Closing Statement

Throughout this exhibit, you have seen the many different types of everyday writing that go into a dorm. When people go into college, the transition can be harrowing. However, through the use of everyday writing, we can learn to make the transition easier. The beauty of everyday writing is that it doesn't need to fit into a genre or category in order to get across a point. Everyday writings are all around us, and have unique and individual traits to each and every one. Because everyday writing is so unique, it truly makes the space its in become so much more welcoming. Devitt captures it perfectly when she states, “based on our identification of genre, we make assumptions not only about the form but also about the text's purposes, its subject matter, its writer, and its expected reader,” (575). By writing to appeal to a genre, we subconsciously form a lot of assumptions that can hinder our abilities to write, which is why everyday writing is so essential. This is what is so amazing about the Museum of Everyday Writing; it really has no limits, and no overlying genre. Additionally, everyday writing is everywhere, just waiting to be seen. 
      Some pieces, such as decorations, provide a way to express our individuality, and thus make the dorm more personalized. Things such as schedules and organization pieces create a space that increases productivity; this helps the student find their way and makes the transition easier. Last, pieces that give motivation make the dorm space more productive, and thus more comfortable. All of these things turn an empty dorm into a cozy home. While this is true for dorm spaces, I fully believe that this can apply to any space; we have the power to turn any space into a home through the use of writings such as the ones I have showcased. I would like to leave you with this- through our use of everyday writings, we can transform any space into a home. 

Works Cited

Devitt, A. “Generalizing about Genre: New Conceptions of an Old Concept.” College Composition and Communication, Vol. 44, No. 4, Dec 1993. 573-586.

Estrem, H. "Writing is a Knowledge Making Activity". Naming What We Know: Threshold Concepts of Writing Studies, 2015. 19-20.

Lillis, T. "Writing as Everday Practice". The Sociolinguistics of Writing, 2013. 75-99.

Lunsford, A. “Writing Addresses, Invokes, and/or Creates Audiences.” Writing Is a Social and Rhetorical Activity. 20-21.