Using Texts in Writing

Joseph Harris defines several different ways that authors use other texts in their writing: coming to terms, forwarding (to illustrate, authorize, borrow or extend), countering, and taking an approach. I'd like us to engage in an exercise to try to understand the ways in which we are always interacting with texts and using them.

1. In class Monday we will work on an exercise in Rewriting p. 49. using a source you have found for your research so far.

2. On the blog, please do exercise "Interpretting Cover Songs" p. 75. Try to find videos of the music you are using and post them to the blog. Whether you are able to find and include videos or not, please post your response to the exercise on the blog (by Tuesday).

3. Read Ch. 3 in Rewriting for Tuesday AND take notes on your sources so far, using a dialectical notebook. By the end of the week, you need to have found a total of five sources. We will be working with them throughout this week to create a map, so next week you will have drafts of your research papers.

Here are my cover songs. I'll discuss them in class.

This is his 1991 version. Below is his 1967 performance:

Here's Christina Aguielera doing it for a tribute:

What do you notice about these performances?