The Simon & Schuster Short Prose Reader

by Funk, Robert; Day, Susan X.; McMahan, Elizabeth

• ISBN13: 9780130974105
• ISBN10: 0130974102
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-01-01
• Publisher: Pearson College Div

Summary

This book combines creative, up-to-date writing instruction using short, high-interest readings that provide ideas for writing, suggest ways to approach a topic, and show how to organize and present information. Topics include: active reading, the reading-writing connection, narration and description, example and illustration, definition and explanation, classification and division, comparison and contrast, process and direction, cause and effect, and argument and persuasion. For anyone interested in improving their writing skills.

Table of Contents

Thematic Contents	xv
Editing Editing Skills Contents	xix
Active Reading	1	(14)
Learning to Be an Active Reader	1	(1)
Keeping a Journal	2	(1)
Previewing the Reading	2	(2)
Title	2	(1)
Author and Other Publication Facts	2	(1)
Visual Features and Supplements	3	(1)
Responses and Predictions	3	(1)
A First Reading	4	(1)
Staying Aware of Conventions	4	(2)
Subject	4	(1)
Main Idea or Thesis	5	(1)
Supporting Material	5	(1)
Patterns of Organization	5	(1)
Paragraphs	5	(1)
Transitions	6	(1)
A Sample Essay: ``Handled with Care''	6	(2)
Bob Greene
``[T]hey understood that the woman was troubled, and that what she was doing had nothing to do with sexual titillation; it was more a cry for help.''
Marking the Text	8	(3)
Clarifying Meaning	11	(1)
Using the Dictionary	12	(1)
Reading Aloud	12	(1)
Discussing	12	(1)
Rereading	12	(1)
Making Inferences and Associations	12	(1)
Reading between the Lines	13	(1)
Developing Inference Skills	13	(1)
Writing to Understand and Respond	13	(2)
The Reading-Writing Connection	15	(14)
Writing in Response to Reading	15	(1)
Building an Essay	15	(6)
Finding Ideas	16	(2)
Devising a Working Thesis	18	(1)
Making a plan	19	(1)
Composing a Draft	19	(1)
Improving the Draft	20	(1)
Getting Feedback	20	(1)
Polishing the Final Draft	21	(1)
Sample Student Essay	21	(1)
``Someone to Help''	22	(2)
Tara Coburn
``The fragility I now see in my dad has given me the chance to be stronger.''
Resources for Writers on the Internet	24	(1)
Responding to a Reading	24	(1)
``Learning to Write''	25	(3)
Russell Baker
``[W]hat I was feeling was pure ecstasy at this startling demonstration that my words had the power to make people laugh.''
Suggestions for Writing	28	(1)
Strategies for Conveying Ideas: Narration and Description	29	(38)
The Point of Narration and Description	29	(1)
Using Narratives	30	(1)
Using Description	30	(1)
The Principles of Narration and Description	30	(3)
Organizing the Events	31	(1)
Including Specific Details	31	(1)
Selecting Descriptive Words	31	(2)
The Pitfalls of Narration and Description	33	(1)
What to Look For in Narration and Description	33	(2)
William Least Heat-Moon, ``Wind!''	35	(6)
``The wind got louder, then the windows blew out, and we realized we were in trouble when the heat stove went around the corner and out a wall that had just come down.''
``Jackie's Debut: A Unique Day''	41	(8)
Mike Royko
``When Robinson stepped into the batter's box, it was as it someone had flicked a switch. The place went silent.''
``A Guard's First Night on the Job''	49	(7)
William Recktenwald
``[G]etting no worse than garbage thrown at you is the prison equivalent of everything going smoothly.''
``More Room''	56	(8)
Judith Ortiz Cofer
``Every time a child was due, she would demand, More spare, more spare.''
``Domestic Abuse''	64	(3)
Kelly Berlin
``My sister and Scott had been dating a couple of years, despite the disapproval of my family.''
Strategies for Making a Point: Example and Illustration	67	(33)
The Point of Example and Illustration	68	(1)
Using Examples to Explain and Clarify	68	(1)
Using Examples and Illustrations to Convince	69	(1)
The Principles of Example and Illustration	69	(1)
Select Appropriate Examples	69	(1)
Give Plenty of Examples	70	(1)
Include Specific Information	70	(1)
The Pitfalls of Example and Illustration	70	(1)
What to Look For in Example and Illustration	71	(2)
``Down with Forests''	73	(5)
Charles Kuralt
``I walked out into the morning wondering how our national forests can ever survive our breakfasts.''
``Just Walk On By': A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space''	78	(7)
Brent Staples
``It was clear that she thought herself as the quarry of a mugger, a rapist, or worse.''
``One Man's Kids''	85	(8)
Daniel R. Meier
``My work is dominated by 6-year-olds.''
``Genius or Madness?''	93	(5)
Lynn Coady
``Society is not so much afraid of full-blown chemically imbalanced madness as it is of non-conformity.''
``My Key Chain''	98	(2)
David C. Lair
``Of these [possessions], I believe that my key chain says more about myself and my life than anything else does.''
