Assignment 2: Literacy Interview
From Spiderman to Wall Street: A Life Shaped by Stories
In this assignment I interviewed my uncle, Jason, and focused on how storytelling shaped his literacy journey. From childhood to the corporate world, "sponsors of literacy" guided his relationship with narrative.
Feedback
"You briefly touch on Brandt's idea of 'literacy sponsors,' but you don't explore it much beyond noting that your uncle's parents acted as sponsors. What if you pursued this thread further into your uncle's work life? Who have been some influential workplace literacy sponsors? What have these sponsorship relationships involved?"- Dr. Hall
Key Revisions
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Incorporated more of Brandt's theory, expanded the scope of "sponsorship" in Jason's life
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Added a new section on Jason's workplace literacy sponsor in Internal Audit.
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Strengthened the connection between storytelling and literacy sponsorship across every stage of Jason's life
Revised Excerpt
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"Brandt also emphasizes that sponsors 'set the terms for access to literacy and wield powerful incentives for compliance and loyalty' (166-167). Jason’s boss did this by redefining what counted as effective writing in the department. Auditors were no longer expected to just document, they were expected to shape an argument, and tell a story in a way that drove action. As Jason puts it, the goal became to write something where executives 'could almost not wait to find out what’s next.' His mentor’s sponsorship shifted the genre and purpose of writing in that workplace. "
