YOU have been specially selected...

Dear Marginalized Citizen,
You (yes, YOU!) have been specially selected to receive a free gift from the ACME Social Barriers Company. Our Super Duper Writer's Block, weighing approximately one ton, was constructed using only the finest products from the local quarry, mixed with a smattering of marble to give it that extra shine, and lovingly bonded with the most durable cement on the market. (No assembly required!) This is just our humble way of saying Congratulations! for your tenacious inability to overcome your struggles for "inclusion... and equal opportunity." (p. 183)

Here at ACME, your business is our business; we've watched your dreams unfold and completely disintegrate since childhood! Wow!

While we have your attention, we'd like to tell you about this month's special. For the price of simply allowing society to continue to label you as a "low achiever"(192), you get a beautiful glass ceiling (in clear, beveled or tinted). These durable ceilings are completely ambition-proof, and come with a lifetime guarantee. Pick yours up today and get a free bottle of Windex !

Thanks for your patronage,
ACME Social Barriers
"Keeping folks on the fringes for over 20 years..."

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To: ACME Social Barriers

Dear Sir or Madam:
I arrived home from my basic writing class at college to find your delivery of one (1) very large writer's block which was sitting in the middle of my living room. While I appreciate the... thought... (?)... which went into this item, I am afraid I have no interest in it.

I will readily admit that there was a time not too long ago when I certainly would have appreciated the implications of such an item. Having had teachers in my early years who saw my writing errors only as indications of suboptimal intelligence, I became highly discouraged. For awhile, I just gave up. So then I got labeled not only as unintelligent, but as lazy.

However, thanks to the work of folks like Mina Shaughnessy, and teachers who take time to understand me (and not just my work), I no longer feel that I qualify for your gift. Sure, there will be times when I will undoubtedly have difficulties with my writing. But doesn't everyone? At least now I know why, and I know it's not just me. Shaughnessy insisted that people like me -- what you might call "basic writers" -- have the same potential as anyone else. I'm educable! (185) Also, I discovered that the way I was previously taught could be a factor in my struggles now as a writer. Sondra Perl did a study back in '79 where she found that "overattention to editing undermined the ability of unskilled college writers to compose fluently." My current instructors have seen that the particular errors in my writing reveal that I am cognitively sound, thoughtful and intelligent. (186) I have been enjoying my basic writing class. Here, we read and write with enhanced attention to meaning and purpose. We actually discuss and analyze texts. (191).

I'll admit it's been tough going to school. I not only have to acclimate myself to the culture of the university, but I have to undergo a shift in my vernacular, and I've had to leave some of my friends behind from my old neighborhood. (192) Still, all things considered, I'm doing just fine.

Please send someone out at your earliest convenience to pick up your Writer's Block, and remove me from your mailing list. I am no longer a marginalized citizen, but will sign off as...

A Basic Writing Success Story