kristen r. moore, phd

So, I’ve decided to start blogging about what I’m reading, thinking, and doing. Why? Well, in part, because I feel like I have some things to write about that don’t necessarily belong in scholarship but that belong, well, somewhere. But perhaps the more important question is why not? Well, I’ll tell you why I haven’t had a blog for most of my young academic career: I’ve been scared. As a young [female] scholar, it’s daunting to say what you think. And it’s even more daunting to say what you think and have it recorded. But in the past several months–since the 2014 Association of Teachers of Technical Writing–I’ve been inspired by both the Women in Tech Comm #womeninTC and a small subset of the #womeninTC, a group of peer mentors who discuss their work progress #getafterit, to be more confident about my ideas and to offer some of my thoughts to others in the hope that they might help others, make them more confident, speed along other young scholars’ treks to confidence and public writing. This blog is evidence of the mentoring I’ve received from colleagues and mentors, but will also [I hope] discuss topics that I wish I were mentored on as a grad student, need to be mentored on as a pre-tenure professor, and other snippets of thinking as appropriate, including gratitude posts.

Speaking of gratitude. When I say Twitter saved my summer, I more accurately mean that the #womeninTC and #getafterit women  helped me stay focused, motivated, committed to a community of other writers, and confident that my daily work [even if it was esoteric writing on some rhetorical concept] mattered. At times I was reading documents from other women, receiving feedback from them, talking on the phone about ideas, or reading books per their suggestion. But mostly, I was checking in, championing, feeling championed, and sharing ideas. I started Project Getafterit #getafterit because I knew it was more fun to dig in my heels and work with others rather than in isolation. The #womeninTC and #getafterit group have offered inexplicable support, and for that I am thankful. I am also thankful for the confidence I gained being with and around these women–where some academics say snarky things about writing groups and public accountability, we instead nod along when people are stressed, offer advice, and cheer one another on. Thanks ladies, I’ve needed this.