selmeyer

Saunders does an excellent job throughout his talk of discussing the development of the stories that he writes. I really appreciated the time he spent discussing his feelings for his pieces throughout the writing process. He discusses the times that he visits his writings and feels as though he has no ideas. He then uses description to build his stories; the way he feels about his characters and how they interact with one another. I really relate with the feeling of reaching the end of my ideas before reaching the end of a story I am writing.

In DFW’s story, I was blown away by the description he used throughout. It kept me highly attentive. While the development of his story is not directly addressed, I’m sure it was similar to that of Saunders’. Instantly within a minute of the reading of his story, the flags in Bloomington on September 11 are being described. I instantly felt as though I could place myself in the midst of the story. I could visualize the entirety of DFW’s story which kept my attention. 9/11 was a day that many can relate to. I appreciated the amount of detail that was packed into the story, although it was brief.

I hope to use a similar type of development throughout my story as those used by DFW and Saunders, alike. I want the people reviewing my project 2 to feel as though they are a part of my story; they are seeing what I’m seeing through my eyes, yet through their own eyes.

-Christal Selmeyer

Amber Reeves: Saunder's Talk and DFW

I really focused on the aspect of Saunder's putting things into human connection. He stated that if we relate the issue to the population or connect it to human concern, people will rise to the situation. In DFW's text, the event of 9/11 was something that connected personally to everyone. He described the events that were happening and talked about flags representing the tragedy. Human connection in stories motivates me to continue reading, because I feel as if personal connection makes a story more interesting and easier to read. I am going to include personal connection in my writings in hope that my readers will feel as if we can understand each other.

Saunder and DFW by Travis

One of the biggest tools I took away from listening to George Saunder's talks is that many unimportant details can be left out of a short story. Actually George says that he leaves details out because it is respectful to the reader and creates more intimacy with the reader. Saunder's talks about how he always write way more than he needs, and ends up cutting back and revising his work many times. Saunder's said that one of his short stories was just finished even though he started it in 1998. I don't know if I could ever have that much patience when it came to revising. 
In DFW's story you could also see that he had done a lot of revising and shortening to his work. He only told us what we needed to know and left out a lot more information. For me, I could really relate to DFW's story because I am from New York and a lot of my family grew up and still lives in New York City. The fact that DFW could bring together so many elements of that day into a short story tells a lot about the amount of work he put into revising and editing his piece.
On project 2, I really want to try and make my short story as detailed, yet brief as possible. I have always been someone who writes a lot more than what is needed, so in project 2 I want to talk less and say more.


-Travis Kearns

DFW by Brooke

One of my favorite aspects of DFW's short stories, was how well he developed Mrs. Thompson in such a short work.  The piece wasn't a novel, it was a short story yet when we were done listening to it I felt like I had a good idea of who Mrs. Thompson was.  He was able to develop her so well because he used so much detail.  I know I will defiantly want to incorporate this depth of detail in my memoir.  The beauty of DFW's short story is the detail that allows the reader to relate and put themselves into the story, yet it is a short story so it leaves you wanting more since it ends so abruptly.


Brooke Beidler

Saunder's and DFW

Saunders points out that your approach to a short story should be to let the meaning come as you write. This shows up in DFW's writings as he just starts off the story with details which eventually turn into the plot. As he describes more and more about Bloomington, we start to realize what is happening in the story and that it is set on September 11.

Sara Freeman

Saunder's Advice and DFW's Text

I really found it interesting how Saunder said that he makes sure his short stories are greatly compressed.  He stated that he usually writes 2/3's more that what he needs and has to take out a lot of detail.  This of course leaves the audience to wonder and contemplate those various details that were not placed before us.  In DFW's text he was able to compact this relatively large idea and so much detail into such a short story.  Letting the audience know enough to keep them attracted and wanting more, yet leaving out enough for their own fruit for thought.  I think leaving out some important detail can really make a story that much more interesting.  It allows the audience to dig deep within themselves and decide what they think may have happened.  I would like to add this element to my project 2.  I think it adds an interesting aspect to literary works.

                         Melinda Terry

What is an author?

I have always considered authors to be published writers or famous artists. I have never considered the fact that everyone is an author. I myself have never even thought of myself as an author. Of course, I have written poems, short stories, essays, and research papers, but never really thought deeply about the fact that I was authoring.
In Michel Foucault's passage, he delivers a simple question, what is an author? We as readers sometimes overlook the fact that anyone can be an author. The reading was rather difficult to comprehend in one session, but Michel Foucautt does a good job using examples to relate authors to their work, and how their efforts are meaningful.

Renan What's an author?

