Okay, now that the school year is about to get underway, it’s time to give this thing a kick in the pants. My name’s Mike, I’m at the University of New Hampshire, and I’m going to use this blog as a place to talk about what I’m learning as a student and teacher of composition.

Ken Macrorie’s Uptaught is my favorite comp book (so far), and I have a feeling it would’ve been a blog if Ken had assembled it in 2004. It definitely reads like a good academic blog. So that’s my model; maybe I’ll end up with something Uptaught-like, but don’t expect me to reach Ken’s level of eloquence.

My interests lie mostly in the field of assessment. I like to talk about tests, grades and other means of measuring success or failure, and what these things mean to all the different people in schools throughout the US. In my world, the students always come first, so I’ll definitely have something to say if I run across a situation where I feel as though they’re not coming first (this happens occasionally, heh heh).

Hopefully, as I proceed through my PhD program and learn a little more, I’ll be able to make some better arguments about what could be improved in composition programs, writing courses and general university assessment programs. Until then, I’ll just rant. Maybe I’ll stumble onto something valuable here and there. Enjoy. :-)

This blog won’t be advertised for awhile, so I don’t think there will be many replies to my posts. But eventually I’m going to spend more time on it, and some folks will find it eventually. Check back every so often for more posts and resources. This blog will be huge one day, I tell you! HUGE!

Oh yeah, before I forget, I should explain the site name. It’s pretty simple, really. I thought it would be a good name for someone who’s still relatively new to comp. My point of view is going to be “fresh,” I’d say (seems like a safe prediction, as long as you’re defining “fresh” as “unique” rather than “stunningly intelligent and innovative”). It’s also a play on words, a tribute to my favorite comp course in the world, the often-dreary, often-despised first-year composition course — my favorite course to teach by far.

I think that, in the right hands, “freshman comp” (a title I hate, but a title we still use) can be one of the most memorable courses an undergrad takes in his/her career. You will soon see what happens to UNH’s version (ENGL 401) when it’s placed in my hands, for better or worse — this blog won’t be a teaching journal, but my classroom will make an appearance here every so often.