The Sundance Writer: A Rhetoric, Reader, and Research Guide, Brief
1. Why Write? Part I: THE RHETORIC. 2. The Writing Process: An Overview. 3. The Writing Context. 4. Critical Thinking: Seeing With a Writer's Eye. 5. Prewriting Strategies: Getting Started. 6. Developing a Thesis. 7. Supporting a Thesis. 8. Organizing Ideas. 9. Developing Paragraphs. 10. Writing the First Draft. 11. Revising and Rewriting. 12. Editing and Proofreading. Part II: THE READER 13. Becoming a Critical Reader: Reading with a "Writer's Eye." 14. Description: Presenting Impressions. LANSING LAMONT, The Bomb (description of object) (annotated). The world's first atomic bomb was a "bloated black squid girdled with cables and leechlike detonators." TRUMAN CAPOTE, Out There (description of a place). The opening pages of In Cold Blood describe a remote Kansas town that became the scene of an infamous mass murder. JOSE ANTONIO BURCIAGA, My Ecumenical Father (description of a person). Burciaga recounts how his Mexican father, who worked as a custodian in an El Paso synagogue, risked his life for the Jewish faith. LUIS ALBERTO URREA, Border Story (description of place and people). For Central Americans seeking a better life, the border between Mexico and the United States is a war zone of poverty and violence. CRITICAL ISSUES: IMMIGRATION. BLENDING THE MODES. PAUL M. BARRETT, American Islam (description of people, idea, issue). Unlike the Muslims of Europe, American Muslims are mostly non-Arabs, highly educated, and affluent. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: BAYOU PRINTING WANT AD. A want ad describes the ideal candidate. 15. Narration: Relating Events. SAMUEL SCUDDER, Take This Fish and Look at It (first person) (annotated). Instead of lecturing, a famous scientist repeats a simple command to his new student--"look, look, look." RAMON "TIANGUIS" PEREZ, (first person) The Fender-Bender. A minor traffic incident reveals the tenuous existence of undocumented aliens in America. MARTIN GANSBERG, Thirty-Eight Who Saw Murder and Didn't Call the Police (Third person objective narration). Gansberg recounts the 1964 murder of a young woman whose neighbors ignored her cries for help because they "did not want to get involved." JAMES DILLARD, A Doctor's Dilemma (first person). A young doctor learns that to avoid the threat of a lawsuit, the next time he sees an accident victim, he should "drive on." CRITICAL ISSUES: HEALTHCARE. BLENDING THE MODES. GEORGE ORWELL, Shooting an Elephant. Although he was an armed police officer, Orwell recounts how a crowd pressured him to act against his will. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: HOTEL INCIDENT REPORT. A hotel employee documents the actions she took during a disturbance. 16. Example: Presenting Illustrations. ANNA QUINDLEN, Homeless (annotated). A homeless woman in New York's Port Authority terminal represents an increasing urban problem of poverty and dislocation. JOE RODRIGUEZ, Mexicans Deserve More Than La Mordida. For Rodriquez's father la Mordida was an example of Mexico's oppressive corruption. SHARON BEGLEY, What's in a Word? (multiple examples). The German word for "bridge" is feminine, conjuring images of beauty and fragility; for the French it is a masculine word connoting strength and power. Words shape the way we perceive reality. BLENDING THE MODES. CAROLYN M. BROWN, Attacking Student Loan Debt. Black Enterprise explains how one student took steps to eradicate $120,000 in student loans. CRITICAL ISSUES: DEBTOR NATION. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: COVENANT HOUSE NEEDS YOUR HELP. 17. Definition: Establishing Meaning. EILEEN SIMPSON, Dyslexia (standard definition) (annotated). A psychotherapist defines a reading disability by detailing her own experiences as a dyslexic. ELLEN GOODMAN, The Company Man (extended definition). Goodman defines the qualities of a classic workaholic. ALISSA QUART, Listening to Madness (invented definition). Members of the "Mad Pride" movement embrace mental illness and reject medication that will eliminate their inner voices. BLENDING THE MODES. JO ELLEN GREEN KAISER, What is an Act of Terror? Acts of war have been defined as "terrorism" as a method of propaganda. CRITICAL ISSUES: THE WAR ON TERRORISM. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: DON ROSENBERG, "What is Depression?" 18. Comparison and Contrast: Indicating Similarities and Differences. YI-FU TUAN, Chinese Space, American Space (annotated). Unlike the Chinese, "Americans have a sense of space, not of place." BRUCE CATTON, Grant and Lee (comparison of two people). Although quite similar in many ways, the two great generals of the Civil War represented the values of contrasting social forces. RACHEL CARSON, A Fable for Tomorrow (before and after comparison). An environmentalist offers a nightmarish depiction of how failure to protect the Earth can lead to disaster. CRITICAL ISSUES: THE ENVIRONMENT. BLENDING THE MODES. CHRISTOPHER JENCKS, Reinventing the American Dream (comparison of ideas). Jencks compares the Republican definition of the American Dream--a land of freedom and small government--with the Democratic vision of a country of shared prosperity and security. