I just finished writing four letters of recommendation for one person. One was aimed at teaching secondary school English, one was aimed at admission to graduate studies in English, the third was aimed at graduate studies in English with a teaching assistantship, and the fourth was for admission to law school. The four pieces differ greatly, though the person is the same.

In all four I tell the truth as I see it about this person, but I tailored each piece to my perception of the situation in which the letter would be read. I colored each piece with an internal overlay of audience consciousness, adapting to show off the qualities she has particular to the demands of each setting. An intriguing exercise in audience adaptation.

This makes me wonder, how am I conceiving of an audience for this blog? What am I tailoring?