Rewriting

Real talk, at the beginning of the introduction I thought Harris was trying to say "hey, as long as you intellectually rewrite another persons words, it's totally cool and not plagiarism". I understand what he is getting at now. He doesn't want us to hand in a summary, or recitation of what someone else has done. He wants us to personalize it, write it in terms that not only make ourselves understand what we are analyzing but also in a way that uses the authors words and ideas to formulate our own opinions. Our writing has to be our own and possess a certain type of personality, even when analyzing the work of others.

 I really like that he scorns the typical critiquer for caring more about spelling errors, grammar, and citations rather than the meaning, message, and thought process behind one's text. In chapter 1, Harris demonstrates how to "come to terms with a text by translating its words and ideas into your own language, making them part of your own prose". There is also a story behind a story. Harris wants us to push a way from the right and wrong and "push beyond sorts of bipolar oppositions". Instead notice how differing works "describe distinct uses of language, each with its own strengths and weaknesses". I believe Harris brings up many good points towards mastering analytical writing. 

It seems that Sullivan and Harris both acknowledge personalization and overreaching ideas are more important than the cookie cutter formulaic style of writing. Blogging and rewriting also allow you to see a personal side to the author. Sullivan notes that blogging is a type of free form writing that is spurred by spontaneity  which really allows the reader to connect with the person behind the words. Harris takes a more analytical approach, by telling his readers the thought process and annotating which can be done to find an author's voice. 

I still believe that blogging is a justified form of writing, just as dada is a justified form of art. Writing and the more hands-on forms of art are very similar. They're both about expression.