Strategies for Clarifying Meaning: Definition and Explanation	100	(36)
The Point of Definition and Explanation	100	(1)
The Principles of Definition and Explanation	101	(1)
Descriptive Details	101	(1)
Examples	101	(1)
Narration	101	(1)
Comparison	102	(1)
Contrast	102	(1)
The Pitfalls of Definition and Explanation	102	(1)
Missing Your Audience	102	(1)
Going in Circles	102	(1)
Abstraction	103	(1)
Leaving Information Out	103	(1)
What to Look for in Definitions and Explanations	103	(2)
``Mommy What Does `Nigger' Mean?''	105	(8)
Gloria Naylor
``[T]he word `nigger' was used in my presence, but it was set within contexts and inflections that caused it to register in my mind as something else.''
``What Is Intelligence, Anyway?''	113	(6)
Isaac Asimov
``In a world where I could not use my academic training and my verbal talents but had to do something intricate or hard, working with my hands, I would do poorly.''
``I'm a Banana and Proud of It''	119	(7)
Wayson Choy
``I don't mind being called a `banana,' yellow on the outside and white inside.''
``Cultural Baggage''	126	(8)
Barbara Ehrenreich
``Motherhood put the screws on me, ethnicity-wise.''
``Nothing to Be Scared Of''	134	(2)
Kerri Mauger
``Hallucinations can include all of the senses, and my mother had both seen and heard things that weren't there.''
Strategies for Sorting Ideas: Classification and Division	136	(39)
The point of Classification and Division	136	(1)
The Principles of Classification and Division	137	(1)
Give a Purpose to Your Classification	137	(1)
Establish a Clear Basis for Your Classification	138	(1)
Make Your Groups Parallel and Equal	138	(1)
The Pitfalls of Classification and Division	138	(2)
What to Look For in a Classification	140	(2)
``Friends, Good Friends-and Such Good Friends''	142	(8)
Judith Viorst
``The best of friends, I still believe, totally love and support and trust each other, and bare to each other the secrets of their souls, and run-no questions asked-to help each other, and tell harsh truths to each other when they must be told.''
``I'm OK; You're a Bit Odd''	150	(8)
Paul Chance
``A sadist and a masochist may work out a mutually rewarding relationship, but does that make them healthy?''
``Types of Stress for Young People''	158	(7)
David Elkind
``The major task of psychological stress management is to find ways to balance and coordinate the demands that come from within with those that come from without.''
``Love Stories''	165	(7)
Louis Meuand
``What all the world really loves is not a lover. It's a love story. People can't get enough of love stories.''
``Stats on ER''	172	(3)
Megan Quick
``Some people are so obsessive about not missing one episode that all other activities cease while ER is on.''
Strategies for Examining two Subjects: Comparison and Contrast	175	(39)
The Point of Comparison and Contrast	175	(1)
Using Comparisons to Explain	175	(1)
Using Comparisons to Persuade	176	(1)
Using Contrast to Decide	176	(1)
The Principles of Comparison and Contrast	176	(2)
Using the Block Plan	176	(1)
Using the Point-by-Point Plan	177	(1)
The Pitfalls of Comparison and Contrast	178	(1)
Avoid Using Too Many Transitional Words	178	(1)
Avoid Repetition in Concluding	179	(1)
What to Look For in Comparison and Contrast	179	(2)
``Two Views of the Mississippi''	181	(7)
Mark Twain
``All the grace, the beauty, the poetry had gone out of the majestic river!''
``Neat People vs. Sloppy People''	188	(8)
Suzanne Britt
``I've finally figured out the difference between neat people and sloppy people. The distinction is, as always, moral.''
``Women and Men''	196	(6)
Scott Russell Sanders
``So I was baffled when the women at college accused me and my sex of having cornered the world's pleasures.''
``The Trouble with Talent: Are We Born Smart or Do We Get Smart?''	202	(9)
Kathy Seal
``Our national mania for positive self-esteem too often leads us to puff up kids' confidence, and we may forget to tell them that genius is 98 percent perspiration.''
``Shopping Online''	211	(3)
Dana Webb
``With only a computer and a credit card, you can shop online from your very own home.''
Strategies for Explaining How Things Work: Process and Directions	214	(34)
The Point of Writing about Process and Directions	214	(1)
The Principles of Process and Directions	215	(1)
The Pitfalls of Process and Directions	215	(1)
Reviewing Your Process	216	(1)
Addressing Your Audience	216	(1)
What to Look For in Process and Directions	216	(3)
``How to Make Your Dendrites Grow and Grow''	219	(6)
Daniel Golden
``Date provocative people. Better yet, marry one of them.''
``How to Write a Personal Letter''	225	(7)
Garrison Keillor
``Probably your friend will put your letter away, and it'll be read again a few years from now-and it will improve with age.''
``The Box That Launched a Thousand Ships''	232	(6)
James Surowiecki
``Container ships make a six-thousand-mile, just-in-time supply chain possible.''
