Crafting Authentic Voice

Tom Romano's Crafting Authentic Voice was an interesting read for me. Many of his ideas felt reminiscent to me of Harry Noden's Image Grammar, which I read my senior year of college.  I feel as though Noden based many of his ideas on Romano's (I'm sure he had read him at least) and so Romano's choice of topics felt very familiar.

Romano's style of writing was hard for me to get into at first.  He weaves narrative, teaching suggestions, and commentary on writing styles.  Sometimes the transitions were so abrupt that I had to stop, go back, and reread his words to make sure I understood his point.  However, his content was proven true in his style.  The more I read, the more I became accustomed to Romano's voice and the more I felt that I truly grasped the concepts he was presenting.  

Romano splits the book into five different sections:  1) The Delight and Dilemma of Voice, 2) Qualities of Voice, 3) Trust the Gush, 4) Crafting Authentic Voice, and 5) Voice and Identity.  Each sections tackles specific aspect of how we as writers and readers perceive voice and in turn learn to craft our own voices (as Romano believes that we each have multiple voices that we use for a variety of purposes).

In "The Delight and Dilemma of Voice," Romano talks about how we define voice and how we can even recognize what voice is.  Since voice is such a slippery concept, Romano uses many examples to show concrete examples of voice.  I suppose the delight comes from the fact that when you hear voice, you can recognize it instantly.  However, because voice is so individualized, we come to a dilemma when trying to instruct students about how to develop it.  How do you instruct students to sound more like themselves?  How do you avoid imposing your personal voice upon others? 

"Qualities of Voice" addresses what makes someone's voice sound like him or her.  Romano points out that students need to be able to choose their own topics.  Obviously, if students are invested in their topics, they will be more authentic in their writing.  As Romano says, "Writing begets seeing, seeing begets writing" (34).  When you write about what you know, you can make it real and when you make your writing real, you can accurately reflect the world in your writing.  

"Trust the Gush" was probably my most favorite section within the book.  In Chapter 19 entitled "Many Voices," Romano explains his belief that each writer does not have a singular, unitary voice.  Instead, we have many voices that we use for a variety of purposes.  Each writer writes into a conversation with a specific goal in mind.  Specifically, Romano's discussion of form and how it can inhibit or highlight content resonated with me.  "Writing, at its core, is a matter of finding and making the shapes of ideas" (63).  Viewing writing as a crafting process.  We don't just shape ideas; we make shapes that fit our ideas. 

In "Crafting Authentic Voice," Romano takes a more pointed look at the specific processes used to craft the language.  Choosing active verbs, cutting out unnecessary wording, and using specific placement of words are just a few of the focuses that Romano takes while also examining the big picture of writing.  In each of the chapters, Romano provides specific activities to be used within the classroom.  However, the practical applications do not overpower the thinking that Romano asks his readers to engage in. 

Tom Romano's Crafting Authentic Voice was an interesting read for me. Many of his ideas felt reminiscent to me of Harry Noden's Image Grammar, which I read my senior year of college.  I feel as though Noden based many of his ideas on Romano's (I'm sure he had read him at least) and so Romano's choice of topics felt very familiar.

Romano's style of writing was hard for me to get into at first.  He weaves narrative, teaching suggestions, and commentary on writing styles.  Sometimes the transitions were so abrupt that I had to stop, go back, and reread his words to make sure I understood his point.  However, his content was proven true in his style.  The more I read, the more I became accustomed to Romano's voice and the more I felt that I truly grasped the concepts he was presenting.  

Romano splits the book into five different sections:  1) The Delight and Dilemma of Voice, 2) Qualities of Voice, 3) Trust the Gush, 4) Crafting Authentic Voice, and 5) Voice and Identity.  Each sections tackles specific aspect of how we as writers and readers perceive voice and in turn learn to craft our own voices (as Romano believes that we each have multiple voices that we use for a variety of purposes).

In "The Delight and Dilemma of Voice," Romano talks about how we define voice and how we can even recognize what voice is.  Since voice is such a slippery concept, Romano uses many examples to show concrete examples of voice.  I suppose the delight comes from the fact that when you hear voice, you can recognize it instantly.  However, because voice is so individualized, we come to a dilemma when trying to instruct students about how to develop it.  How do you instruct students to sound more like themselves?  How do you avoid imposing your personal voice upon others? 

"Qualities of Voice" addresses what makes someone's voice sound like him or her.  Romano points out that students need to be able to choose their own topics.  Obviously, if students are invested in their topics, they will be more authentic in their writing.  As Romano says, "Writing begets seeing, seeing begets writing" (34).  When you write about what you know, you can make it real and when you make your writing real, you can accurately reflect the world in your writing.  

"Trust the Gush" was probably my most favorite section within the book.  In Chapter 19 entitled "Many Voices," Romano explains his belief that each writer does not have a singular, unitary voice.  Instead, we have many voices that we use for a variety of purposes.  Each writer writes into a conversation with a specific goal in mind.  Specifically, Romano's discussion of form and how it can inhibit or highlight content resonated with me.  "Writing, at its core, is a matter of finding and making the shapes of ideas" (63).  Viewing writing as a crafting process.  We don't just shape ideas; we make shapes that fit our ideas. 

In "Crafting Authentic Voice," Romano takes a more pointed look at the specific processes used to craft the language.  Choosing active verbs, cutting out unnecessary wording, and using specific placement of words are just a few of the focuses that Romano takes while also examining the big picture of writing.  In each of the chapters, Romano provides specific activities to be used within the classroom.  However, the practical applications do not overpower the thinking that Romano asks his readers to engage in. 

"Voice and Identity" finishes out the book with Romano's reflections about how finding voice in writing is connected with developing identity as a writer.  Writing and writer. Identity and voice. These aspects of the writing process continue to reflect and refract each other.  Romano highlights their constant interplay and the way that these entities push on each other. 

Overall, I would highly recommend Romano's Crafting Authentic Voice.  Combining practical activities with thoughtful commentary and personal experience, Romano creates a work that is both reflective and forward-thinking.

Overall, I would highly recommend Romano's Crafting Authentic Voice.  Combining practical activities with thoughtful commentary and personal experience, Romano creates a work that is both reflective and forward-thinking.