Nonfic vs. academic essay

This essay is largely about the pros/cons of academic/creative writing in terms of expressing urgent and important ideas—but the essay is also, itself, demonstrating those pros/cons in the ways it manages to be most and least effective. The narrator is trying to show Lorraine that creative writing can be a uniquely powerful mode of expression, due to its ability to create scene, detail, description, dialogue, interiority, etc — the same aspects of this essay that, to me, made for a more engaging, personalized narrative. While it is helpful to read case studies like Fei's to take a broader, more objective look at a student's experience in the Writing Center over time, it does eliminate a lot of the internal hemming and hawing that I know other tutors must experience, and kind of flattens the unique challenges and interpersonal dynamics of each session. While the specific dynamics between Lorraine and the narrator may not necessarily apply to most of my student interactions in the writing center, it is helpful to see, in detail, a model of what some of these conversations might look like. Seeing where Lorraine responds with pushback or confusion is a nice reminder that these responses are common; it's also helpful to see how the narrator responds to those moments, and convinces her to give his suggestions a try.