Imagining the Future(s) of Close Reading

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Close reading is a central practice in high school English, solidified by the Common Core State Standards, which emphasized textual evidence, interpretive precision, and analytical writing. Yet the texts students now encounter—digitally distributed, socially circulated, and aesthetically hybrid—pose challenges to these inherited methods. This symposium explores how close reading might evolve to meet the demands of contemporary literature and the pedagogical needs of today’s classrooms. Panelists examine the implications of changing literary forms, propose updated aesthetic frameworks, and advocate for renewed attention to the construction of literary arguments. Emphasizing both methodological rigor and the integration of close writing, the session offers conceptual and practical accounts of how interpretive practice can adapt to new literary and educational conditions.

Sub Unit

• Division C - Learning and Instruction / Division C - Section 1a: Literacy

Chair

• Robert Jean LeBlanc, University of Lethbridge

Papers

• The Structure of Close Reading - Johanna Winant, Reed College

• Pen and Paper Play: Countering ChatGPT with 20th Century Close Reading and Writing Practices - Scott Jarvie, San Jose State University; Michael Lockett, Michigan State University

• Close Reading After Distraction: Attentional Discipline and the Futures of Interpretation - Robert Jean LeBlanc, University of Lethbridge; T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University

Session Organizer

• Robert Jean LeBlanc, University of Lethbridge

Discussant

• Carol D. Lee, Northwestern University