Remixing Composition: A History of Multimodal Writing Pedagogy, Palmeri Jason. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL (2012). 216 pp.

摘要

Remixing Composition: A History of Multimodal Writing Pedagogy is a brief history of multimodal composition in the American academy that looks to root current arguments about the relevance of alphabetic texts and the role of technology in composition in works of previous scholars in composition and allied fields. Author Jason Palmeri (2012) contended that composition, at least within the scope of the time period he examined-approximately 1965 to 1987-has always been multimodal and that the best instructors and researchers have adapted to changes in technology and introduced new methods of composition into their classrooms. The difference with the current discussion about multimodality, according to Palmeri, is the ready availability of internet connectivity and digital tools, and the speed at which these technologies have evolved over a relatively short period of time has given the current discussion a sense of urgency and peril that was missing before. Remixing Composition provides an interesting reflection on mid- to late-20th century composition practices and how they translate to the ever-changing digital world, with the hope of encouraging teachers and scholars to look beyond what it means to teach composition as a solely alphabetic, ink-and-paper exercise. Though the book is more about uncovering the lost history of multimodality than it is a guide for how to teach beyond the typewritten page, Palmeri shows that uncertainty about the future of composition is neither a new nor fearful concept.