Genre-colored glasses |
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Thoughts on genre, language, grammar, and other
rhetorical and linguistic norms |
through Genres Skipjack, photo from EPA, public domain I enjoyed a great family reunion on my husband’s side of the family last week. In the Chesapeake Bay area, we sailed on a skipjack, ate great crabs in all forms, swam in pools or watched the kids swim, and talked, talked, talked. We didn’t share all the genres that you, dear readers, shared with me from your own family reunions. But you told me about potlucks (a feature of my childhood family reunions), group photos (ours, too), and reunion T-shirts (we did that once, but I was the only one proudly displaying my t-shirt this year). But wait. Let’s see if I can share my experience through the genres we shared, organized by the activities we shared. Of course, some of these activities involved one or two planners more than the rest of the family, or the children more than the adults, or the other way around. I bet you can guess the type of people involved by the genre activity--but not always (more than a few adults liked to play in the pool). Planning Family conversations about where to go this time (begun two years ago) Family group emails about locations (begun months ago) Family group emails about dates School calendars Work calendars Camp calendars Word-of-mouth hotel reviews Hotel websites TripAdvisor hotel reviews Phone conversations with hotel reservationists Reservations Confirmation emails Family group emails about selected location and dates Hotel email changing our plans Phone calls to hotel Complaints Negotiations Compromises Confirmation emails Travel Plane reservations Rental car reservations Driving maps/GPS directions Out-of-office automatic responses Airport parking lot location markers Boarding passes TSA Pre (lucky us!) Photo ID Checked luggage tags TSA security signs TSA ID check TSA instructions Line-up poles organizing passengers in airport Boarding announcements Flight delay announcements Safety cards in seatback pocket Exit row instructions from flight attendant (lucky us!) Oral assents to follow exit row instructions Drink and food cards in seatback pocket Airplane magazine Magazine crossword and Sudoku puzzles Novels set in Chesapeake Bay More flight delay announcements Conversations about weather, flight connections, past travel delays Novel, novel, novel Flight attendant instructions to all passengers Pilot instructions to cabin attendants to take seats Take-off Seat-belt sign Drink orders Lavatory occupied lights Novel, novel, novel Landing instructions Landing Baggage claim signs Baggage announcements Texts with arriving family members and drivers Passenger Pick-up designations Greetings, hugs, joy (lucky us!) GPS directions Catching-up conversations Road signs etc etc etc (too many on the road to list) Hotel check-in Room keys Greetings, hugs, joy (lucky us!) Elevator button panels [Phew—I need a break from listing genres before getting to the more fun stuff!] Eating Menus Kids’ menus Cocktail menus Draft beer and wine lists Giving and taking food and drink orders Ice cream varieties Catching-up conversations Grabbing the check Playing Soccer games Walks down the dock Strolls around the grounds Bird identifications (or at least discussions) Sunsets Sunset photos Kid photos Smiles (lucky us!) Swimming (its own huge category of playing) Sunscreen (SO many different kinds) Monitoring children Swimming strokes Dog paddling Dunks Pool toys Fighting over pool toys Admonishments Planning how to get five children onto one pool turtle Piling onto pool turtle (yes, these are genres--repeated symbolic actions) Whining Tattling Laughing Pool football Pool volleyball Sliding down the water slide Slide races Advice to adults about how to gain speed sliding down a slide Switching to other pools (repeat dunking, laughing, games) Poolside catching-up conversations Poolside drink orders (including lemonade and water, I’ll have you know) More sunscreen More and deeper conversations More laughter (lucky us!)  Kids on Pool Turtle, Personal photo (shared with permission of parents) Group Tour Tourism websites Reservations Confirmations Family group emails about reservations and time Gathering (a repeated activity for everything) Past reunion t-shirt Assignment of riders to cars GPS directions Skipjack boats (lucky us!) Boat crew introductions Checks (as in writing a check) Life jacket instructions Casting off (is that what it’s called, you sailors?) Raising sails (hoisting?) Tour guide explanations Tour guide history Tour guide stories Asking questions Steering instructions Steering attempts Seeking shade (a repeated action--hot us!) Photos Thank yous Group photo Eating Out Recommendations Restaurant websites Yelp reviews GPS locators Online menus Comparing and consulting Letting others plan Deciding on a restaurant Changing minds Deciding again Dividing into cars Parking spaces Menus (kids, food, drinks, specials) Comparing what others are ordering Taking and giving food and drink orders Itemizing what they’re out of Changing food and drink orders Reviews of food and drink items Sharing tastes and sips Loud conversations Ice creams Grabbing the check [Repeat next night] Conversations Catching-up Future plans Worries Teasing stories of past events Suggestions for next family reunion And so many more unique conversations (lucky us!) Farewells Checking out of hotel Gathering in the lobby Exclamations of amount of fun had Wishes to see each other sooner Invitations to visit Children promising to write Long hugs Expressions of love Tears (lucky us!) Travel home [See above, repeat, including flight delays] Arriving home Unpacking Filling laundry basket Collapsing into bed (lucky, lucky us!!) I recognize how fortunate I am to have such wonderful families in my life. I hope many of you have such families, too, or have them in your memories. I also recognize that many don’t. For you, I hope you have found your own people to share eating, talking, laughing, and hugging. Whatever forms they might take, we all need re-unions with others we love.  Just one of the ways of dividing into cars--lucky me! Personal photo, shared with permission
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