The Brief Bedford Reader

by Kennedy, X. J.; Kennedy, Dorothy M.; Aaron, Jane E.; Repetto, Ellen Kuhl

• ISBN13: 9781319031183
• ISBN10: 1319031188
• Additional ISBN(s): 9781319195618
• Edition: 13th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2016-11-04
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's
• More Book Details

Summary

Inspire your writing through reading as the Brief Bedford Reader takes you through a variety of writing situations, teaching you the writing skills you'll need to succeed in college and your future career.

Author Biography

X. J. Kennedy is an acclaimed poet, children’s author, college teacher, and textbook author. He has taught freshman composition at the University of Michigan; the University of North Carolina, Greensboro; and Tufts University. Since 1966, more than 2 million students have treasured his introductory literature texts and The Bedford Reader, coedited with Dorothy M. Kennedy and Jane E. Aaron, now in its ninth edition.

Dorothy M. Kennedy is a writer and editor whose articles and reviews have ppeared in both professional and academic journals. She has taught composition at the University of Michigan and Ohio University and, with X. J. Kennedy, is the recipient of the NCTE Teacher's Choice Award for Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

Jane E. Aaron is a professional writer and editor as well as an experienced teacher. She is the author of the best selling Little, Brown Handbook and coeditor of the best-selling Bedford Reader, Eighth Edition (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003). She has served as consultant, editor, or writer on more than a dozen other textbooks for the first-year composition course.

Ellen Kuhl Repetto (M.A., University of Massachusetts Boston) is a freelance editor and writer who has contributed to more than twenty composition readers, handbooks, and rhetorics. She is the author of The Bedford/St. Martin's Textbook Reader (2003), Readings for Discoveries: A Collection of Short Essays (2006), and Hope over Hardship: A History of the Boston Home, 1881 - 2006 (2007).

Table of Contents

PREFACE FOR INSTRUCTORS
CONTENTS by theme
contents by academic discipline

HOW (AND WHY) TO USE THIS BOOK
THE SELECTIONS
THE METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT
THE PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
THE WRITERS ON WRITING

Part one

ACADEMIC Reading and Writing

1 Critical Reading

Reading actively

NANCY MAIRS Disability (annotated essay)

developing an understanding

analyzing essays

examining Visual Images

Visual image: Man Fishing by a Power Plant, photograph by Robin Nelson

reading to write

2 The Writing Process

assessing The Writing Situation

Discovering Ideas

drafting

revising

                integrating reading

editing

an essay-in-progress

ROSIE ANAYA  Mental Illness on Television (annotated student essay)

PART TWO

THE METHODS

3 NARRATION: Telling a Story

Visual Image: Proposal, drawing by Demetri Martin

The Method

the process

        narration in academic writing

        Scott Beltran 　from Ride-Along Report (annotated student writing)

embarrassment

AMY TAN 　Fish Cheeks

NAOMI SHIHAB NYE 　Museum

Naomi Shihab Nye on Writing

JUNOT DÍAZ 　The Dreamer 　

Junot Díaz on Writing

SHIRLEY JACKSON 　The Lottery

4 DESCRIPTION: Writing with Your Senses

Visual Image: Doug and Mizan’s House, East River, photograph by Margaret Morton

The Method

the process

description in academic writing

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

SVEN BIRKETS 　Ladder

DIANE ACKERMAN 　Black Marble

N. SCOTT MOMADAY 　The Way to Rainy Mountain

5 EXAMPLE: Pointing to Instances

Visual Image: Low-Energy Drinks, cartoon by Glen Le Lievre

The Method

the process

examples in academic writing

Kharron Reid 　Letter to E-line Systems (annotated student writing)

misperceptions

BRENT STAPLES 　Black Men and Public Space

Brent Staples on Writing

ISSA RAE 　The Struggle

BRIAN DOYLE 　A Note on Mascots

　　　　　　　　　　　ANNA QUINDLEN 　Homeless

Anna Quindlen on Writing

6 COMPARISON AND CONTRAST: Setting Things Side by Side

Visual Image: from Fun Home, graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel 　

The Method

the process

comparison and contrast in academic writing

Charlotte Pak 　from Beyoncé Knowles: Soloist (annotated student writing)

upbringings 　

DAVID SEDARIS 　Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANDREA ROMAN 　"We’re Not . . ." (student essay)

