))
Academic Writing as if Readers Matter with Dr. Len Cassuto
Manage episode 445381094 series 2895484
Content provided by Heather Frederick, PhD and Heather Frederick. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Heather Frederick, PhD and Heather Frederick or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.
Send us a text - your number will not show, so if you want a response include an email
In episode #136, I welcome back one of my favorite repeat guests, Dr. Leonard Cassuto.
Len is a professor of English at Fordham University and the author of the "Graduate Adviser" column for The Chronicle of Higher Education. He has written and number of books, including *The Graduate School Mess* (Harvard, 2015) and, with Robert Weisbuch, *The New PhD: How to Build a Better Graduate Education* and we are here today to talk about his hot off the press publication – Academic Writing as if Readers Matter.
Highlights:
- Let’s Get Clear: Writing that is difficult to read harms the relationship between academia and society.
- Writing as Communication: If the message isn’t understood, communication has failed.
- Storytelling Approach: Everything is a story (what story are you trying to tell?).
- Front-Load Main Points: Present main points early on to help academic readers quickly assess the relevance of the material.
- Writing as Thinking: Writing is part of the thinking process. Write to figure out what it is you are thinking, then start writing.
- The Blue Whale Metaphor: Academic readers are like blue whales, sifting through vast information. As a writer, it is your duty to make content clear and easily digestible.
- Clarity Over Complexity: Simplicity and clarity should be prioritized over complex jargon, which can alienate readers.
- Don’t Be Mean: Engage and connect with your audience, rather than distance them with overly complex language.
- The Importance of Revision: Good writing is often the result of extensive rewriting, helping to sharpen arguments and improve communication.
- Practical Writing Tip: Take the topic sentences from each paragraph and string them together to see if they tell a coherent story.
Connect with Len
twitter: @LCassuto
instagram: l_cassuto
facebook: Leonard Cassuto
Get his new book here: https://amzn.to/4euGt4j
Episode #53 "Are we teaching students to be unhappy?" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/9484429
Episode #69: "Career Diversity and the Doctorate" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/10148738
SHOW ME SOME LOVE
Donate with PayPal (Expand Your Happy!)
Donate with Venmo
Donate using a credit card
Support this free content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1547113/supporters/new
Get The Happy Doc Student Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578333732
Other resources at: http://Expandyourhappy.com
Want to make my day? Rate, review, subscribe & share with someone you love.
142 episodes
Share
