Coffeeshop Discourse

An Exercise in Creative Writing in Search of Meaning

Abstract

Academic writing can, at times, lead to more obfuscation than clarity for students, which this paper attempts to solve through using creative writing as a method. This experimental approach makes theories accessible by reframing the discussion in a more approachable format. It does so by relating Hans-Georg Gadamer’s theory of sound in “Text and Interpretation” to Fred Moten’s theory in In the Break, exploring how these theories generate a definition of Blackness as art. Apart from demonstrating how creative writing can be used with academic rigor, through reinterpreting theories of sound, the choice of alternative epistemology also contributes to the ongoing discourse around how to decolonize academic practice.