Q.A.Q.?

Book chapter


Cheeseman, M. 2021. Q.A.Q.? in: McCrory, M. and Heywood, S. (ed.) Strategies of Silence: Reflections on the Practice and Pedagogy of Creative Writing London Routledge. pp. 143–170
AuthorsCheeseman, M.
EditorsMcCrory, M. and Heywood, S.
Abstract

This chapter is a critical meditation on The child’s guide to knowledge, a book first published in 1825 and reprinted many times throughout the nineteenth century as the work of ‘A lady’. As a catechism, the text is structured as a series of questions and answers that were deployed as a script in schooling young people. The ‘catechistic method’ is critiqued by way of writers discussing eighteenth and nineteenth century poets and novelists, particularly Charles Dickens.

Like any scripted interaction, the question and answer format can be characterised as a means of conjuring a response. To what extent this is ventriloquism and to what extent this invites subversion is discussed. Because The child’s guide to knowledge is concerned with teaching children ‘common-place subjects’ that adults already know (such as where saffron is grown, or whether the Romans prized eels), the text is discussed in terms of Antonio Gramsci’s formulation of common sense. This is contrasted with the Foucauldian reading of discourse, which leads to a discussion of the catechistic method in terms of education, discipline and voice. In doing so, the chapter considers Ansgar Allen’s (2014) characterisation of education as wearing a benign mask over its complicity with power and violence. In its scripted, mutable nature, The child’s guide to knowledge is posited as another nineteenth-century precursor to digitality to those already mentioned in Seb Franklin’s (2015) Control.

The chapter details references to The child’s guide to knowledge in works by Ezra Pound and James Joyce. This leads to a discussion of the chapter’s themes and ideas in relation to creative writing pedagogy, with particular reference to writing prompts. This is also compared to social media and William Burroughs’ notion of language as a virus. The conclusion considers the means by which The child’s guide to knowledge both breaks and forms silence.

Allen, A. (2014) Benign violence: education in and beyond the age of reason, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Franklin, Seb (2015) Control, digitality as cultural logic Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.

KeywordsCultural theory; Creative writing; Literary criticism; History; Pedagogy
Page range143–170
Year2021
Book titleStrategies of Silence: Reflections on the Practice and Pedagogy of Creative Writing
PublisherRoutledge
Place of publicationLondon
Edition1st
ISBN9780367467630
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003030911
Web address (URL)https://www.routledge.com/Strategies-of-Silence-Reflections-on-the-Practice-and-Pedagogy-of-Creative/McCrory-Heywood/p/book/9780367467630
File
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online26 Feb 2021
Publication process dates
Deposited27 Apr 2023
Permalink -

