Diaries

I am reading the very wonderful book: 'Annie Ray's diary: the extraordinary work of ordinary writing' by Jennifer Sinor. By coincidence it was recommended to me at just about the time that Irving Finkel of the British Museum came to the Literacy Research Discussion Group to discuss: 'What happens to diaries?'. Perhaps wrongly, I understood him to claim that there is little literature about psychological motivations to keep diaries and the practice in general - of course there is a great deal of scholarly attention to famous diaries. However Jennifer Sinor's literature review contributes greatly to the topic of everyday writing and then the diary she discusses - of her ancestor in the late nineteenth century - is indeed illuminated beautifully through her analysis.

In what might be regarded as a summary of some of her arguments on pp. 182-183 Jennifer Sinor suggests:

• Diaries are 'ordinary writing' par excellence and that ordinary writing is not literary. 'The limit of the literary, though, is also what makes ordinary writing so powerful and pervasive.'


• Ordinary writing is what is disregarded.


• Ordinary writing is 'not supposed to be here but it is.'

'That is what makes it an opportune site for contemplating the ways in which ordinary choices by ordinary writers at ordinary moments reveal the complex set of negotiations constantly undertaken by writers, by people living in the world.'

With the aid of Annie Ray's diary, JS expounds upon the diurnal rhythms of the diary and how to 'delight in dailiness, rhythm, and repetition. To read her text in terms of what she makes as a writer rather than what she lacks. The capacity of dailiness to shape the diurnal form is revealed even at the level of syntax and requires that I pay attention to aspects and qualities of texts I have been trained to ignore, despise, or delete.' (p. 57).

However, as much as I am enjoying her book, I am wondering whether the dramatic elements JS brings to the story of Annie Ray's diary - that would befit any novel - work slightly against her overall argument. I have to admit I enjoy the elements of suspense and revelations enormously though and find myself turning backwards and forwards through the book to try to piece together the very narrative thread - clearly the literary - that JS argued should not be the 'valued.'

The book will be in the LRC Literacy Resource Centre as soon as I can bear to put it there. I should really asap as I am dying to discuss the book with someone.

Julia