Writer's roots

Can a good writer be made in the DL environment OR does it in fact take a real liberal education to accomplish this. Can anybody envision Faulkner colouring in dots on a CLEP/DANTES test?

Dave

KC7WGB

 

Greetings.

Regarding your recent post:
"Can a good writer be made in the DL environment OR does it in fact take a real liberal education to accomplish this. "

I don't know. How important is it where one puts ones butt when one studies writing? If being in the midst of a badly run bureaucracy is critical, then only a traditional education will do. If butt placement isn't that important, then learning by DL should be okay.

"Can anybody envision Faulkner colouring in dots on a CLEP/DANTES test?"
a) No, he'd probably just lie and say he did.
b) Does CLEP/DANTES have a Famous Novelist test? How many credits is it worth? Is it transferable; will McDonalds U (the home for most liberal arts majors) accept it? <g>

Cordially,
Richard Kanarek

P.S. The proprietor of www.WritingSchool.com is a fantastic (technical/legal) writer. This proves that it is possible to be great writer and teach by distance learning. Not quite an answer to your question, but it's the best hard proof I could come up with off hand. <g>

 

I have no idea what makes a good writer, but here's a quick look at the educational backgrounds of the past 10 Nobel Laureates in literature, not counting honorary degrees or pre-collegiate education:

2001 Sir V.S. Naipaul
B.A. '53, Oxford University

2000 Gao Xingjian
Attended the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute for five years; no
known degrees.

1999 Günter Grass
Attended Berlin Academy of Fine Arts for three years; no known degrees.

1998 José Saramago
No known college education.

1997 Dario Fo
Attended Milan's Accademia di Belle Arti; no known degrees.

1996 Wislawa Szymborska
Attended Jagellonian University for four years; no known degrees.

1995 Seamus Heaney
B.A. '61, Queen's University of Belfast; also earned teaching credential.

1994 Kenzaburo Oe
B.A. (equivalent) '59, Tokyo University (majored in French literature!)

1993 Toni Morrison
B.A. '53, Howard University; M.A. '55, Cornell University

1992 Derek Walcott
B.A. '53, University of the West Indies

As far as writing and distance education goes: Well, Rita Mae Brown and Clarissa Pinkola Estes both earned Ph.D.'s from the Union Institute. Charles Schultz learned to draw via the DETC-accredited Art Instruction School. Other than that, I dunno. Our own Quinn Tyler Jackson churns out some pretty good novels. I've got a few books coming out next year, but they're all nonfiction. I always thought DE was a perfect way for a writer to educate himself/herself because it forces you to communicate pretty much exclusively by the written medium, but some folks will disagree, especially when it comes to the whole fiction issue (because there seems to be this idea that you need to do manual labor for ten years, get married and have a nasty divorce, spent 11 years in a Buddhist monastery, or whatever to write novels, and whatever that intangible Something is, the Authorities will tell you it probably can't be done by distance learning; but what do they know, anyway?).


Cheers,

 

Re: Re: Writer's roots

I looked for Jackson's works but could not find any listing of them. Do you have a link?

 

We Don't Need No Stinking Degrees!

Well, Faulkner didn't have much use for traditional higher education, anyway...he dropped out of 'Ole Miss after three semesters.

I'm guessing he just wasn't a college sort of guy.

73,


Tony W8HRO

 

It takes writing to make a writer, and many distance learning courses provide considerable practice in writing.

I taught business writing through correspondence for a few years. No budding Faulkners in the group, but quite a few students improved remarkably. And my own writing improved as I wrote comments and directions.

 

I am currently enrolled in a DL History course, that is all writing. We have 5 papers ( 5 pages each) to submit in a 14 week period. So although I will be no great writer, I am writing and improving my skills.

 

Your reference to Faulkner suggests that you're interested in writing fiction as opposed to technical writing or some other form of non-fiction. While I'd guess that formal education is not absolutely necessary to becoming a novelist, I'd suggest that there are few people who have the native ability to crank out a good novel (and get it published) without some amount of formal training. I'd guess that you need someone to "herd the ox" (forgive the Buddhist metaphor, Tom) when things begin to get off course. Toms list of Nobel laureates is instructive but how many of us imagine that we have that skill level?
Jack

 

Re: Re: Writer's roots

Gee Tom, my family is sure going to be upset when I break the news.
Jack

 

Re: Re: Writer's roots

I finally found Jackson's website after someone sent it to me from the board. His novels do look pretty good! His website even says he is even being nominated for an APA Award. He is a licensed psychologist too?