https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/9y41q/q-a-q

Download files


File
Q—A—Q—.docx
License: CC BY-ND 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 42
    total views
  • 16
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Creative writing and researcher development: ten years of the Journal of Imaginary Research
Cheeseman, M. 2024. Creative writing and researcher development: ten years of the Journal of Imaginary Research. Great Writing. University College London 13 - 14 Jul 2024
Disrupted Biographies and Gendered Identities: A Qualitative Study
Hammond, N., Chantry, A., Cheeseman, M. and Peng, A. 2024. Disrupted Biographies and Gendered Identities: A Qualitative Study. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 70, p. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2024.102544
Dobber
Cheeseman, M. and Spedding, S. 2023. Dobber. London Spirit Duplicator.
English Nationalism, Folklore and Indigeneity
Cheeseman, M. 2023. English Nationalism, Folklore and Indigeneity. in: Johnson, W. and Edgar, R. (ed.) The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror London Routledge. pp. 404–418
English Nationalism, Folklore and Indigeneity
Cheeseman, M. 2023. English Nationalism, Folklore and Indigeneity. ISCLR Perspectives on Contemporary Legend conference.
Approaches to the critical component in UK creative writing PhDs
Cheeseman, M., Reynolds, S. and Dey, A. 2023. Approaches to the critical component in UK creative writing PhDs. Great Writing.
The doctrine of survivals
Cheeseman, M. 2023. The doctrine of survivals. Symposium: Relational Imaginaries of Antifascism and the Far-right.
Introduction
Cheeseman, M. 2022. Introduction. in: Cheeseman, M. and Hart, C. (ed.) Folklore and Nation in Britain and Ireland London Routledge. pp. 1–21
This won’t happen
Cheeseman, M. 2020. This won’t happen. in: Hartley, A. and James, T. (ed.) The Clearing: a report from the future London Tom James. pp. 66–7
Ramblings: A walk in progress (or the minutes of the International Society of the Imaginary Perambulator)
Cheeseman, Matthew, Chakrabarti, Gautam, Österlund-Pötzsch, Susanne, Schrire, Dani, Seltzer, Daniella, Tainio, Matti and Poole, Simon 2020. Ramblings: A walk in progress (or the minutes of the International Society of the Imaginary Perambulator). in: Routledge.
Dracula’s fangs
Cheeseman, M. 2019. Dracula’s fangs. in: Hodge, A. (ed.) The Derby Critical Edition of Dracula Derby Peregrine Press.
Why use mimeograph?
Cheeseman, Matthew 2016. Why use mimeograph?
White t-shirt, black marker: mapping the undergraduate body.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2008. White t-shirt, black marker: mapping the undergraduate body.
Night after night: costume and performance amongst Sheffield Students.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2008. Night after night: costume and performance amongst Sheffield Students.
Noise and dissonance.
Cheeseman, Matthew and Kilby, Nick 2013. Noise and dissonance. Article and PlastiCities.
Swaying for the lens: the Haxey Hood.
Cheeseman, Matthew and Fournier, Laurence 2014. Swaying for the lens: the Haxey Hood.
On rigidity, Reus and Reich.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2016. On rigidity, Reus and Reich. in:
Recalling the structure.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2017. Recalling the structure. in: Spirit Duplicator.
The journal of imaginary research. Volume 3.
Cheeseman, Matthew and Guccione, Kay 2018. The journal of imaginary research. Volume 3. NATCECT.
The British Espernatist 10.
Bareham, Paul and Cheeseman, Matthew 2018. The British Espernatist 10. Spirit Duplicator.
Introduction to John Gibbons
Cheeseman, Matthew 2003. Introduction to John Gibbons. in: Czech Museum of Fine Art.
Introduction
Cheeseman, Matthew 2003. Introduction. in: Flowers.
In absence of the smoky god.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2014. In absence of the smoky god.
Florian Roithmayr, the authority of other scientists.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2015. Florian Roithmayr, the authority of other scientists. in: Motinternational.
Eggheads.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2015. Eggheads. Open Democracy.
Introduction.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2016. Introduction. in: Flowers.
Rachel Heller: pastels and other works.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2017. Rachel Heller: pastels and other works. in: Doswell Gallery.
The impact of a 24 hour library on the student experience at the University of Sheffield.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2008. The impact of a 24 hour library on the student experience at the University of Sheffield. Anthropo-pages.
We will not disrupt your education.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2011. We will not disrupt your education. Roundhouse Journal.
Roundtable: (Re)presenting the archive.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2014. Roundtable: (Re)presenting the archive. Archive Journal.
In the dead of the night.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2012. In the dead of the night. in: Lawrence and Wishart.
Popular music and the breast.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2014. Popular music and the breast. in: Rowman and Littlefield.
Who groks Spock? Emotion in the neoliberal market.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2015. Who groks Spock? Emotion in the neoliberal market. in: Lawrence and Wishart.
Techniques to encourage early and frequent writing.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2017. Techniques to encourage early and frequent writing. in: The Professional and Higher Partnership.
On going out and the experience of students.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2018. On going out and the experience of students. in: Palgrave Macmillan.
How to win at being a student.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2017. How to win at being a student. in: Routledge.
Like a ghost out of nowhere.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2018. Like a ghost out of nowhere. in: Spirit Duplicator.
Bruno Schulz.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2018. Bruno Schulz. in: Boiler House Press.
No picnic: Explorations in art and research.
Cheeseman, Matthew Cheeseman, Matthew (ed.) 2014. No picnic: Explorations in art and research. NATCECT.
The narrative nightclub.
Cheeseman, Matthew 2018. The narrative nightclub. in:
The idea is slavery.
Cheeseman, Matthew and Blanchard, Jake 2015. The idea is slavery. in: Spirit Duplicator.
from the outside
Cheeseman, M. 2017. from the outside.
Researching surviving cancer and sexuality using visual methods: a reflection on research rationale and negotiating ethical issues
Hammond, Natalie, Cheeseman, Matthew, Chantry, Andrew and Peng, Guo Chao Alex 2015. Researching surviving cancer and sexuality using visual methods: a reflection on research rationale and negotiating ethical issues. Families, Relationships and Societies. https://doi.org/10.1332/204674315X14381836678553
On the water
Cheeseman, Matthew Cheeseman, Matthew (ed.) 2017. On the water. Solent Press.
No Lectures From Western Works
Cheeseman, M. 2014. No Lectures From Western Works.
Phoenix Project
Cheeseman, M. 2014. Phoenix Project.