By Liana Riley
When you enter the Writing Center, you are naked. There is a veil between any publication and its author on any other occasion–the distance of a book or a screen–but the Writing Center’s peer-to-peer methodology requires a level of transparency that can make both writers and tutors feel vulnerable. David Sedaris’ Naked is an ode to the vulnerable, often uncomfortable moments that are certain in life, and that sometimes seem to define writing center work. This collection of short stories ranges from discussions of Sedaris’ childhood, family vacations, his experience coming out as a gay man, and a myriad of other topics. In his short story “A Plague of Tics,” Sedaris documents his struggle with OCD; he turns a crippling affliction into a darkly humorous habit as he is forced to “touch the front door seven times with each elbow” (Sedaris 10). He tells his audience that his odd tics plagued him most of his life, and that “nothing was worse than the anguish of not doing them” (9). This level of honesty in writing is exactly what writing center tutors encourage. When writers are honest, they are much more likely to connect with their audience.
Like Sedaris’ work, every student’s paper is a reflection of their experiences. Regardless of whether the topic is mundane, sensitive, or academic, the student is naked when they present you with that work; it is something they may have slaved over, cultivated, or treasured. In the Center, writers are on display, often times reading their creations aloud, ready to receive suggestions. Tutors are also vulnerable in the sense that they too are exposed and on display. Tutors face the possible rejection of their ideas or suggestions when becoming active participants in the session. There are always those moments of tutor concern, where they may even doubt their own ability to help a student. But there are few leaps and bounds that tutors won’t go through for the benefit of a student’s writing process. And there are very few things David Sedaris won’t say for the efficacy of his humor. Writing center work is that much more effective when both parties agree to be “naked.” When there is an equal amount of exposure felt by both the tutor and the student, it fosters a truly collaborative environment for the two. These are the advantages of being naked when writing, and of being exposed when tutoring. It is just the tutor and student, the Center, and their work.
Sedaris, David. Naked. New York : Back Bay Books, 1997.
Liana Riley is a political science junior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and a newly hired tutor at their Writing and Rhetoric Center. Liana hopes to continue even after college to practice collaborative writing and other writing center strategies that she has adopted through her time tutoring. When she is not dealing with copious amounts of schoolwork, Liana likes to read, knit, and gallivant with friends in her spare time.