On nearly every test<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the days of number-two pencils<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Straight through to today\u2019s students<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hunched over laptops<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s tradition to ask students<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What the author\u2019s purpose was<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As if we expect them to be clairvoyant<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mind-readers who can practice telepathy<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across miles and leagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Months, years, and centuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t purport to be a mind-reader myself<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But believe I can tell you what no author<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the history of the world<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Has ever held as his purpose for writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No author has ever thought,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDear God, how I hope they use this thing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am writing,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This poem, essay, story, novel, or play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope it will be used, as a whole text or an excerpt,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a standardized test<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that its meaning can be<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reduced to a series of four-choice questions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With only one right answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want my words to be used<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To see if young people<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can take a stab at understanding<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How my metaphors created mood,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How my use of literary elements<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Created layers of meaning<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like a Dagwood sandwich piled high<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With turkey, ham, lettuce, bacon, and themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope to high heaven<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That students will someday<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have to guess what I was thinking<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And why I was writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When I wrote a particular text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope my writing will be used<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To measure students\u2019 minds<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that they may be sorted into winners and losers,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that teachers can be sorted into<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Distinguished, Highly Effective,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Effective, or Needs Improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I strongly suspect that no author ever thought,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI truly hope that no reader is ever moved<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By what I wrote,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is changed by what I wrote,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relates to or connects with or is influenced by what I wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do not write to touch the emotions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or rouse the soul or inspire the imagination<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or affect change or change reader\u2019s perspectives,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No do I hope to edify or educate<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or open new vistas of understanding and insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I just want to be used<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a test someday<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So that any higher purpose my writing may have had<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will be plummeted to the Earth<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reduced to one right answer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And used to stifle the creativity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And love of learning<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For generations of students<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And their dejected teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-David Lee Finkle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On nearly every test Since the days of number-two pencils Straight through to today\u2019s students Hunched over laptops It\u2019s tradition to ask students What the author\u2019s purpose was As if we expect them to be clairvoyant Mind-readers who can practice telepathy Across miles and leagues, Months, years, and centuries. I don\u2019t purport to be a Read More >><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[184,1],"tags":[423,424,8],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1330"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1330"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1333,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1330\/revisions\/1333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mrfitz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}