I have never thought what a author could be. For me, it could be anything. A person who wrote a poem, some article or something even simpler. However Focault comes with a new perspective of what an anthor can be. An author has a really high level of relationship with his work.
When reading the article I realized that authoring has many different meanings. One of them has to do with culture. Different cultures have different principles to evaluate an author. And a really good author will always remain in history. But what is funny is that sometimes his name is not as important as his work.
Focault made me realize that an author is not alwyas original. His idea always come from someone else.

What Is An Author?

Before now, I never truly put any thought into what it meant to be an author.  I always thought it just meant writing books or poetry.  In the article, “What Is an Author,” Michel Foucault talks about what it really means to be an author.  Michel does not just come out with a dictionary definition of what it means to be an author but more or less explains about the relationship between the text and the person who wrote it.  Not everyone who writes can be labeled as an author, but all authors are indeed writers.  I really liked the way Foucault wrote this essay because it made it easy to follow along with what he was saying.  He takes you through the history of writing to show us what it truly means to be an author.  By reading both "What Is an Author" and "Elements and Methods"  helped me to learn what an analytical question is.  I hope to learn more throughout this course on what it truly means to be an author, and how to ask analytical questions when I read others papers. 


-Travis Kearns

What is an Author?

Michel Foucault's essay 'What Is an Author?" expands on the ideas of authorship. He states that authoring is  "f individualization in the history of ideas, knowledge, literature, philosophy, and the sciences."  Michel also focuses on the themes of writing: that the true author does not even matter, and the relationship of writing to death. He uses a metaphor to connect writing to the unfolding of a game because games can not be predicted or controlled, along with writing.

 Michel focuses on the aspect of death, which was considered a theme. An author's work will never vanish after death because they have left a piece of their own work on the earth that they put time, effort, and creativity into. He does not want a text to be judged solely by whom the author is or was but by the content in their work.Michel believes that a well written out thesis is the key to ones's quality of writing because it helps to establish the relationship between the reader and the author. The way you write your own thesis can have an effect on the reader because it will establish the whole rest of the paper

A question arose while I was reading this text, If authorship is in almost everything, why does Michel only expand on books? I further read on to only prove my point more and make me question his own validity on the subject because he did not expand on any other forms of authorship besides books.
I think Michel wrote very well  and elaborately explained what his view on being an author is. Although the essay was quite lengthy and had a wide vocabulary, it accomplished his point. I find myself that I will tend to judge a book based on who the author was. If I followed Michel's advice, I would have a broader expansion without being judgmental.

"What is an Author?" Michel Foucault

Michel Foucault's passage, "What is an Author"is an intriguing piece of work that proposes an answer to what seems like a simple question, what is an author?  The passage is rich with clever findings and perspectives of Foucault's explanation an author and their relationship with their text. Many famous authors, along with their published writings were mentioned and used as examples for analyzations throughout the article.  Foucault's literary examples strengthened his article by adding credibility. The examples aided in understanding main points of the article, and identifying analytical questions brought to attention.

After reading "What is an Author" I felt that one of the main questions Foucault raises is, whether or not there is a significant relationship between the author and their work? When pondering on an answer  I thought of personal experience. When I read a literary text, I may find it interesting to discover information on the author's personal life, if it is significant to that particular piece of literature.  If it is irrelevant, is not important.  Students read books and return to class the next day to discuss and analyze what they read, not the talk about the author.  After reading an author's work, the author merely becomes an "idea" not a person, or in Foucault's words, "the author has disappeared", or "the author is a deadman".

The author's existence simply becomes a mode of circulation and reference.  An author eventually dies, but his/her work keeps the author's name alive. Foucault elaborates on the author's function in four detailed points, concluding that the author is simply a "subject" related to the author's text. The author simply becomes a subject of circulation in society, a name brought up to reference a certain idea portrayed in their writings.  As Foucault concludes, "what difference does it make who is speaking".

"What is an Author?"

In the article “What is an Author” written by Michel Foucault, he brought up the question “who can be and what is an author.”

In regards to the analytical question, while I was reading through this article I couldn’t help but to wonder why he felt the need to write on this topic. And what I believe to be the reason for writing this is basically to inform or even persuade the audience that everyone is an author.  

Foucault did an excellent job at relating the meaning of being an author to the purpose of their text. He uses different tools such as analysis, compare and contrasts, and metaphors. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of to the mentioning of death but I believe it has to do with the connection of the authors to their texts. He mentions that today’s authors are dead to their text and shows evidence of them in multiple excerpts throughout the article also believe that the examples he gave, created a sense of credibility for him (ethos). By relating back to other authors in history, Foucault gives a clear picture of what authors before have brought forth.

Although it was a little bit on the longer side it was a very detailed account of what he believes to be the true meaning of an author. Over all I believe that the title’s question was answered very thoroughly and the level of writing he demonstrated was only elevated more by his own establishment of ethos for his writing.

