*An asterisk indicates each of the 22 new selections.
Getting Started
Part 1: How to Use This Book
Part 2: Using the Writing Process: A Tool for Discovery
The Writing Process: An Overview
Prewriting
Determining Your Audience, Purpose, and Style
Gathering Information
Listing
Focused Freewriting
Clustering
Drawing a Subject Tree
Brainstorming
Interviewing
Summarizing
Outlining
Writing a Scratch Outline
Writing a Formal Outline
Writing Other Kinds of Outlines for Special Purposes
Drafting and Revising
Editing and Proofreading
Part 3: The Making of a Student Essay: From Prewriting to Proofreading
Prewriting to Gather Information
Making a Scratch Outline
Writing a Working Draft
Revising the Working Draft
Editing the Final Draft
Part 4: Becoming an Active College Reader
Preparing to Read: Survey
Reading and Taking Notes: Engage the Text
Writing an Informal Outline: Strengthen Your Grasp of the Text
Conversing with the Text: Read it Again
Summarizing: Make What You Have Read Your Own
Responding and Critiquing: Evaluate What You Have Read
Synthesizing: Bring Ideas Together in a New Statement
Section One: Organization and Development
Chapter 1: The Central Idea
Identifying the Central Idea
Writing a Preliminary Topic Sentence or Thesis Statement
Controlling Unity and Development
Revising the Central Idea
Practicing Writing Central Ideas
Four Paragraphs for Analysis
The Girls of Gen X by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead
The Example of Jackie Robinson by Stephen Fox.
Sawdust by Ernest Albrecht
The Way We Were by Lewis Lord
Each selection in A Reader for College Writers is supported by:
Preparing to Read
Vocabulary
Read More on the Web
Questions for Discussion
Thinking Critically
Suggestions for Journal Entries
Suffering by Siu Chan (Student Essay)
Three Passions I Have Lived For by Bertrand Russell
*In Africa, AIDS Has a Woman's Face by Kofi A. Annan
Echoes by Maria Cirilli (Student Essay)
Each chapter in A Reader for College Writers concludes with:
Suggestions for Sustained Writing
Writing to Learn: A Group Activity
Chapter 2: Unity and Coherence
Creating Unity
Maintaining Coherence
Use Transitional Devices
Make Reference to Material That Has Come Before
Visualizing Unity and Coherence
Revising to Improve Unity and Coherence
Practicing Unity and Coherence
*I Don't Know What God Wants by Bay Fang
Writing and Its Rewards by Richard Marius
Study Calculus! by William J. Bennett
Oma: Portrait of a Heroine by Maria Scamacca (Student Essay)
Chapter 3: Development
Determining How Much a Paragraph or Essay Should Contain
Choosing the Best Method of Development
Deciding How to Arrange the Ideas and Details in a Paragraph
Visualizing Paragraph Development
Revising to Improve Development
Practicing Methods of Development
The Last Safe Haven by Joannie M. Schrof'
Exile and Return by James Keller (Student Essay)
Burger Queen by Erin Sharp (Student Essay)
A Brother's Dreams by Paul Aronowitz
Chapter 4: Introductions and Conclusions
Writing Introductions
Use a Startling Remark or Statistic
Ask a Question or Present a Problem
Challenge a Widely Held Assumption or Opinion
Use a Comparison, Contrast, or Analogy
Tell an Anecdote or Describe a Scene
Use a Quotation
Define an Important Term or Concept
Address Your Readers Directly
Open with a Paradox
Writing Conclusions
Rephrase or Make Reference to Your Thesis
Summarize or Rephrase Your Main Points
Offer Advice: Make a Call to Action
Look to the Future
Explain How a Problem Was Resolved
Ask a Rhetorical Question
Close with a Statement or Quotation Readers Will Remember
Respond to a Question in Your Introduction
Visualizing Ways to Write Introductions and Conclusions
Revising Introductions and Conclusions
Practicing Writing Introductions
I Was Just Wondering by Robert Fulghum
A Prayer for the Days of Awe by Elie Wiesel
Code of Denial by Tena Moyer
The Transformation of Maria Fernandez by Anita DiPasquale (Student Essay)
Section Two: Word Choice and Sentence Patterns
Chapter 5: Word Choice: Using Concrete, Specific, and Vivid Language
Making Your Writing Concrete
Use Your Five Senses or Recall an Experience
Create a Concrete Image
Use Examples
Making Your Writing Specific
Making Your Writing Vivid
Visualizing Concrete Specific and Vivid Details
Revising to Include Concrete, Specific, and Vivid Language
Practicing Using Concrete, Specific, and Vivid Language
Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden
Jeffrey Dahmer, Cannibal by Angie Cannon
*The Haunting Final Words: "It Doesn't Look Good, Babe” by James Glanz
The Mentally Ill and Human Experimentation: Perfect Together by Nancy J. Mundie (Student Essay)
Chapter 6: Word Choice: Using Figurative Language
Simile
Metaphor
Personification
Visualizing Figurative Language
Revising to Include Figurative Language
Practicing Creating Simile, Metaphor and Personification
What the Gossips Saw by Leo Romero
Music by Louis Gonzalez (Student Essay)
*Uncommon Valor by Ken Ringle
Back from the Brink by Daniel Zanoza
Chapter 7: Sentence Structure: Creating Emphasis and Variety
Emphasis
Create Emphasis Through Coordination
Create Emphasis Through Subordination
Create Emphasis by Using Periodic Sentences
Create Emphasis by Using a Colon
Create Emphasis by Using the Active or Passive Voice
Create Emphasis by Repeating Key Words and Phrases
Create Emphasis Through Parallelism
Variety
Create Variety by Changing Sentence Length
Create Variety by Changing Sentence Patterns
Create Variety by Using a Colon
