From 7bfc9cf0efe8790f5fe36a1ad41d6e6c16c83bc8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Madison Scott-Clary Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2023 14:00:11 -0800 Subject: [PATCH] update from sparkleup --- writing/workshop-packet/essay.html | 14 +++++++++++++- 1 file changed, 13 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/writing/workshop-packet/essay.html b/writing/workshop-packet/essay.html index 53c5039ad..61a78726c 100644 --- a/writing/workshop-packet/essay.html +++ b/writing/workshop-packet/essay.html @@ -45,13 +45,25 @@

Still, it’s that very playfulness that allows a set of styles and tropes to arise within these areas. When the works created aren’t necessarily beholden to popular tastes, fandom and subculture creators have a lot of freedom to explore.

The creation of this shared language within the context of an in-group such as a fandom or subculture is bound up in two things: conversation and art. Conversation is the sharing of information, emotions, and opinions surrounding the shared sense of identity, but the creation of art strengthens shared identity through the mutual appreciation of the core subject or topic of the fandom or subculture.

In the context of writing in particular, the shared language takes center stage. When using a similar lexicon, grammar and stylistic choices, and word choice, a sense of membership can build, strengthening community bonds.

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This is what drew my interest

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This is what drew my interest to the idea of teaching in this setting. Not only does it present unique challenges for the educator, but it provides potentially greater rewards for both the students and teacher — especially should they share membership to the fandom or subculture.

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In my case, I chose interacting with the furry subculture. Not only is it a group that I interact with frequently given my own membership, but there are some particularly interesting features that create for a stronger sense of in-group membership. For instance, furry has long provided a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals, and as a non-binary trans woman, it has been a particularly important home for me since before I came out both to myself and others.

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Given this relationship between furry identity and queer identities, this provides a poignant example of shared identity and topic selection. One of the most well-known of furry authors, Kyell Gold, writes quite frequently about gay male characters, focusing quite often on the themes of coming out and fitting in. His books have been widely praised within the subculture due to what’s perceived as a common experience.

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Beyond this, however, writing within the context of furry has picked up several features and conventions common within the corpus. For example:

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  1. It’s quite common to refer to furry as a fandom as well. I resist this phrasing more on intellectual than moral grounds, simply because there isn’t a core media that furries are a fandom. When asked, most furries will say that they’re fans of anthropomorphic animals or, more poignantly, themselves. ↩

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    I’m careful to specify ‘is seen as’ due to a common complaint of editors being the overuse of this construct. ↩

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