Notes on Murray Recordings

The Composing Process: Agony and Ecstasy (1977)

References magazine writing: 4:50

Turned down article on stock market: 5:21

“When I was writing editorials”: 8:50-9:30

In the city room: 11:20

“I lost a 20-year old daughter in August” (6:10)

“Being here in NYTimes Country” (7:20)

References Composition Research: Graves and Susan Sowers (12:00)

I think we should do some research (12:50 & 20:12)

Quoting from artistic writers (novelists, poets) throughout the piece

Surviving the Theology of Process

Themes:

• He didn't mean to be evangelical (early)
• 10:45: the process varies according to writer, task, experience, etc. "There's not one writing process but many" (11:25)
• I don't feel any responsibility to be consistent (12:45)
• the most effective conference method (20:30)
• narrative is the mother of all writing (22:30)
• expressivistic (27:00 & 41:40)
• audience, you write first for yourself (1:02)

Talks about how he was a magazine writer and drew on that experience (8:00)

Don Murray (4/23/77)

I'm an optimist about this problem...my optimism is based on my own experience (1:00)
Draws on his writing experience from freelance period (15:15)

This is a lecture that's largely about the writing process, particularly Murray's, and offers implications, at the end, for teaching.

Time
Assignments (he calls them unethical and those who make them arrogant)
"Responsive teaching"

"I'd like to conclude with a word about the fun of teaching writing..." (39:00)

Last line: "I'm an optimist about teaching and learning and writing..."

Don Murray, UNH Summer Institute (7/25/84)