 

Lauren Cribb "What Is an Author?"

In the article, “What Is an Author,” Michel Foucault explains his complex ideas on what it means to be an author. Without wanting to give a precise definition of an author, Foucault focus more on the how an author exists and relationship between an author and a text. Foucault explains that today’s writing is not meant to pin a subject within language, but is a question of creating a space into which the writing subject constantly disappears.  He argues that all authors are writers, but not all writers are authors. Foucault explains in his “author function” that an author exists only as a function of a written work. Furthermore, he explains what exactly it means to work in terms of authoring. A key analytical question that comes to mind when evaluating this article is; how exactly does an author exist?  After reading this article I came to the conclusion that there are several questions that must be answered in order to determine whether an author exists. These questions include, “Could what the  “author” wrote be classified as work?” and  “Does the author have a functioning name?” In order for an author to exist, there must be a creation of a piece of work similar to a sacrifice. The author must become “dead” for the work to become alive. In order for a writer to become an author, we must be able to study the piece through analyzing the work’s form and content. Foucault uses techniques in his writing such as metaphors and descriptions. He compares writing to a game that goes beyond its own rules and transgresses its limits. Using this metaphor helped to understand that the main point of writing is not to manifest or exalt the act of writing. Overall, Foucault did a good job in explaining the complex answer to the simple question of, ”What is an author?” 

What Is an Author?

Michel Foucault's essay entitled "What Is an Author?" made me look deeper into what being an author really means.  Before, I have never thought about it.  I have always just read a piece of work and known who it was written by, but never really giving any thought as to who is "behind" the name of the author and why they wrote it.  Like Foucault says: "...the notion of writing seems to transpose the empirical characteristics of an author into a transcendental anonymity."  He gives an example that if someone discovered that Shakespeare was not born in the house that everyone goes to look at, it will not alter the author's name and we will still view him the same.  However, if it was discovered that Shakespeare did not actually write one of his many famous plays or sonnets, then it would alter the way people view him and it would make them want to question him.

What is an Author?

Foucault's What is an Author? describes the relationship between the writer and the text by using many examples and metaphors. For example, Foucault compares the text to an unfolding game and the writer to death. This helps the readers to understand his thoughts more clearly. The way Foucault organizes his essay helps the reader to be able follow along more easily and allows the readers to really comprehend his thoughts and come up with their own ideas of the author-text relationship. I found it interesting that he pointed out how a character's name gets almost branded to a story. The famous names we think of in literature can almost never be used again because they will always be associated with the one famous story. The name can also affect what the reader thinks of the story but how? What small features of a story like the characters names or settings have a great affect on the reader's opinion of the book and how do the features affect the reader's opinion?
Sara Freeman

An author is ...

"What's Is an Author?"
Michel Foucault first develops the definition that an author is the individualism within the field of literature and history. This however does not consider or rather dismisses the idea of looking at literary works at a macro/genre level. A question that struck me while reading was how does the fear of death influence the use of the author's name? Foucault mentions how writing was used as a way to ward of death and then transitions into the rise of the author's name. Did these two ideas have a relationship? I interpreted this as authors wanted to leave a legacy so that through their writing they would not "die" or at least their work wouldn't and therefore they wanted to be remember through their work instead of their work standing on its own, as if the author didn't exist. However, the author's name not only denotes authorship to a person, but also performs a role in narrative discourse and classification.

Brooke Beidler: What Is an Author?

   By only briefly reading the article "What Is an Author", one might get stuck on the analytical question that Foucault asks at the opening and closing of his article; "what does it matter who is speaking?".  When I read this article I was tempted to only focus on this question and not look deeper into "What Is an Author", but to truly find the answer to Foucault's question one must dig deep and analyze and think critically.  He wasn't merely saying that it shouldn't matter who the author was of any type of work, he was saying that we have to be careful how much we let who the other is dictate what we believe or take from a work.  I was able to come to this conclusion when he used the example of highly valued writers (such as Aristotle, Arthur Rimbaud, Shakespeare) losing their value when their "proper name is taken away".  We as readers find value in an author's background.  All throughout history this has been the case, but "What Is an Author" really opened my eyes to look at works differently and first decide what makes a work, a work.  Also it made me realize the importance of the actual author, while keeping in mind who the "voice" or author of the work is supposed to be seen as, and lastly who the author intended to be writing for.  Who the author is matters but shouldn't be earth shattering and mind changing just based off of a name in itself.

Reading both "Elements and Methods" and "What Is an Author" helped me to learn what an analytical question is and it also helped me to practice searching deeper into a work to find them.  Through this class I will be able to continue to practice identifying analytical questions but also create them myself within my own works.

