Dominque Moore

UWRT 1104
Professor Presnell

Rhetorical Knowledge
The difference in the two writing pieces I chose to represent rhetorical knowledge
is all in the 5 parts that go into a rhetorical knowledge piece. The main parts that show the
difference in the writing style is the purpose and the audience. With wild mind directed,
my audience is myself so I used heavily informal rhetoric that I would use on an
everyday basis to satisfy myself. For example, I wrote, Im happy to be back with my
friends, but a part of me is hurt over a stupid 20 year old guy named Jalon. Thats
something I would never write for an audience other than myself, however because the
audience is just me and its a journaling activity, I wrote in down. In the En Plein Air
writing assignment, the purpose was to challenge and enhance my writing to use my 5
senses and open the senses of my audience. The audience was my teacher in the class,
therefore I used more formal language. Also, I wrote in a sense that I wanted my
professor to share the experience with me and feed off of my words. For example, You
can hear the babies crying, trains coming in and out of the station, and the occasional
chatter between students about not doing last night's homework assignment. You can see
the surrounding apartment buildings and the notorious Kennedy Fried Chicken right
across from the station. You can hear the turnstiles moving as more people enter the train
station and you can see the change of people on the platform waiting for their trains to
arrive to take them to their destination. This helped to engage my audience to envision
the very thing I was speaking about. This is all helping me as a writer to keep in mind
who my audience is and what my purpose is while I write. Itll help me prepare to use
correct language and examples inside of my writing. This isnt something I learned in this
class, but its enhanced since Ive gotten here.
1. Wild Mind Directed:
a. Purpose- The purpose for this writing exercise was to get me to
write non-stop for an allotted time period and focus on the topic at hand. It helped
me to write as much informally as possible and still be satisfied with the outcome.
b. Audience- The audience in this writing piece was actually myself,
but later on I had to read it aloud for my classmates.
c. Topic- The question, How is your semester going so far? was
posed to me during class.
d. Context- The context for this particular piece of writing was my
crappy start to second semester because of guys, and how good my classes were
so far. I was simply talking about recent events in my personal life.
e. Genre- Non-fiction journaling. Everything was true, but I wrote it
in the form of a journal writing style.
2. En Plein Air:
 a. Purpose- To be able to write in a way that when people read it, they
would be able to be in the very place I was describing to them. Its supposed to
challenge and enhance my writing to use my 5 senses and open the senses of my
audience.
b. Audience- This particular audience for the assignment was my
professor. I was trying to get my Professor who isnt from New York City to
experience an everyday thing that I went through living in the city.
c. Topic- The topic was to pick a place that you can go to in real life
and describe in detail, or a place youve been to many of times to envision and
describe in detail.
d. Context- A New York City train station early in the morning before
I go to school.
e. Genre- Creative Non-fiction. The writing that I did is about a real
place and real experience, but I wasnt there in the moment I decided to write the
poem.

