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In academia, a key metric by which professors are measured – prolific writing – is not formally offered in academic training. When I have asked productive scholars to describe their method, they typically articulate a singular strategy rather than a process: scheduling a set time, locking yourself in a room until the work is done, or working when you are fresh. In search of ways to increase my own output, I began to read what others had written about academic writing, and noticed that all but of one of the books in my growing collection had something in common: they cited Robert Boice. So, when the opportunity came to review Boice’s Professors as Writers, I jumped at the chance. But I also wondered – had more recent books rendered Professors as Writers obsolete? Boice has clearly thought a lot about professors as writers. Not surprisingly, the themes in Professors as Writers appear in the books which have followed it: write regularly to avoid binge writing, keep track of your writing time, revise a lot, find a writing buddy, and accept that writing is hard work. But Professors as Writers uniquely helps willing readers self-identify and eliminate poor, typically unintended, work habits. In spite of its unattractive cover, thin margins, and lack of an index, Professors as Writers offers readers the gift of Boice’s wisdom and experience. Professors as Writers provides strategies to correct writing problems and to prevent relapse. It includes a fully-annotated bibliography of “hindrances” to productivity. I appreciated Boice’s guide for avoiding excessive and unchecked spontaneous writing, which leads not only to “emotional upheavals” but also to a physical “disarray” of writing copy. I laughed out loud while brainstorming possibilities for contingency management to facilitate regular writing. My favorite contingency: sending a check “to a despised organization.” The Appendix contains the gem: “The Blocking Questionnaire: An Instrument for Assessing Writing Problems.” This tool enables readers to quickly identify specific problem areas. You may find, as I did, that you are blocked in areas you did not want to recognize. As you uncover areas to specifically address, Professors as Writers can help your individual needs. Boice offers a means to “make life feel less harried.” For me, the power of Professors as Writers grew with each re-reading. Though brief, it is not a quick read: Boice offers readers an individualized process to iteratively explore. He explains, “You’ll have to see what works most reasonably and reliably for you. And, you’ll need to use good sense. Writing made too high a priority – so that it excludes a social life or proper attention to teaching is doomed to failure.” Professors as Writers should be required reading for anyone involved in academic writing – writer, teacher, or mentor. ----------------------------
Anna Adachi-Mejia is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School, and Assistant Director of the Community Health Research Program at the Hood Center for Children and Families at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire. She received both her M.S. and her Ph.D. from The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at Dartmouth Medical School. Dr. Adachi-Mejia has extensive experience in survey research methods. As a behavioral health scientist, her primary areas of investigation include obesity and tobacco prevention in rural youth, promotion of physical activity in rural mothers, and promotion of healthful eating in the workplace. As an editor and writing coach, she reviews and edits manuscripts and grants, supports graduate students navigating the challenges of academia, and helps motivate blocked writers. She can be reached at mywritingpartner@gmail.com.
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Reviewed by Anna Adachi-Mejia
