Colleen Barry

EN 185
February 1, 2016
WOW #1 Writing to Change the World
On January 28, 2016 scholar Robert Johansen gave a craft talk and discussion on how
writing can change the world. The Bowers Writing house was packed to capacity with students,
professors, and community members eager to listen. Johansen began his talk by explaining his
writing objectives. The objectives were categorized into: Why do we write? How do we write?
What do we write? How do we encourage discovery as we write? Johansen believes all writers
should be able to answer these few questions.
Johansen started his writing career as a student during the Vietnam War. He began by
writing about politics and prophecy. He wanted to write for a cause or a reason. For him, writing
was to send a message and to portray peace, justice, and human rights. He talked about how you
cant prove that writing will change things but you can believe that it does. Writing is a way to
communicate around the world on a number of different topics and issues.
His answer for his question on the why he writes was; he follows a feeling in his heart
and mind. Communicating through writing can be very powerful and allows him to write about
important social issues and a way to be heard. He writes to change the world. He has a vision and
that vision drives him to write. He writes for those who cant be heard. He feels that everyone
has a voice and something important to say but not all can be heard. For him writing for causes is
a way to help people listen and to write what others cant. The topic of what one writes in
important to whether their voice will be heard and received.
Being passionate and having the opportunity to write is very important in succeeding.
Developing your own way of writing can be done through figuring out what it is that you are

passionate about and what causes you can help. Leaving a lasting footprint should be a goal of
everyones life. A way to encourage discovery when one writes is by looking at the willingness
to look at those who do write and how you can be like them. By encouraging this it helps
improve ones ability to think and speak on a topic. It is also important to take critiques seriously
and peoples counter arguments. These are al important parts of writing and ones the Johansen
believes to be the basis to writing and having your voice heard.