Interview Response

The Professor I interviewed, Dr. C. of the English Department, definitely believes that the way a person writes affects the influence and impact that he/she has in the realm of English. Dr. C. emphasized that when applying for positions and programs, graduate schools specifically, the required writing sample and letter of documentation is your first impression, the first that the place of interest sees of you. Ultimately, you are selling yourself to them through your writing. Thus, the importance of correctness in writing is huge for anyone involved in the field of English, literature, and creative writing. There is definitely pressure put on the professor to be flawless in their grammar and writing ability, though of course no one is perfect. In return, it is expected of the students to convey excellent grammar usage and to be as clear, original, and grammatically correct as possible in their own writing. Dr. C. expressed the most desirable writing styles to be clarity and sophistication, to have the ability to convey one’s ideas and arguments thoroughly and expertly.

The subject of student writing dominated much of the discussion. As a professor, student writing embodies much of what a professor sees on a daily basis. What impresses Dr. C. the most in student writing is: well-thought ideas, original ideas, critical work (finding and discussing a variety of literary criticism), and again, clarity and sophistication. She also stressed organization, the ability to arrange sentences, and the ability to change subjects gracefully and fluidly, as being important aspects. Dr. C. expressed the opinion that some people are simply more intuitive writers than others and that, while one can cheat in regards to writing, one cannot ever fake it. A few things that Dr. C. finds unattractive in student writing is when students are obviously writing over their heads and when the writing is sloppy and hastily thrown together (proof that they haven’t really been paying any attention). More than once during the interview, Dr. C. expressed the importance of reading, and emphasized her belief that reading is perhaps the best way a person can improve their grammar and writing skills.