In the final draft of my writing showcase, I integrated sources in a way that supported my paper through strong selection, integration, and explanation of each quote. I got better with using sources to engage in a conversation through all of the topics we went over in class. Each time we talked about the reading materials for the essays, we would go over how each source compares and contrasts and the “conversation” that they are engaging in. During the paper that I chose as my writing showcase, I engaged in this conversation and chipped in as if I were speaking with my sources. Because the surrounding conversation was introduced, it was easier to use my sources in a helpful way. I argued that the objectivity of science is necessary in pediatric psychiatry, but that without the subjectivity of art, pediatric psychiatrists would be less successful at their job and in their personal life. I decided to use a quote by Jonah Lehrer, as explained in the paper, stating “the novelist and the painter and the poet embrace those ephemeral aspects of the mind that cannot be reduced, or dissected… They strive to capture life as it’s lived.” I used this as a direct connection to how children need art in the same way as a painter or a novelist because it is used to show how the child is feeling in its purest form: consciousness. Another example of a good use of a source is in the sixth paragraph when I use my claim and a transition to introduce Yo-Yo Ma, another important person within this “conversation.” I then use the quote by Ma to further the importance of the arts in one’s life because they provide a way to cope with all of the traumatic things that may happen in this line of work. Without the strong use of sources, my paper would have no significance pertaining to the topic that I wrote about.
