As a student of writing, the concept of literacy as a form of power is implicit in almost all of my interactions. I use writing as a means of communicating socially, but also as a way of acquiring and securing social goods and prestige. Recently, I began applying to graduate programs to get my MFA in Writing. My application had to include both a writing portfolio and a statement of purpose. This statement of purpose is a clearly defined gateway to attaining my acceptance into their graduate program. My ability to write a clear, coherent and detailed statement of purpose in relation to my studies is going to be one of the key factors in determining whether or not I am accepted to the program. Additionally, my writing portfolio is another form of my own literacy being used to assess my value to these graduate programs. My ability to work within the genre, or to effectively subvert genre is going to be paramount to whether or not my work is viewed as successful. I also frequently experience my literacy as a state of grace. I typically read anywhere from 2-3 novels a week. Whenever I share this fact with people I attain a certain level of “being cultured” from their perspective. My practice of reading gives me this social prestige where a simple pastime attributes me with characteristics and attributes that are not necessarily true of my character.