Critical Reading
1. Evaluative Works Cited: African American music - New World Encyclopedia.
a. In this analysis, I demonstrated my critical reading skills by
reviewing the historical context of the time period and explaining how this
context changed overtime. This is important to note due to the cultural nature of
the concepts within the reading. In the future with my writing, I can also use
historical contexts and articles to support whatever Im writing and know how to
properly incorporate them into writing pieces and make an impact with my words.
Also, I took the sources of the article into account when considering the
credibility of the argument presented. This is an especially good tool to use all
throughout my college career in papers that I do. I need to be able to distinguish a
good source from a bad one so that I wont look stupid when I use different
sources in my papers. Along with the information stated in the text, my analysis
included information that I have learned from other classes, self-education, or
personal experiences. I especially used my own knowledge when the article
moved into the 2000s.
Knowledge of Conventions
1. African-American Music:
a. One thing that I consider to be a great convention that I used well
in this paper was the organization/structure of the paper itself. In this paper I
ended up discussing a lot of time periods for genres of music. So I went ahead and
made headers for each, but more importantly, I put the time period in order so that
the paper would flow for the readers. I went from music in slavery, to the harlem
renaissance, then the civil rights movement and finally the 21st century. I did this
not only to have headers, but to have my information in chronological order
 because it all ties in together in some way, shape, or form and this way itll flow
correctly so people can get the most out of the paper. I want my readers to be able
to get a picture in their minds from the beginning to now and effectively use it to
formulate their own ideas and opinions. This matters because no writer wants
their readers to be bored and confused. Every writer wants the readers on the
same page as them so theyll all be on the same page.
b. Another traditional convention I used in this paper is, the use of
my quotations, especially those in the first paragraph, to show my sarcasm and
anger in a sense. Although quotation marks are usually for quotes, when using
them as implied finger quotation marks, they can be seen as a tool for sarcasm
based on societal connotations and norms. For example, I wrote, We learned the
usual basics: Malcolm X was hateful, MLKJ was such a peacemaker, and Rosa
was the one who ended segregation on the buses. No one ever talked about how
Malcolm was a peaceful man, MLKJ was for violence after a while, and Rosa
wasnt the first to refuse her seat on a bus. This was communicating my idea that
the first part of what I wrote was nothing but a misguided lie. It showed how I
have opposing thoughts towards the subject as well, and that I would perhaps
elaborate on my actual thoughts toward it eventually in the writing. This matters
now and in the future because I can use it as a dramatic effect in papers I write, or
almost anything I write honestly.
2. Dear Barbara:
a. The main convention that I used in this assignment is the use of
headers for transitional purposes in the letter. Instead of having a traditional letter
style assignment, I decided to use headers in order to set a tone for the letter and
guide the reader along without my thoughts. For example, I went from, quick
facts about me, to, why I chose this college, and then to, the credentials I
have to be Professor Presnells student, and lastly to, my life. The purpose of
headers is to build interest, guide the readers, and in a sense, give people
spoilers or teasers. It also helps to break down your information so people
dont get bored easily by one long writing piece. This is important for my future
major papers I know Ill have to write and maintaining order within the papers
and getting good grades on them.
Composing Processes
1. Proposal Draft One:
a. My first draft for the inquiry paper proposal said, I was always
been taught that my ancestors created rap/hip-hop, they created rock and roll, they
created rhythm and blues, jazz, etc. I want to go to the roots of it and what it took
for African Americans to make this kind of music and listen to certain songs to get
a taste of what they were feeling. The major times of music I want to explore are
slavery, harlem renaissance, jim crow, the civil rights movement and the 21st
century. This was very broad and short and I really believe that I didnt try with
 this assignment. Because I was in a rush, I made a topic sort of impossible to do
in the requirements of this assigned paper.I honestly cant talk about all genres of
music and Black contributions to them because itll take forever to get through
and it might make for a uninteresting or tedious paper because its way too much
information for people to process at once.
b. The final draft of the proposal draft stated, I have always been
taught that my ancestors created rap/hip-hop, they created rock and roll, they
created rhythm and blues, jazz, etc. I want to go into major times of African-
American history: slavery, harlem renaissance, jim crow, the civil rights
movement and the 21st century. These were all times during the African-
American experience where there was hurt and struggle, which is sad because
thats the entire span of American history so far. During those five major time
periods, there were outbursts of music in the African-American community.
Negro spirituals came to life, as well as jazz, going into rhythm & blues, rock n
roll, and eventually hip hop/ rap. I want to take a look into the startup of those
music genres and relate it back to the struggle and situations of African-
Americans and see how their struggle relates to the sounds and lyrics of their
music. Although this wasnt such a drastic change, I lessened the topic I would
be covering in the paper so that it wouldnt be too long and impossible to get
through.
2. Inquiry Essay Draft One:
a. In this essay draft, my last paragraph was, Ray Charles once said,
I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my
kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me
when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water. That is
a statement that is shared with many in the African-American community.
Although I added a great quote, my writing after the quote was trash. I didnt go
into depth and give personal experience with the quote like the paper requires
me to do. I did the bare minimum with this paragraph and everyone made
comments on this part of my paper. This is helpful because Ill carry on the lesson
during the rest of my years in college. Doing the bare minimum isn't enough
because youre being basic and not having the full effect on the paper and readers
as you could if you gave your all and then some.
b. After I submitted that paragraph in the essay, Professor Presnell
made the comment that I needed to make it more personal especially when I
brought in the Ray Charles quote. I changed it to, Ray Charles once said, I was
born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys,
my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force already within me when I
arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water. That is a
statement that is shared with me and many others in the African-American
community. Music isnt this secondary aspect of my life, music is my life. Its
 something thats made me think on a deeper level, cope with hardships, and has
strengthened plus rejuvenated my soul. Music fills that silent void in my life that
can sometimes be hard to explain. Music is embedded into my life, my history,
and my culture. It went from short and sweet to lengthy and in depth. In the
first one, I started to go into my feelings but I didnt quite get there and I was
holding back simply because I met the length requirement. However, in the
second version, I described what music actually meant to me personally instead of
making general statements. I was able to connect to the topic and audience on a
deep and emotional level and that was extremely helpful and empowering when I
finished up this paper.
Critical Reflection
1. Studio 6/Midterm Reflection:
a. The purpose of this studio was similar to the purpose of this one. I
was supposed to sit down and reflect on how I have grown as a writer during the
semester with in class and outside class. This was the major reflection I did during
the whole semester up until this point. I went all the way back to high school and
took a look at the writer I was then with a few selected pieces I wrote and saw
how much progress Ive made in writing up until this point of UWRT. In this
studio, I included a journal that I did for my learning community class, and I was
so in love with how I was writing then even though it was informal and in a
journal writing format. I was able to be real, and still articulate my point clearly
and concisely. For example, The death of Keith Lamont Scott, and many others,
have gotten me shook. I was at the protest by his house the same day he was
murdered. I was tear gassed, ran over, and chased by police officers with batons.
When I got to school the next day, it seemed as if the world was going on, like
nobody could stop and take the time to think about this innocent life that was lost
at the hands of the very ones who are meant to protect us. I gave a testimonial
basically on one of my major experiences here in college. I gained insight on how
passionate I am when Im doing journal assignment submissions because its
mostly my feelings. I also came to the realization that I wasnt as good of a writer
like I thought I was in High School compared to now and thats because I was
forced to reread all of my old things and analyze them and truly be critical of
myself. This will be something that I take into the future with my writing career,
especially here in college so that I can maintain a good writing reputation. I can
be critical of myself and still self supportive.

Creative Writing
1. Infographic:
a. A phenomenal creative writing piece from this semester was my
studio 4 infographic. I highly enjoyed doing this homework assignment because I
was given creative freedom and I was able to talk about myself and my passions. I
believe that the thing that showed my creativity the most was my pictures and
quotes I had posted in the infographic. The starting photo is a picture from the
night I went out and protested Keith Lamont Scotts death, then I have photos of
myself in the happiest times of my life, and I have 3 quotes from my favorite
Black women, Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, and Michelle Obama. To some it
may not be creative but since it truly represented me, I definitely say it qualifies
as creativity. What this taught me is to realize that everyone is different with their
styles, and what works for me may not work for others. I can apply this to my
personal life, especially as a spoken word poet. This goes to show that I may think
something is so great and the most creative thing Ive ever seen, but people may
not share that opinion, and its okay. Although you may have an audience, in a
sense, you dont write for others, you write for yourself. No one can measure your
creativity because its you and youre a unique being.