Why and How Academics Write

Abstract

Academics are often criticized for their poor or rotten writing. In this essay, I look first at several ways in which academic writing may be regarded as, for example, obscure and turgid. Second, I discuss reasons why, despite such criticism, academics persevere with their writing. Third, I outline a number of approaches to the how of academic writing as a daily practice. Finally, I present my playful yet serious efforts to confront the hows and whys of academic (and post-academic) writing as an important human and social practice.

“We Must Write Dangerously”

“…386-387;Sword, 2009). We can learn to write well or better by reading dangerously, by trying, by experimenting, by setting down what we sincerely think we know, and by making our modest contributions to the ongoing conversation (see Badley, 2009Badley, , 2020dYoo, 2017).…”

“…Indeed, Hume saw himself as an ambassador from one to the other using his elegant and entertaining style to promote fruitful exchanges between men of letters and men of the world (see Hume, 1965). Second, as a dangerous writer Yoo now rejects the stiff, technical style the corporate, neoliberal academicwritingmachine (see Henderson et al, 2016) and the academicconferencemachine (Benozzo et al, 2019) require us to produce (see Badley, 2020d). Yoo wants our dangerous, human, writing to be understanded of the people (see Russell, n.d.).…”

The Praise of Collective Autoethnography

“…I wrote and I was bored. Academic “dead language” (Badley, 2020), which intensifies necrophilic academic tendencies. Academic writing, where it is important to quote the right people instead of caring about the social effect, creativity, or dialogue (Valentim, 2017).…”

“…Writing as “ the possibility of redemption, of seeing writing as an act of hope, of exposing wrongs, as defending the oppressed, of speaking for others” (Badley, 2020, p. 2).…”

Zmiksowani(e) i dydaktyczne stawanie się

“…Język przestał oswajać, ale nie oznacza to zamilknięcia. Nasze opowieści, pełniąc inną funkcję, otwierają przestrzeń dialogu, wytwarzają przestrzeń spotkania wśród monstrów i magii, rozplatają sieci i współtworzą nowe (Speedy 2012;Pensoneau-Conway et al 2014;Gale et al 2013;Pelias 2017;Badley 2018). Performatywne pisanie (Pelias 2005;Denzin 2003aDenzin , 2003bGale 2016).…”