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Diane Slagle's avatar

I'm retired now, but I was a content writer for university websites back when websites were something new and mysterious. This was pre-social media era, like Internet 1.0.... You'd think that in an academic setting, writing would be paramount in web creation. The ideas, the organization of ideas, the clear expression of ideas, sharing information for the greater good in an educational setting, etc. But no. The administration thought of websites as technical -- and the people who did the technical coding work & handled the content management systems were handsomely paid and respected. The writers were an absolute afterthought. Gerry McGovern is an Irish website guru who champions content. He advised writers to never admit that they were content people. Doing so would make people think you were just fluff. Play up the technical part of your work...call yourself an information architect. I argued that in a newspaper organization, the workers wear very different hats. The guys who run the printing press aren't the essential employees. They're part of it -- but the role of the writers and editors wasn't just negligible, and it wasn't like you had to play down the fact that you were one of the writing staff (else you wouldn't be taken seriously). I'm so glad to be retired now. I also taught writing at the university level for some years. The position of composition instructors is awful. Low status, long hours correcting papers, low pay. Women's work. Even the academic journals used metaphors like "the housework of the English department" regarding teaching composition. And composition is the "wife" of literature. (Think Lakoff & Johnson's "Metaphors We Live By.") PS: I also love love love Vonnegut and have since I was a young thing. I'm nearing 70 now. I also adore George Saunders, who is a sort of 21st century Vonnegut.

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AlbanianQueen's avatar

As I am reading your article, Slaughter House Five is right next to me on the sofa. It's a signed limited edition copy. It truly creeped me out that my palm was on this book as I was reading your post. But then my life has been full of synchronicities like this. Keep on writing and we all will keep on reading. Thank you for all you do for those who need your compassion and love.❤

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