Preparing for Law School Admissions

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In this Picturing Literate Activity piece, Grace Betts describes some of the literate activity
research practices they have engaged with as they figure out how this whole law school
admissions thing works.

The Write Kind of Space: Notes and Reminders at Home

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In this GWRJ Short, Dr. Janine Blue explores how engaging with reminders throughout their home acts as a literate activity. Dr. Blue reflects on how the genre of erasable boards and permanent images across different rooms support their writing process and keep them engaged in a dynamic, everyday practice.

Row by Row: Unraveling the Genre Conventions of Knitting Patterns

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Kaitlyn Tibbetts discusses a genre that they interact with in their daily life: knitting patterns. They unpack the many genre conventions of knitting patterns that allow knitting communities to engage with this genre through their use of shared language and content knowledge. By exploring the changing nature of this genre as it is adapted by pattern creators to fit the digital world we live in, Tibbetts illustrates how genres shift
and evolve over time to serve the communities that use them.

Debunking the Academic Language Myth

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In this Graphic Short, Maddie Silk describes their experience with academic language, and how college has changed their perception of what it means to use such language.

The Shoemaker's Elf: Claiming a Literate Activity Researcher Identity

 

Joyce Walker defines their understanding of what it means to be a literate activity researcher. Walker also talks about what it means to develop and deploy adaptive expertise, which they connect to both writing research and the experience of learning to make teeny, tiny shoes and clothes for dolls.

Through the Looking Glass: Applying Makeup to Genre and Transfer

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In this reprint of a previously published Grassroots article, Dr. Emily Clemson (previously Capan) explores their experiences as a makeup artist and their struggles associated with moving between genres. Transferring skills from one genre to another is not as easy as it would appear to be and requires practice and evaluation of uptake and antecedent knowledge.

Revision Decisions: The Power of Makeup and the Review Process

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In this interview—transcribed from an episode of the Writing Program’s podcast series,
“Conversations with GWRJ Authors”—Edcel Javier Cintron-Gonzalez sits down with Dr. Emily Clemson (previously Capan) to talk about her article, “Through the Looking Glass: Applying Makeup to Genre and Transfer.” Cintron-Gonzalez asks Clemson about her writing and research strategies, the genre research conducted, and the review process with the Grassroots editorial team.

The "Map"gic Kingdom

 

Penelope Kipp explores the genre of theme park maps, in particular the Walt Disney World Park Maps, especially those of the Magic Kingdom. Join Kipp as they navigate the genre research needed to map these maps.

She Kills You in the End: The Final Girl as Genre and Killer-killing as Literate Activity

 

Abby Uphoff investigates the Final Girl, a trope within the slasher movie genre. Using external research on the topic, examples from slashers across horror history, and the ISU Writing Program frameworks of genre, literate activity, and CHAT, Uphoff tracks the trajectory of the trope and explores how it represents sociocultural themes.

Genre Conventions Soup, Full of Remediation Resources

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Rachel Gramer describes the activity of taking one text and transforming it into something in a whole other genre. Through doing so, Gramer shares resourceful questions for writers, breaks down genre conventions, and plays with some food metaphors for writing, too.

Recreating a Taste of India: Authentic Food, Research, and Literate Activity

 

Saima Afreen explores how the search for familiar flavors becomes a form of research, blending cultural memory, adaptation, and literate activity. As a PhD student navigating Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, they engage in genre research, activity systems, and P-CHAT to analyze how foodways shift across geographies. Through grocery shopping, restaurant adaptations, home cooking, and community knowledge-sharing, Afreen demonstrates how food research is not just about taste but about connection, resilience,
and the evolving process of finding home in a new place.

Every Dish Made with Love

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In this Picturing Literate Activity piece, Brody Moormeier shares a couple of dishes their
grandmother often makes as part of their family’s celebration of different Jewish holidays.

Food Fills My Soul

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In this Picturing Literate Activity piece, India Smith reflects on the role of food in their family’s life, highlighting its significance as a means of expressing love and cultural identity.

The Evolution of Who I Am: The Communicative Power of Taylor Swift

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Amanda Egge uses the music and lyrics of Taylor Swift and elements of P-CHAT, such as distribution, reception, and socialization, to discuss the ways that music can serve as a form of communication that can have a large impact on personal and professional lives.

Tracing My Multimodal Writing

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In this Graphic Short, Tianran Chen experiments with tracing their past collages as a way to explore their writing researcher identity. By treating tracing as a non-linear, multimodal creative method, Chen reflects on the connections between writing, emotion, and identity, showing how this process deepens engagement with different writing contexts and situations.

Does This Make Sense? Questions as Uptake Sprinklers

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In this GWRJ Short, Amaka Chime describes how verbal signals can be active tools for
understanding new ideas. Chime calls these signals uptake sprinklers: questions that provide learners opportunities to slow down, reflect, and process new learning experiences.