I'm a Madonna fan.
And this video is an example of a simile.
No, we're not playing "Truth or Dare." For this week's blogs, I would like each of you to respond to this week's readings on doctor confessions. Both Wear and Jones's "Bless Me Reader for I have Sinned" and Atul Gawande's "The Final Cut" provide poignant examples of the ways in which confessional writing by doctors has begun to infiltrate our culture. Wear and Jones's article does a nice job of establishing the history of confession as a public act, while Gawande's own reflection on the decline in the number of autopsies performed draws heavily on his own perceived shortcomings as a doctor (one might even read his piece as as confession regarding the arrogance of the medical establishment).
For this week's blog assignment, I ask that you take some time to think about some of the issues surrounding confession (broadly defined) that we raised in class -- What is the difference between confession and apology? Why does it matter that we make such a distinction? As Wear and Jones point out, Foucault argues that "One confesses in public and in private, to one's parents, one's educators, one's doctors, to those one loves. One confesses-- or is forced to confess" (Foucault quoted in Wear and Jones 217). Are there moments when confession is appropriate? Inappropriate? Use this entry as a chance to meditate on the ways in which you believe drawing from personal experience in your writing can be helpful, as well as where you think it might get in the way.
Note: Don't feel compelled to answer all of these questions. I just wanted to give you some food for thought. The main goal is to get you thinking about how confession and personal experience can work in writing, both academic and otherwise. We'll keep coming back to these questions over the course of the semester.
As usual, posts are due on your individual blogs by 9pm on Sunday. I'll be remixing some blog groups, so stay tuned for those assignments.
Write on.
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