I write similar to others!!

Early on, in the beginning stages of creating my writing identity, I realized that every writer must have a certain way with words that will intrigue and continue captivating the interest of their audience. I became fascinated with humor and sarcasm because of the way I, myself, would react to these type of stylistic moves while reading the work of other authors. I enjoyed recognizing instances where these type of aspects were included, because after a while it became more than just enjoying their tone. I began to emulate similar writing characteristics because of the potential I saw in adapting certain elements in my own writing. As I have continued to research, and at times use sarcasm/humor, among other elements of writing, as a way of recognizing and emphasizing a point - the reading for this week associate this type of writing discourse with that of the Plateau Indians.

As the readings for this week will confirm, among "the rich variety of humor in Plateau Indian oratory and writing - from understatement, from sarcasm, to scatological references - [these] might be seen as another form of high affect that also involves an audience" (monroe 333). I, like the Plateau Indians, saw humor and sarcasm as a profitable affect when soliciting the initial attention or regrasping of attention of my audience. As seen in the majority of my blogg posts, the titles of the majority of them have some kind of humor and/or sarcasm included. And, as I thought of why I, and also the Plateau Indians, liked to include humor and sarcasm in our respective work - I found that in both cases it assists in "the effectiveness and eloquence of blending personal experience and scholarship" (monroe 338) For me, it helps tie in some of the informal to the formal, the public to the private, the 'known' and the unknown.' I feel that there needs to be a universal 'language' that can be associated and adapted by different discourse communities. This type of inclusion in ones writing also allows the author the ability to include their own insights and opinions on the work of others - as some "authors even mention the 'satiric summary' as a way for a writer to give her own spin on someones else's argument" (338).

I found it interesting, and somewhat comforting that know that some elements of my own, personal, writing are mirrored by others - even used to help define the writing discourse of an entire community. Thinking about it, it's really fascinating to think about how such seemingly minute aspects of one's writing can be the indicators of a lot more than most care to realize, or even understand. As I go back through my own writing from past and present, I'm curious to see what type of writing characteristics are indicative of American writers, and specifically those in my age demographic.