Andrea Roman on Writing

BRUCE CATTON 　Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts

ALAIN DE BOTTON 　Tragedy

Visual Images: A Man Drives Into His Family Home to Punish His Wife, video still by BBC News; Medea Kills Her Son to Punish Her Husband, Greek vase by unknown artist

Alain de Botton on Writing

7 PROCESS ANALYSIS: Explaining Step by Step

Visual Image: Workers Making Dolls, photograph by Wally McNamee

The Method

the process

process analysis in academic writing

Victor Khoury 　from DNA Extraction (annotated student writing)

writing

ANNE LAMOTT 　The Crummy First Draft

KOJI FRAHM 　How to Write an A Paper (student essay)

Koji Frahm on Writing

FIROOZEH DUMAS 　Sweet, Sour, and Resentful

JESSICA MITFORD 　Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain

Jessica Mitford on Writing

8 DIVISION OR ANALYSIS: Slicing into Parts

Visual Image: Deconstructing Lunch, cartoon by Roz Chast

The Method

the process

division or analysis in academic writing

Rachel O’Connor, from A Question of Fairness: "The Lottery" as Social Commentary (annotated student writing)

photography

　　　JUDITH ORTIZ COFER, The Cruel Country

Judith Ortiz Cofer on Writing

　LAILA AYAD 　The Capricious Camera (documented student essay) Visual Image: Mounted Nazi Troops on the Lookout for Likely Polish Children, photograph

ROBERT LIPSYTE 　Jock Culture 　

GUILLERMO DEL TORO AND CHUCK HOGAN 　Vampires Never Die

Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan on Writing

9 CLASSIFICATION: Sorting into Kinds

Visual Image: How the Poor, the Middle Class, and the Rich Spend Their Money, table by National Public Radio

The Method

the process

classification in academic writing

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

JEAN-PIERRE DE BEER 　Stars of Life (student essay)

10 CAUSE AND EFFECT: Asking Why

Visual Image: Wild Weather, bar graph by National Geographic

the method

the process

cause and effect in academic writing

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

RANDALL MUNROE 　Everybody Jump

Visual Image: What If, drawings by Randall Munroe

CHRISTOPHER BEAM 　Blood Loss

Visual Image: Trends in Serial Killing, bar graph by James Alan Fox and Jack Levin

　

11 DEFINITION: Tracing Boundaries

Visual Image: It’s a Part of Me, Not a Definition of Who I Am, poster for the International Down Sydrome Coalition

the method

the process

definition in academic writing

Martin Ward 　Civil Liberties (annotated student writing)

privilege

TAL FORTGANG 　Checking My Privilege (student essay)

Tal Fortgang on Writing

ROXANE GAY 　Peculiar Benefits

　　　　　　　　　　　　MEGHAN DAUM 　Narcissist — Give It a Rest

Meghan Daum on Writing

AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS 　How to Identify Love by Knowing What It’s Not

12 ARGUMENT AND PERSUASION: Stating Opinions and Proposals

Visual Image: Corporate America Flag, image from Adbusters Media Foundation

the method

the Process

argument and persuasion in academic writing

Adrianne Silver 　from Bullying Law Proposal (annotated student writing)

LINDA CHAVEZ 　Supporting Family Values

Linda Chavez on Writing

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SHOULD COLLEGES ADOPT TRIGGER WARNINGS?

BRIANNE RICHSON 　An Obligation to Prevent Trauma on Campus (student essay)

Brianne Richson on Writing

　　JON OVERTON 　Beware the Trigger Warning (student essay)

Jon Overton on Writing

who needs privacy? 　 　　

NICHOLAS CARR 　Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty

Nicholas Carr on Writing

JIM HARPER 　Web Users Get as Much as They Give

LORI ANDREWS 　Facebook Is Using You

Lori Andrews on Writing

PART THREE

MIXING THE METHODS

JUDY BRADY 　I Want a Wife

JOAN DIDION 　Earthquakes

Joan Didion on Writing

E. B. WHITE 　Once More to the Lake

　　　　　　APPENDIX

finding and documenting sources

conducting research

writing WITH SOURCES

Source Citation Using MLA Style

MARGARET LUNDBERG 　Eating Green (annotated student essay)

Margaret Lundberg on Writing

source citation using apa style

ERIC KIM 　The Brain that Changes (annotated student essay)

Eric Kim on Writing

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS

DIRECTORY TO WRITERS ON WRITING

INDEX