GSAS Writer's Night: An Evening with Dean Xiao-Li Meng 9/27/16 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Writing with humor and learning to handle rejection are crucial aspects of academic writing and scholarly life.

Transcript

and I'm particularly excited that you're here tonight when our Dean Dean jelly hmong is here and he very generously came up with the idea for this discussion and i just want to talk a little bit about the circumstances of how that arose so last spring when i was appointed director of the center for writing and communicating ideas I we had a convers... Read More

Key Insights

• 📰 Blogs by academics represent a new genre of writing that is more fun and engaging to read than traditional academic papers.
• ❓ Writing with humor can make academic content more enjoyable and accessible to readers.
• 🥺 Rejection is a common occurrence in academia, and learning to handle it with grace and self-reflection can lead to personal growth.
• 💯 Taking the time to polish and perfect academic writing before submission is crucial to avoid common mistakes and increase the chances of acceptance.
• 🤔 Academic writing should aim to deliver a punchline or idea that leaves the reader thinking and engaged.
• ⏳ Reading and revising one's own work multiple times is essential to improving the flow and clarity of the writing.
• ✍️ Incorporating personal experiences and stories into academic writing can make it more relatable and engaging.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between formal and informal writing?

Formal writing is typically associated with academic papers and follows specific structures and conventions, while informal writing, such as blogs, allows for more personal expression and humor.

Q: How does writing with humor enhance academic writing?

Humor can make academic writing more engaging and enjoyable to read, and it can also help convey complex ideas and concepts in a more accessible way.

Q: How does the dean use humor in his blog series, The XL Files?

The dean uses humor to make statistics more interesting and relatable, weaving humor into the content to create an enjoyable and educational reading experience.

Q: How can handling rejection positively impact academic growth?

Rejection is a common experience in academia, and learning to handle it with humor and self-reflection can lead to personal and professional growth, as well as a better understanding of the publishing process.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The director of the Center for Writing and Communicating Ideas discusses the difference between formal and informal writing, particularly blogs by academics.

• The dean introduces his blog series, The XL Files, which combines humor and statistics to create engaging and educational content.

• The conversation explores the process of writing and the importance of humor and self-reflection in academic writing, as well as the experience of rejection and ways to handle it.