``There Are Rules, You Know''	238	(7)
Dave Barry
``The game is divided into four 15-minute quarters. Each of which lasts a little over three hours.''
``A Graceful Stride''	245	(3)
Ann Moroney
``At every one of my races, 1 sat in my blocks looking; at the line of hurdles in front of me with fear in my heart.''
Strategies for Analyzing Why Things Happen: Cause and Effect	248	(36)
The Point of Cause-and-Effect Writing	248	(1)
The Principles of Cause-and-Effect Writing	249	(1)
Types of Causes and Effects	249	(1)
Patterns of Cause and Effect	249	(1)
The Pitfalls of Cause-and-Effect Writing	250	(1)
What to Look For in Cause-and-Effect Writing	251	(2)
``Ignorance Is Not Bliss''	253	(7)
Eric Marcus
``The actual telling was far less terrifying than all the anticipation. While my grandmother cried plenty, my family was wrong, because the truth didn't kill her.''
``Why We Crave Horror Movies''	260	(7)
Stephen King
``The mythic horror movie, like the sick joke, has a dirty job to do. It deliberately appeals to all that is worst in us.''
``Fifth Chinese Daughter''	267	(8)
Jade Snow Wong
``Did a daughter have any right to expect more than a fate of obedience, according to the old Chinese standard?''
``Working: Nobody Talks about the Common Person's Life''	275	(7)
Steve Lopez
``No one is talking about how to educate, train, and employ those who have fallen behind or never even got started.''
``Why We Watch Daytime Talk Shows''	282	(2)
Tricia Rooney
``Talk shows give us other people's problems and predicaments to make us feel very normal and well off.''
Strategies for Influencing Others: Argument and Persuasion	284	(31)
The Point of Argument and Persuasion	284	(1)
The Principles of Argument and Persuasion	285	(1)
The Elements of Good Argument	285	(3)
Claims	286	(1)
Evidence	286	(1)
Refutation	287	(1)
A Sample Annotated Argument: ``Ignoring the Solution''	288	(2)
Joshua Wolf Shenk
``(T)here's another message leaders should heed-that no one has to die needlessly.''
The Pitfalls of Argument and Persuasion	290	(2)
Taking on Too Much	290	(1)
Mistaking the Audience	290	(1)
Logical Fallacies	291	(1)
What to Look For in Argument and Perusasion	292	(2)
``Send Your Children to the Libraries''	294	(7)
Arthur Ashe
``I strongly believe the black culture expends too much time, energy and effort raising, praising and teasing our black children as to the dubious glories of professional sports.''
``The War on Drugs''	301	(7)
Bill Bryson
``The saddest part of this zealous vindictiveness is that it simply does not work.''
``A Crime of Compassion''	308	(7)
Barbara Huttmann
``(E)very night I prayed that Mac would die, that his agonized eyes would never again plead with me to let him die.''
Debate: Examining the Death Penalty	315	(12)
``Death Penalty Showdown''	315	(4)
David Leibowitz
``Execution represents a proportional, measured response to mankind's most barbarous act.''
``We, On Death Row''	319	(8)
Ken Shulman
``It is in our nature to be killers. And we are never far from that most primal region of our nature.''
Debate: The Right to Same-Sex Marriage	327	(32)
``When John and Jim Say, `I Do'''	327	(3)
Charles Krauthammer
``Gay marriage is coming. Should it?''
``Same-Sex Marriage, For Better or Worse?: Readers' Forum''	330	(1)
Alex Tresniowski
``It seems hypocritical to be against gay marriages and at the same time in favor of family values''
``No One Has to Send a Gift''	331	(6)
David Mixner
``Gay and lesbian Americans should be accorded the same rights as other Americans-no more, but certainly no less.''
``Education Interrupted''	337	(3)
Steve Date
``You and the other students stand in the dorm parking lot, shivering in the early morning air, as the fire department arrives and casually runs through its seemingly routine motions.''
Further Readings	340	(19)
``Salvation''	341	(2)
Langston Hughes
``So I decided that maybe to save further trouble, I'd better lie, too, and say that Jesus had come, and get up and be saved.''
```I Know What I Can Do'''	343	(4)
Sheryl Flatow
```I never let my deafness hold me back. I never feel sorry for myself. Never.'''
``Navajo Code Talkers: The Century's Best Kept Secret''	347	(2)
Jack Hitt
``The language of the Code Talkers, their mission, and every detail of their messaging apparatus was a secret they were all ordered to keep, even from their own families.''
``The Discus Thrower''	349	(3)
Richard Selzer
```Every morning he orders scrambled eggs for breakfast, and, instead of eating them, he picks up the plate and throws it against the wall.'''
``Volkswagen's Campaign in America''	352	(3)
Roy Grace
``For the first time, advertising talked to people and not at them.''
``Wordstruck''	355	(4)
Robert MacNeil
``[O]ur language is not the special private property of the language police, or grammarians, or teachers, or even great writers.''
Glossary	359	(12)
Credits	371	(4)
Index	375