Jan. 4: Thinking About Your Readers

In today's reading Mr. White asks us to consider the audience we are addressing. He starts by discussing Walt Whitman and how he was a human being reaching out to other human beings through his poetry. Mr. White urges the modern writer to not see themself as a writer but rather a person reaching out to an audience. As he put it "entering a conversation with humanity".
FOR FURTHER REFLECTION
In this segment he again asked what he writer's relationship with their readers. According to Mr. White the answer to the question of how the writer views the relationship with their readers sheds light on the writer's reason for writing. The possibilities that Mr. White sees are teacher, entertainer, or a participant in the drama of life.
TRY THIS
The assignment is to draft a poem or letter addressed to your fellow citizens in which you share one idea for making the world a better place. Is it the importance of individual citizens exercising civic responsibility? Is it having faith in a higher power? Perhaps you have a vision for education reform? Be as detailed as you can about the program you propose.
If I were to answer the question as to how I see myself in my relationship with my readers today I would say teacher but that might change depending on what I am writing, for whom, and about what. I would most likely, given the choices listed above, go with the one idea that what would make the world a better place is having faith in a higher power and more specifically in God. However, with the contrains of time tonight I do not have time to write such a letter.
So for tonight keep writing. I need to get busy writing another assignment.