The brief Bedford reader / X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, Jane E. Aaron.

Contents

PART ONE
Reading, Writing, and Research
1 Critical Reading
reading closely
Previewing • Writing while reading
Nancy Mairs Disability (annotated essay)
developing an understanding
Summarizing • Thinking critically
*Checklist for critical reading
analyzing an essay
Meaning • Writing strategy • Language
*Questions for analyzing an essay
thinking critically about visual images
*Questions for analyzing a visual image
The big picture • Analysis • Inference • Synthesis • Evaluation
*Visual Image: Man Fishing by a Power Plant, photograph by Robin Nelson
2 The Writing Process
assessing the writing situation
Subject • Audience and purpose • Genre
discovering ideas
Journal writing • Freewriting • Using the methods of development
focusing on a thesis
*Finding a focus • Crafting a thesis statement
drafting
*The body • The introduction and conclusion
revising
Purpose and genre • Thesis • Unity • Development • Coherence
Questions for revision
editing
Effective language • Clear and engaging sentences • Standard grammar
Questions for editing
an essay-in-progress
Discovering ideas and drafting • Revising • Editing • Final draft
Rosie Anaya Mental Illness on Television (annotated student essay)
3 Academic Writing
responding to a text
Forming a response • Synthesizing your own and another’s views
working with evidence
*Avoiding plagiarism • Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting • Integrating source material
writing from research
*Using the library • Evaluating sources • Synthesizing multiple sources
*Questions for evaluating sources
source citation using MLA style
MLA parenthetical citations • MLA list of works cited
a sample research paper in MLA style
Rosie Anaya The Best Kept Secret on Campus (annotated student essay)
Rosie Anaya on Writing

PART TWO
The Methods
4 Narration: Telling a Story
*Visual Image: Missed Connection, drawing by Adrian Tomine
the method
the process
Purpose and shape • The thesis • The narrator in the story • What to emphasize • Organization
Focus on verbs
Checklist for revising a narrative
narration in academic writing
A geology textbook • A business case study
Emily Thibodeau Company History (annotated student writing)
difference
Maya Angelou Champion of the World
Maya Angelou on Writing
Amy Tan Fish Cheeks
Annie Dillard The Chase
Annie Dillard on Writing
*Junot Díaz The Dreamer
Junot Díaz on Writing
[e-Page] National Geographic In the Shadow of Wounded Knee: Pine Ridge Community Storytelling Project (oral histories)

5 Description: Writing with Your Senses
Visual Image: Doug and Mizan’s House, East River, photograph by Margaret Morton
the method
the process
Purpose and audience • Dominant impression and thesis • Organization • Details
Focus on specific and concrete language
Checklist for revising a description
description in academic writing
*An art history textbook • A field observation in child development
Nick Fiorelli from Teaching Methodologies at Child’s Play Preschool (annotated student writing)
fathers
Brad Manning Arm Wrestling with My Father (student essay)
Brad Manning on Writing
Sarah Vowell Shooting Dad
Sarah Vowell on Writing
Elizabeth Gilbert The Best Pizza in the World
*Sven Birkerts Ladder
[e-Page] Joan Didion The Santa Ana (audio essay)

6 Example: Pointing to Instances
Visual Image: Low-Energy Drinks, cartoon by Glen Le Lievre
the method
the process
The generalization and the thesis • The examples
Focus on sentence variety
Checklist for revising an example essay
examples in academic writing
An economics textbook • A job-application letter
Kharron Reid Letter to E-line Systems (annotated student writing)
*obsessions
*Kellie Young The Undercurrent (student essay)
*Michael Chabon XO9
Michael Chabon on Writing
Anna Quindlen Homeless
Anna Quindlen on Writing
Brent Staples Black Men and Public Space
Brent Staples on Writing
[e-Page] Luis Alberto Urrea Life on the Mississippi (audio essay)

7 Comparison and Contrast: Setting Things Side by Side
Visual Image: American Gothic, painting by Grant Wood; Rural Rehabilitation Client,
photograph by Ben Shahn
the method
Uses of comparison and contrast • Purposes
the process
Subjects for comparison • Basis for comparison and thesis • Organization • Balance and flexibility
*Focus on parallelism
Checklist for revising a comparison and contrast
comparison and contrast in academic writing
*A communication textbook • A review of popular music
Charlotte Pak from Beyoncé Knowles: Soloist (annotated student writing)
personalities
Suzanne Britt Neat People vs. Sloppy People
Suzanne Britt on Writing
Dave Barry Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out
Dave Barry on Writing
*Andrea Roman "We’re Not . . ." (student essay)
Andrea Roman on Writing
David Sedaris Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa
David Sedaris on Writing
[e-Page] Alan Watts Life and Music (flash animation)