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: Peggy Kenna and Sondra Lacy, "Communications Styles: United States and Taiwan." 19. Process: Explaining How Things Work and Giving Directions. MORTIMER ADLER, How to Mark a Book (directions) (annotated). A good reader interacts with a book, marking his or her responses in margins and back pages. ARMOND D. BUDISH, Fender Benders: Do's and Don'ts (directions). A consumer reporter offers advice to motorists involved in minor accidents. MARVIN HARRIS, How Our Skins Got Their Color (explanation of process). Sunlight, risk of skin cancer, and Vitamin D requirements helped people develop lighter and darker complexions. DAVIDYNE MAYLEAS, How to Land the Job You Want (directions). Mayleas offers job seekers methods of succeeding in the job market. CRITICAL ISSUES: THE JOB MARKET. BLENDING THE MODES. MALCOLM X, My First Conk. The noted Black Muslim leader tells the story about getting his hair processed to make a compelling argument about race and identity. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: STEIN AND GIOTTA ASSOCIATES, "Conducting a Self Assessment." A career consulting firm instructs new clients how to identify their skills and weaknesses. 20. Division and Classification: Separating into Parts and Rating Categories. JUDITH VIORST, Friends, Good Friends--and Such Good Friends (division)(annotated). Viorst outlines seven kinds of friends. JAMES AUSTIN, Four Kinds of Chance (classification). A scientist classifies the kinds of chance that occur in scientific research. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR., Ways of Meeting Oppression. The noted civil rights leader persuades readers to accept the best method of overcoming oppression. BLENDING THE MODES. EDWARD KOCH, Death and Justice: How Capital Punishment Affirms Life. The former mayor of New York uses division to organize his rebuttal to opponents to capital punishment. CRITICAL ISSUES: CRIMINAL JUSTICE. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, Parents Stay Ahead of the Curve! The MPPA classifies motion pictures from G to NC-17. 21. Cause and Effect: Determining Reasons and Measuring Results. JOHN BROOKS, The Effects of the Telephone (effects) (annotated). Brooks analyzes how the telephone revolutionized human experience. JOHN TAYLOR GATTO, Why Schools Don't Educate (causes). A former teacher of the year lists reasons why schools fail to teach and details the impact faulty schools have on children. LOUIS MIZELL JR., Who's Listening to Your Cell Phone Calls? Easily monitored, even the most innocent cellular phone messages can aid criminals and stalkers. CRITICAL ISSUES: PRIVACY IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: LEGALIZING DRUGS. PETER MOSKOS, Too Dangerous Not to Regulate. Because the war on drugs has failed, Moskos argues American should legalize drugs. LEE P. BROWN, End the Demand, End the Supply. A career law enforcement officer insists that because of their dangers, drugs should never be legalized. WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: CAMPUS HEALTH CENTER, "Causes and Effects of Sharing Prescription Drugs." A campus announcement details the causes and effects of students sharing prescription drugs. 22. Argument and Persuasion: Influencing Readers. BLENDING THE MODES. MARY SHERRY, In Praise of the "F" Word. A teacher argues that a failing grade can be a valuable learning experience. CRITICAL ISSUES: PUBLIC SCHOOLS. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: ETHNIC IDENTITY. ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, Hyphenated Americans. A noted columnist argues that retaining an ethnic identity emphasizes separateness and erodes allegiance to a common civil society. JULIANNE MALVEAUX, Still Hyphenated Americans. In celebrating Black History Month, African Americans, Malveaux insists, are only celebrating the hyphenated status history gave them. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: BANKRUPTCY. JANE BRYANT QUINN, The Case for Walking Away. Quinn argues that bankruptcy offers people a chance to escape overwhelming debt and make a fresh start. TAMARA E. HOLMES, Filing for Bankruptcy is Not a Smart Financial Move. Bankruptcy carries a heavy price for consumers and will not allow them to avoid their financial obligations. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS: NUCLEAR POWER. PATRICK MOORE, Nuclear Power is a Clean Energy Source. A co-founder of Greenpeace, who once opposed nuclear energy, now views it as a sensible alternative to fossil fuels. SHERWOOD ROSS, Nuclear Energy Pollutes. Nuclear energy, Ross argues, "is not clean, green, or safe." WRITING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: AMERICA'S SECOND HARVEST, "Hunger in the United States". Part III: THE RESEARCH PAPER. 23. Conducting Research. 24. Writing the Research Paper. Part IV: WRITING IN COLLEGE. 25. The Essay Examination. 26. Writing About Literature. Part V: WRITING IN THE INFORMATION AGE. 27. Analyzing Visuals: Seeing With a "Writer's Eye." 28. Writing with Visuals. 29. Business and Professional Writing. 30. Special Writing Contexts.