In Navigating Genres, by Kerry Dirk, the formation and function of genres is explained in a unique and stylistic manner with the objective of clearly conveying the message to college students. Throughout Dirk’s essay I found numerous details and important points that caught my attention.

     My first observation was the author’s use of tone. I could immediately identify Dirk’s playful, conversational, and informal approach, as he opened his essay with a lighthearted joke. He then used this joke to establish a relationship and a transition to the main focus of his paper. One aspect that made it so enjoyable to read was the author’s honesty and the input of his own thoughts and opinions about this topic. I found it very fascinating how genres were created and the real-life example he used to better demonstrate its existence. The first response to a new situation sets the benchmark for similar situations that are to follow in the future. The example Kerry Dirk uses is how George Washington’s State of the Union Address created a certain standard or guideline for later presidents to follow. Another valuable piece of information I took from this essay was the purpose of utilizing a specific genre. This depends on who the audience is and what the goal is in terms of “choosing to act in a manner that would result in the outcome you desired” (Dirk 253).

     Although genres follow some sort of order and consist of specific characteristics, Dirk makes it a point that it is not as simple as just “plugging in content,” rather it requires much thought and originality to be able to convey one’s intended message. He stresses the importance of being knowledgeable in multiple genres and understanding their individual applications instead of being an expert in one.