8 Process ANalysis: Explaining Step by Step
Visual Image: Workers Making Dolls, photograph by Wally McNamee
the method
the process
Focus on consistency
Checklist for revising a process analysis
process analysis in academic writing
A psychology textbook • A chemistry lab report
Victor Khoury from DNA Extraction (annotated student writing)
*food
Firoozeh Dumas Sweet, Sour, and Resentful
Firoozeh Dumas on Writing
*June Melby How to Make a Sno-Cone
*Dan Koeppel Taking a Fall
Jessica Mitford Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain
Jessica Mitford on Writing
[e-Page] Dove Evolution of a Model (video)

9 Division or Analysis: Slicing into Parts
Visual Image: Deconstructing Lunch, cartoon by Roz Chast
the method
Kinds of division or analysis • Analysis and critical thinking
the process
Subject and purpose • Principle of analysis and thesis • Evidence
Focus on paragraph coherence
Checklist for revising a division or analysis essay
division or analysis in academic writing
*A political science textbook • An annotated bibliography for literature
Lauren Soto from Edgar Allan Poe’s Revenge (annotated student writing)
*monsters
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan Vampires Never Die
Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan on Writing
*James Parker Our Zombies, Ourselves
James Parker on Writing
*Robert Lipsyte Jock Culture
Francine Prose What Words Can Tell
Francine Prose on Writing
[e-Page] Jamaica Kincaid Girl (audio short story)

10 Classification: Sorting into Kinds
*Visual Image: How the Poor, the Middle Class, and the Rich Spend Their Money, table
by NPR
the method
Subjects and reasons for classification • Kinds of classification
the process
Purposes and theses • Categories
Focus on paragraph development
Checklist for revising a classification
classification in academic writing
An anthropology textbook • A computer science résumé
Kharron Reid Résumé (annotated student writing)
*failures to communicate
Deborah Tannen But What Do You Mean?
Deborah Tannen on Writing
William Lutz The World of Doublespeak
William Lutz on Writing
Russell Baker The Plot against People
Russell Baker on Writing
*Jeff Wise Deadly Mind Traps
[e-Page] US Census Bureau, 2010 Census: United States Profile (map)

11 Cause and Effect: Asking Why
Visual Image: Im txtng while drvg, cartoon by Mike Luckovitch
the method
the process
Subject and purpose • Thesis • Causal relations • Discovery of causes • Educated guesses
Focus on clarity and conciseness
Checklist for revising a cause-and-effect essay
cause and effect in academic writing
A history textbook • A letter to the sports editor
Kate Krueger Letter to the Weekly (annotated student writing)
globalization
Chitra Divakaruni Live Free and Starve
Chitra Divakaruni on Writing
Marie Javdani Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead (documented student essay)
Marie Javdani on Writing
*Dan Ariely Why We Lie
*Christopher Beam Blood Loss
[e-Page] Randall Munroe, Everybody Jump (illustrated blog)

12 Definition: Tracing Boundaries
Visual Image: There’s Strong, advertisement for the US Army
the method
the process
Discovery of meanings • Methods of development • Thesis • Evidence
Focus on paragraph and essay unity
Checklist for revising a definition
definition in academic writing
A biology textbook • A government essay exam
Martin Ward Civil Liberties (annotated student writing)
hurtful words
Gloria Naylor The Meanings of a Word
Glorida Naylor on Writing
► Christine Leong Being a Chink (student essay)
Christine Leong on Writing
*Meghan Daum Narcissist — Give It a Rest
Meghan Daum on Writing
Thomas Sowell "Needs"
[e-Page] Schroeder Veidt Dr. Carmella’s Guide to Understanding the Introverted (cartoon)


13 Argument and Persuasion: Stating Opinions and Proposals
Visual Image: Corporate America Flag, image from Adbusters Media Foundation
the method
Audience and common ground • Elements of argument • Reasoning
the process
Finding a subject • Organizing
Focus on tone
Checklist for revising argument and persuasion
argument and persuasion in academic writing
A public relations textbook • An environmental proposal
Amelia Jones from Environmental Initiative for Corden University (annotated student writing)
Linda Chavez Supporting Family Values
Linda Chavez on Writing
same-sex marriage
Katha Pollitt What’s Wrong with Gay Marriage?
Charles Colson Gay "Marriage": Societal Suicide
*environment
*Bill McKibben Waste Not, Want Not
*Derrick Jensen Forget Shorter Showers
Derrick Jensen on Writing
*Margaret Lundberg Eating Green (documented student essay)
Margaret Lundberg on Writing
[e-Page] work-life balance
[e-Page] Ann-Marie Slaughter Why Women Still Can’t Have It All (magazine feature)
[e-Page] Reader’s Digest The Essay that Rocked the Internet (quotations)
[e-Page] Andrew Cohen "Having It All"? How about "Doing the Best I Can"? (blog post)


PART THREE
Mixing the Methods
*Sherman Alexie Superman and Me
Sherman Alexie on Writing
Judy Brady I Want a Wife
Judy Brady on Writing
Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream
George Orwell Shooting an Elephant
George Orwell on Writing
E. B. White Once More to the Lake
E. B. White on Writing
*Appendix
APA documentation
source citation using APA style
APA parenthetical citations • APA references
sample pages in APA style

Includes index : p. 529 -542