 

Re: Re: Writer's roots

I will add one more name. He happens to be my home boy.

1986 Wole Soyinka
B.A, '57, University of Leeds

 

Re: Re: Re: Writer's roots

In this case I believe that the "P" stands for poetry. No?
Jack

 

Re: Re: Re: Writer's roots

No, I am not a licensed psychologist.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Writer's roots

Well, I loved your website and just ordered your new book Janus Incubus. Congratulations on the poetry award or whatever it is.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Writer's roots

Thank you. My best wishes to you, as well. I hope you enjoy the novel.

Quinn

 

APA Award

Just for my personal enrichment:

What does the American Psychological Association Award entail? Is it given to someone who develops new learning tools or provides new information in regards to the study of the psyche? Just asking?

Mike

AA Burlington College, NJ
BA TESC
MS Southwest MO State (on Hold)
JD Chapman Univ. (The Wheels They're a Turnin)

 

Re: APA Award

Your guess is probably as good as mine on this matter, MDG1775. Since I am not a psychologist and not a member of APA, I am unfamiliar with the exact criteria involved. When I was nominated, I visited the Call for Nominations page, didn't see anything that precluded my accepting the nomination, and so, did not decline to be nominated. When I was asked, I submitted my CV (which clearly discloses that my degrees are not accredited) the appropriate channels, and I supplied a preprint review copy of my latest novel, and invited anyone within the high IQ community who felt they were influenced by my work to send in their letters of support. I do not know exactly which of my writings were submitted, what particular claims as to their relevance were made, or anything of that nature, except that I know that my latest novel was submitted, with the afterword.

As for contributions, well, that is another story. I do know about those. I am proud of what I have done in my 33 years on this planet, and if 8 people felt they wished to honor me, even just by nominating me or choosing to support me by expressing to the APA how I have changed the paths of their work and careers, then, so be it. My publication list within the high IQ community is quite lengthy, and some of it is starting to find some exposure in the mainstream. I am a regular contributor to what is known as the "ultra high IQ" community, through my essays, short stories, papers, poetry, and day to day forum traffic.

In the area of computational linguistics, I have also made some specific advancements, both in theory, and technology. This work is intimately tied to theory of language (in the same line as the work of Noam Chomsky during the late 50's, for example, and those who researched adaptive grammar theory in the early 90's), the discussion of which is beyond the scope of this forum.

So, to answer your question: I was nominated, and I am proud to have been nominated. If the APA decides to pass me over for any reason whatsoever, that is their right. I do not know the process any more than I know how the electoral college of the United States works. It is in their hands, they have my information, and I leave it to them to decide whether or not I meet their requirements. Beyond what I have read on the Call for Nominations page, I am unaware of any particular requirement other than someone has to have felt the personal and professional conviction to nominate me, someone has to have felt the conviction to back that up with their support (in my case 7 who are familiar with my work), and that's as much as I know.

Have a pleasant summer.

Quinn

 

I took the following down during some routine web maintenance, but decided, since I can smell a possible second outing attempt in the air, that I would put them back up:

First, here were my final thoughts (as of early February, near the end of the first time an outing was attempted):

Choosing a Life Less Private

Second, here was my original explanation of why I chose to persue my unaccredited degrees:

Dance of the Sugar Plum Doctorate

Again, have a pleasant summer.

Quinn

 

Hi Quinn

I am glad to see your posts. Even though we disagree on unaccredited degree programs, I ve enjoyed your posts and feel you make an important contribution at this board. I feel extremely bad about the attacks that have been made against you. When a person acts out in that way it is clear they have serious personality issues. Again welcome back.

 

Please Dave don't rekindle an old fire. He said sometime in the past that the people who tried to "ambush" or blackmail him have apologized to him.