Gerald Graff

Academic / Scholar

American · 20th-21st century

American literary scholar and teacher of writing, best known as co-author of They Say / I Say, a composition textbook that treats academic writing as a response to what other people have already said.

Connection to Taylor Swift

His textbook names the method community readers find in Shake It Off, a song that quotes its critics almost word for word before turning to answer them.

Notable Works

  • They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (with Cathy Birkenstein); Beyond the Culture Wars; Clueless in Academe