This past January, English Major Carlee Shimek saw her work published. During her time in English 397: Writing Center Theory and Practice, she wrote an important essay, “Through the Eyes of an Introvert: Playing it Safe”—a brave piece that foregrounds her own identity and asks important questions around how power influences social dynamics. In doing so, it explores and describes the benefits for introverted individuals of entering writing centers as either tutors or tutees. I suggest this piece for anyone interested in writing centers and their potential as third spaces invested in feminist theories and approaches to collaborative learning.
Following the completion of that class, Carlee went on to submit the piece for publication, and she also took her ideas to the International Writing Center Association (IWCA) Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia last October. As a professor and writing center director, it is heartening to see such brilliant scholars, like Shimek, succeed. Shimek understands the work that goes into publication, and the spirit she carries onto and across the page is, in a word, “generous.” This work deserved to find a home, and I’m just so glad that the editors at The Peer Review saw its worth. I hope that you might read the piece here.