Create Variety by Using Parentheses
Create Variety by Using a Dash
Visualizing Sentence Structure
Revising to Create Variety and Emphasis
Practicing Combining Sentences
*Macho Girls and Vanishing Males by Suzanne Fields
A Longing by Alice Wnorowski (Student Essay)
The Buried Sound of Children Crying by Harrison Rainie
Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
Section Three: Description and Narration
Knowing Your Subject
Using Language That Shows
Being Objective or Subjective
Chapter 8: Description
Techniques for Describing Places and Things
Using Proper Nouns
Using Effective Verbs
Including Action and People in the Description of a Place
Techniques for Describing People
Describing Your Subject’s Appearance and Speech
Revealing What You Know about Your Subject
Revealing What Others Say about Your Subject
Visualizing Details that Describe Places and Things
Visualizing Details that Describe People
Revising Descriptive Essays
Practicing Techniques That Describe
Watching the Reapers by Po Chu-i
Flavio's Home by Gordon Parks
If at First You Do Not See… by Jesse Sullivan (Student Essay)
*Josephine Baker: The Daring Diva by Samantha Levine
Two Gentlemen of the Pines by John McPhee
Charisma Fortified by ‘Chutzpah’ by Barry Shlachter
Joe DiMaggio: The Silent Superstar by Paul Simon
Chapter 9: Narration
Determining Purpose and Theme
Finding the Meaning in Your Story
Deciding What to Include
Showing the Passage of Time
Describing Setting and Developing Characters
Making Your Stories Lively, Interesting, and Believable
Writing About Ourselves and About Others: Point of View
Visualizing Narrative Elements
Revising Narrative Essays
Practicing Narrative Skills
Mid-Term Break by Seamus Heaney
The Day I Was Fat by Lois Diaz-Talty (Student Essay)
Child of the Romans by Carl Sandburg
The Colossus in the Kitchen by Adrienne Schwartz (Student Essay)
Frederick Douglass: the Path to Freedom by Carl Sagan
Faith of the Father by Sam Pickering
Section Four: Exposition
Explaining Through Illustration
Explaining Through Comparison and Contrast
Explaining Through Process Analysis
Chapter 10: Illustration
Specific Facts, Instances, and Occurrences
Statistics
Specific People, Places, or Things
Anecdotes
Visualizing Examples
Revising Illustration Essays
Practicing Illustration
Wolf by Grace Lukawska (Student Essay)
Growing Up in Rumania by Irina Groza (Student Essay)
The Death of Common Sense by Philip K. Howard
*Names by Jonathan Kozol
*Covert Force by Robert F. Howe
Chapter 11: Comparison and Contrast
Organizing Comparison/Contrast Papers
Visualizing Methods of Comparison
The Point-by-Point Method
The Subject-by-Subject Method
Revising Comparison/Contrast Papers
Practicing Comparison/Contrast
“The Road from Ixopo” by Alan Paton
“New Blood for Old Cities” by Stephen Moore
“Temptations of Old Age” by Malcolm Cowley
*”High Anxiety: It Never Ends” by Nancy Terranova (Student Essay)
Chapter 12: Process Analysis
How to Fight a Duel by Adam Goodheart
The Measure of Eratosthenes by Carl Sagan
*Florida’s Fire Ants Headed for Trouble by Dave Barry
How I Came Out to My Parents by Kenneth Kohler (Student Essay)
Section Five: Argumentation and Persuasion
Establishing Purpose: Choosing to Argue or Persuade
Appealing to Your Audience
Choosing a Thesis (Claim) That Is Debatable, Supportable, and Focused
Gathering Evidence to Support Your Thesis
Determining Tone and Content
Expressing a Voice
Being Fair, Accurate, and Logical
Read More on the Web
Chapter 13: Argumentation
Mastering Deduction and Induction
Reasoning Through the Use of Claims and Warrants
Developing Ides in an Argument
Establishing Your Authority
Anticipating and Addressing Opposing Opinions
Visualizing Strategies for Argument
Revising Argument Papers
Practicing Strategies for Argument
The Right to Be Let Alone by Barry Glazer (Student Essay)
*”A Cool and Logical Analysis of the Bicycle Menace” by P.J. O’Rourke
“Free Speech on Campus” by Nat Hentoff
Bilingual Education: Opposing Views
“Desperate to Learn English” by Alice Callaghan
“Melting Pot or Tossed Salad?” by Dudley Barlow
Exporting Democracy: Opposing Views
*"Republic or Empire?" by Joseph Wilson
*"Freedom: Our Best Export" by Lou Dobbs
Chapter 14: Persuasion
Appealing to the Reader's Values and Pride
Appealing to the Reader's Emotions
Appealing to the Reader's Self-Interest
Anticipating and Addressing Opposing Opinions
Establishing Your Authority
Visualizing Strategies for Persuasion
Considering Visuals That Persuade
*Some Presentations You Don’t Want Messed With. (ad for Adobe Acrobat)
*HELP (editorial cartoon)
*Prevent Child Abuse America (public service announcement)
*Which one really needs a heart? (editorial cartoon)
*We always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. (editorial cartoon)
Revising Persuasion Papers
Practicing Strategies for Persuasion
“Education Is the Priority” by Nicole Palmieri (Student Essay)
“I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Government Reparations for Slavery: Opposing Views
*"US Needs to Pay Reparations for Slavery" by David A. Love
*"Reparations for Slavery?" by Walter Williams
Farming and Wearing Fur: Opposing Views
*"Fur Is Dead" by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
*"Fur Is Natural and Environmentally Sound" by Mark Schumacher
Appendix: Writing a Research Paper Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style Complete with Annotated Student Research Paper
Glossary
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