What Is An Author

“What Is An Author?” by Michael Foucault analyzes what it means, simply, to be an author. His purpose for writing this seems to be to inform others what it means to be an author. He uses many other pieces of writing to show the history of how authoring came to be. He connected with reader well in the sense that the pieces of writing he chose to analyze were well-known. My analytical question that I was pondering while reading this text was simply how someone is determined an author if they do a more creative style of “authoring.” In this text, however, it was not answered the way I hoped it would be. He discussed through other writings from other authors what it meant to be an author. Foucault analyzed what an author is when it comes to written text.

What is an author?

Michel Foucault's text, "What is an author?" really helped me think more deeply about the meaning of an author.  Throughout his text he is expanding on the relationship between text and author. Through reading Foucault's article I felt he did an incredible job in comparing and contrasting, showing the relationship between author and text with multiple different examples to provide the reader with a clear understanding of what he was stating. Foucault clearly stated his purpose/claim and provided plenty of credibility through his own knowledge, background and citing.  Foucault says in his text that only certain texts can qualify as having an author, the rest only have writers.  This brought me to come up with the analytical question of, what distinguishes an author from a writer? Is a writer just one of many types of authors?  After reading the essay, I cam to my own conclusion for my analytical question.  A writer is a person who writes any literary piece.  An author is the person who originates the thoughts or ideas, the content of the work being  communicated to the audience.  Then again, I do believe that an author and writer can exist as one in some cases.  Over all, Foucault did a wonderful job by getting me to really think about these concepts through his compare and contrast techniques of author and text in "What is an author?" 

Michel Foucault: What is an Author?

The article "What is an Author" by Michel Foucault, is a very enlightening piece of literature that essentially examines the preposed question: what is an author? In my reading of this article I found that Foucault did an outstanding job of answering his own questions and did so by connecting and showing the relationship between the author and the text. Through purpose, credibility, functionality, location, and proportionality of the composition being investigated, Foucault is able to accurately analyze the work of the person who wrote the text. When reading this article the key analytical question that I formulated while enjoying this fine piece of literature was; At which point does an author begin to function as an author? Foucault answered this question by describing the four basic functions, which are: The "author function" is connected to the legal system, the "author function" caries according to field and discipline, the "author function" is carried out through complex operations and is not defined by the spontaneous attribution of a discourse to its producer, and an "author" doesn't necessarily connote a specific individual. Foucault is also able to incorporate many useful techniques into his work by offering his readers new perspectives in his composition. The useful technique that proved to be the most useful was being able to give his readers a timeline of how authors have evolved throughout time. This allows his readers to better understand what it means to be an author and how to become a better author. Foucault also arranged his work in topical patterns which allow his reader to more easily comprehend what his intentions were within his writing. Overall Foucault does an excellent job answering the question, "what is an author", by analyzing the relationship between author and text. 

"What Is An Author?" Reflection Rebekah G

"What Is An Author?" by Michel Foucault explores just that, what it means to be an author. He details his response through the compositions themselves, as well as the position, function, and reputation of the person writing.

Following a close reading of Foucault's essay, I had a key analytical question about the text. How do authors of compositions other than writing become designated as an author? Foucault touches on this key question briefly in his response. However, I felt that he did not focus on this subject enough. A large portion of his argument is based solely on authors of written word, which I think is a limitation of his composition. As for the key analytical question, I feel that if the person fits into the definition of an author, they are subsequently an author.

In my opinion, Foucault had a thorough response to his central question overall. He utilized many techniques for strengthening his argument but I think the most effective was tracing writings and authors throughout history. This gave new perspective to his composition as the reader gained new understanding of the changes the author has undergone historically.  Additionally, Foucault arranged his ideas thematically. This technique leads the reader through his train of thought, which can deepen the reader's comprehension of the claims. In conclusion, Michel Foucault had a good and lengthy composition to the question "What Is An Author?"

Christal Selmeyer "What Is an Author"

Michel Foucault does an excellent job of answering the question "What is an author?" in his article appropriately titled "What Is an Author". I felt as though it was a bit lengthy but very thorough in regards to conveying the relationship between an author and a text. My key analytical question while reading this text was "What was the author's motivation behind composing this text?" I found the answer to actually answer the question "What is the thesis of this text?". I feel that Foucault's motivation was to inform readers of what it truly means to author a text with regards to the relationship between the author of the text and the text itself. The passage goes on to describe Foucault's idea that the present day author is considered "dead" to a text. Foucault uses many examples of specific passages to explain the complex web that is authoring. I felt as though his examples were very helpful in helping readers to understand his messages. He used well known poetry and authors in his passage which made his text very relatable. Overall, interesting read but a little lengthy and complex for my liking.