Authorial Intent in the Composition Classroom

Authors

Ian Barnard, Chapman UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2011

Abstract

This article examines the disjunction between, on the one hand, critical theory’s critique of the privileging of authorial intent in protocols of textual interpretation, and, on the other hand, continued obeisance to authorial intent in composition textbooks and pedagogy. By unpacking the implications of this disjunction, I show the limitations that the reification of authorial intent creates for composition pedagogy and student writing. I conclude by suggesting how bracketing authorial intent in the composition classroom might enhance composition pedagogy and student writing, while also challenging fundamental epistemologies of the field.

Comments

This article was originally published in Composition Forum, volume 24, in 2011.

Recommended Citation

Barnard, Ian. "Authorial Intent in the Composition Classroom." Composition Forum 24 (Fall 2011). Web.

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

The author

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License.