They Say I Say Gerald Graff Cathy Birkenstein

They Say I Say Gerald Graff & Cathy Birkenstein The Art of summarizing Ch. 2

-Writer’s who make strong claims need to map their claims relative to those of other people. -As a general rule, a good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus. -A summary must at once be true to what the original author says while at the same time emphasizing those aspects of what the author says that interest you, the writer.

1) On the one hand- Put yourself in Their shoes: l -To write a really good summary, you must be able to suspend your own beliefs for a time and put yourself in the shoes of someone else. l BELIEVING GAME!!!!- If, as a writer, you cannot or will not suspend your own beliefs in this way, you are likely to produce summaries that are so obviously biased that they undermine your credibility with readers.

- Whenever you enter into a conversation with others in your writing, then it is extremely important that you go back to what those others have said, that you study it very closely, and that you collapse it to something you already have heard and know.

2) On the other hand, know where you are going… l -A good summary, in other words, has a focus or spin that allows the summary to fit with your own over all agenda while still being true to the text you are summarizing.

EXAMPLES: l In his article “Don’t Blame the Eater, “David Zinczenko argues that today’s fast food chains fill the nutritional void in children’s lives left by their overtaxed working parents. With many parents working long hours and unable to supervise…………pg 32…- this argument summarizes the author in terms of the specific issue the writer’s own argument focuses on.

-Often writer’s who summarize without regard to their own interests fall prey to what might be called “list summaries”, summaries that simply inventory the original author’s various points but fail to focus those points around any larger over all claim.

EMPTY SUMMARY: l “The author says many different things about his subject. First he says…then he makes the point that…In addition he says…and then he writers…Also he shows that…And then he says…

3) Summarize Satirically l This is where a writer deliberately gives his or her own spin to someone else’s argument in order to reveal a glaring shortcoming in it. l Thereby, letting one’s words and actions undermine themselves. LETTING THE FOOL HAPPEN. l Examples: The Onion, The Daily Show

4) Use Signal Verbs that Fit the Action l l l In introducing summaries try to avoid bland formulas like “ he talks about “she says”- this happens when we ignore the action in what we summarize. Better to say: “X totally misrepresented…” “urge” “emphasize” “insist” To do justice to the authors you cite, we recommend that when summarizing, or even introducing a quotation, you should use vivid and precise signal verbs as often as possible. PG’S 36 -37

They Say I Say Gerald Graff & Cathy Birkenstein The Art Of Quoting Ch. 3

QUOTING SOMEONE ELSES WORDS GIVES A TEMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CREDIBILTY TO YOUR SUMMARY & HELPS ENSURE THAT IT IS FAIR & ACCURATE.

EVIDENCE l There are two extreme’s when it comes to student papers: l Too little: no “they say” Too much: no “I say” l

Main Problem: l l l The main problem arises when writer’s assume that quotations speak for themselves. What you understand that the writer is saying, won’t be obvious to your reader until you show it. Not putting any supporting evidence in to back up your claims. Not explaining your evidence when you do use it.

Quotations are Orphans! l Words that have been taken from their original contexts and that need to be integrated into their new textual surroundings. l Steps: 1) Choosing Quotations Wisely 2) Surrounding all quotes with frames explaining a) Whose words they are b) What the quotation means c) How the quotation relates to your text.

QUOTE RELEVANT PASSAGES l l Be careful not to select quotations just for the sake of demonstrating that you’ve read the author’s work; you need to make sure they are relevant to your work. Your focus can change through drafts, be open to this. Give your self time between drafts to help find the evidence you need to support you claims.

Frame Every Quote!!!! l l l Since quotations do not speak for themselves, you need to build a frame around them in which you do that speaking for them. -DROP QUOTE!!!!! DANGLING QUOTE!!!: Susan Bordo writes about women and dieting. “Fiji is just one example. Until television was introduced in 1995, the island had no reported cases of eating disorders…. . ” I think Bordo is right. Another Point Bordo…

To adequately frame a quotation, you need to insert it into what we like to call a “quotation sandwich” with the statement introducing it serving as the top slice of bread and the explanation following it serving as the bottom slice.

The Introductory or lead in claims: 1) Should explain who is speaking and set up what the quotation says. The follow up statements should explain: l 2) Why you consider the quotation to be important and what you take it to say. INTRO: According to X_____ (pp 43) EXPLAIN: Basically X is saying _______(pp 44) l

Reflect the Spirit of the Passage: - X is alarmed, disturbed, perterbed, frustrated, complains, deplores…. - THE POWER OF VERBS!!!!!

When has the quote had enough explanation? l l As a general rule, the most explanatory framing is needed for quotations that may be hard for readers to process: -Quotations that are long and complex, that are filled with details or jargon, or that contain hidden complexities.