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Gary Tate Annotated Bibliogpahy Articles

Articles

Tate argues that authors of textbooks have failed the contemporary student of writing by ignoring the spaciousness of rhetoric. Rhetoric has also served writing students poorly by failing to incorporate rhetorical theory into practice. Finally, there is a growing danger in the way in which rhetoricians have rediscovered the idea of appealing to one’s audience. (ERIC # ED108231)

‘Facing the Crisis’. College Composition and Communication. May 1976.

‘Thinking about Theory.’ Rhetoric Review. vol.1.2 (1983): pp.162–165.

This essay was presented at the 1982 Wyoming Conference on Freshmen and Sophomore English. Tate asserts that practice in the classroom has not caught up with theory. In fact, he argues that composition teachers have a body of knowledge, but lack a method of “converting” this knowledge into practical pedagogical tool. He analyzes the issue of teachers’ historical animosity towards theory, but respect for experience, pointing out that all experience is based on of some type of theory. Tate suggests that the binary theories of practice (administrative) and process (analyses of writers and readers) operate in a pattern. He demonstrates the complexities involved when one attempts to apply theory and practice realistically in a composition classroom. Tate ends the essay with a call for further investigation into this issue.

‘True Confessions.’ Teachers Talk about Writing. Random House. 1985

This groundbreaking qualitative and quantitative survey analyzes the development and impact of rhetoric and composition as a separate Academy discipline from 1970 to 1986. In the spring of 1986, 53 institutions out of 123 doctoral programs in English asserted that composition/rhetoric was available to students. Though the numbers indicated the programs’ increasing popularity, there were some negatives: beginning programs, no uniformity in the field, severe understaffing, no formal identification of the program, lack of program outline description, and dismantling of the program. The investigators spoke with the designers and administrators of each program, past and present participants, and examined program descriptors. Results indicate that schools with large freshman comp and technical writing classes have developed programs and also schools with graduate faculty doubling as administrators of the writing programs. Finally, the investigators report that the programs were divided into three sections: multidisciplinary, integrated, and communication. A complete analysis is offered for all three in this paper. The authors emphasize the negative divide that exist between literature and composition faculty to the extent that graduate students and programs may suffer from such friction of “hostility and distrust”. However, the results of this survey prove that rhetoric/comp is indeed developing and expanding in most colleges and universities (U.S.).

‘A Place for Literature in Composition.’ College English. vol.55.3 (1993): pp.317–321.

Referring to traditional rhetoricians as the “Rhetoric Police”, Tate vehemently posits that valuable literature is being withheld from students in composition because of three elements: return of rhetoric, past errors of teachers, and shift in views of the objectives and goals of freshman composition. As a result, two very important areas for successful writing have diminished, imagination and style. Tate argues that the paradigm shift was not discussed nor protested; rhetoric became the dominant factor overnight. He complains that freshman composition focuses too much on academic discourse and that it is virtually impossible to train freshman students to write across the college discipline. Tate advocates having “conversations” with students about the real world because the Academy no longer offers a stimulating and trusting environment. Admitting that he opposed literature in the classroom for years, Tate insists that he realizes students need to read great literature to write “think, talk, and write about” life external of the Academy.

In this collection of essays focused on the integration of cultural studies in composition, Tate admonishes the authors for neglecting to place the writing of students at the center of their articles. Tate further posits he, along with most composition teachers struggle to fill the “empty pedagogical space” with “content”, i.e. religion, genres of literature, anthropology, and feminism, etc… The authors present sparse student writing samples to support their views; Tate characterizes this as silence and invisible writing. He asks relevant questions on the entire process of resistance as it relates to transformation of student thoughts and ideas into powerful writing. Tate argues that teachers must be careful of their “constructs” of students, particularly the cultural studies proponents in this text. He purports that they have constructed their students as victims of the hegemony and may intend to politicize them to the left. The danger in all of this is viewing students as “subjects or sites” obstructs the real goal of composition, to see the students as writers. However, Tate applauds the authors’ efforts to bring inquiry and an environment of intellectual struggle to the field with invigorating essays.

‘Notes on the Dying of a Conversation.’ College English. vol.57.3 (1995): pp.303–309.

In response to complaints that his attack on rhetoricians pushing literature out of freshman composition was not completely accurate, Tate offers another analysis of this issue. He concedesthat there are still teachers using literature in composition classes, but they are not talking aboutit. He argues that early College Composition and Communication Conference (CCCC) workshops offered no strong voices towards using literature to teach composition, in spite of the opposite view being forcefully promulgated at the initial conference. Tate disagrees with James Berlins account that English studies people protested the move away from literature during 1940–1960. After that, the debate continued with pro-literature forces lacking any new effective developments or strategies. Tate asserts that there is no discernable difference in workshop discussions on this issue from 1950 or 1970. Therefore, the “conversation about literature” eventually diminished and died. Tate posits that English studies should learn from history and initiate a new round of discussions.

At a writing workshop conference, Tate discusses the importance and urgency of recognizing “social class” and its implications in the composition classroom. He presents three are concern: social class has not be addressed in academics nor in composition even though it is part of the powerful three’s-gender, race, and class; indications are that these topics are coming to the forefront; and in order to fully comprehend our students, we must be proactive in examining social class and its effects. First, teachers must begin at the beginning, reflecting on their own identities.

As Chairmen of the College Composition and Communication Conference, Tate headed the discussion on the specific duties that the director of freshman English should carry out. Participants offered suggestions: act as liaison between faculty and admin, coordinate/consult and meet with novice teaching assistants. It was also suggested that a committee share duties with the director and the group unanimously agreed that hiring faculty was the number one priority for the director. The group discussed the future of freshman composition proceeded by dim forecast posited by Chairmen Tate of the course losing its mandatory status at 34% of 4-year colleges. He announced the publication of the Freshman News (TCU).