Importance Of Writing In Stephen North's The Idea Of A Writing Center

“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” This statement by E.M. Forster begins to describe the importance of writing, “seeing what is said”. A form and process of communication, writing is an essential part of life. As described by Erika Lindemann in A Rhetoric for Writing Teachers, “language is indispensable to living in society” (5). Writing is used for socialization, recollection, and organization in people’s lives. Writing is needed. “Using written English language well is a form of power” (Lindemann 4). Using language to create meaning allows society to share experiences and transfer knowledge. This transfer and representation of knowledge is key to educational success. In 1874, Harvard University introduced an entrance exam that featured a writing requirement (Clark 2). In middle school many students are taught that they need to write well for high school; then students are prepared by teachers to write essays and papers for college. From standardized tests in grade school to entrance requirements for college admission, final project essays for
This dialogue between students and tutors is the basis of building writing skills. “In a writing center the object is to make sure that writers, and not necessarily their texts, are what get changed by instruction … our job is to produce better writers, not better writing” (North 69). The history or heritage of writing centers can be dated back to classical times in Athens during the time of ancient philosophers. North equates tutors and students today to Socrates and willing learners from his time. “[In] a busy marketplace a tutor called Socrates set up the same kind of shop: open to all comers, no fees charged, offering, on whatever subject a visitor might propose, a continuous dialectic” (North 78). The same type of interaction is mirrored in writing centers