When you close read essays, particularly more complicated work, and especially when you plan to “borrow” structures from that work, you may want to review Carillo’s (2017) text on close reading. She reminds us to identify our purpose in reading before we choose a model of reading to use (such as skimming or says/does).
We’ll take some time in class to practice each model of reading in small groups, first on Young’s essay, and then Yu’s sample critical response essay.
You may also want to do the following as you read (partially adapted from Terri Senft’s close-reading exercises):
Take reader notes. These notes might include (but don’t have to be limited to):
- A 2-3 sentence precis
- A 1-2 sentence discussion of the rhetorical situation (e.g., who’s the author, what’s their background, who’s the audience, what’s the publication date, what’s the exigence/cause for writing…)
- Paraphrase the primary claim in your own words
- Discuss any important evidence that supports that claim
- List and define any jargon or specialized vocabulary you plan to use in your essay, mirroring any phrases/sentence structures that appear typical to that academic field
If you plan to work with the source, you may want to go the extra mile and try out the following:
- Write out the organization of the piece like a step-by-step instruction manual that allows the reader to follow along, using 1/2 – 1 sentence per definable section
- Apply what you’ve learned in the piece to your own examples
- Address why the piece is useful for your research interests, and how you might use it
- Mention what you think the piece fails to address, or needs clarification on
Happy close reading!
