Curious Writer, The: Concise Edition

by Ballenger, Bruce

• ISBN13: 9780321437815
• ISBN10: 0321437810
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

The Curious Writerby Bruce Ballenger is an assignment-oriented, all-in-one rhetoric-reader-handbook that stresses the connections between personal and academic writing. The Curious Writer emphasizes research as a key part of the writing process, encourages revision throughout the writing assignment chapters, and places strong emphasis on critical reading skills. Topics include research, writing process, and revision process. Both student and professional readings are included, up-to-date coverage of computers and the Internet includes tips on using the Internet as a research tool. General interest; improving writing skills.

Table of Contents

Instructor Preface	xix
Student Preface	xxviii
Writing as Inquiry	3	(34)
Motives for Writing	4	(1)
Beliefs About Writing	5	(6)
Inquiring into the Details Journals	7	(1)
Unlearning Unhelpful Beliefs	8	(1)
The Beliefs of This Book	9	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Portfolios	10	(1)
Writing Situations and Rhetorical Choices	11	(2)
Habits of Mind	13	(7)
Start with Questions, Not Answers	13	(1)
Suspend Judgment	14	(1)
Writing with Computers	15	(1)
Search for Surprise	16	(2)
Inquiring into the Details Invention Strategies	18	(2)
Writing as a Process	20	(14)
Recognizing the Challenges	20	(5)
Thinking About Your Process	25	(1)
Linear versus Recursive Models	26	(2)
Dialectical Thinking	28	(6)
Using What You Have Learned	34	(3)
Reading as Inquiry	37	(28)
Motives for Reading	38	(1)
Beliefs About Reading	39	(2)
Reading Situations and Rhetorical Choices	41	(2)
Reading as a Process	43	(15)
Linear versus Recursive Models	43	(1)
Reading Jack Hitt, Excerpt from ``Dinosaur Dreams''	44	(2)
Inquiring into the Details Reading Perspectives	46	(1)
Dialectical Thinking	47	(1)
Believing and Doubting	48	(1)
Reading Bruce Ballenger, ``The Importance of Writing Badly''	49	(4)
Inquiring into the Details The Double-Entry Journal	53	(1)
Adapting to Unfamiliar Reading Situations	54	(1)
Reading David W. Noble, Excerpt from The Forces of Production	55	(2)
Writing with Computers	57	(1)
``Reading'' Images	58	(5)
Some Strategies for Reading Images	58	(5)
Using What You Have Learned	63	(2)
Ways of Inquiring	65	(28)
Opening Questions for Inquiry	66	(2)
Exploration	68	(4)
Explanation	72	(5)
Evaluation	77	(5)
Reading Peter Sacks, Excerpt from ``Generation X Goes to College''	81	(1)
Reflection	82	(3)
Symphonic Inquiry	85	(6)
Reading Stephen Corey, ``A Voice for the Lonely''	86	(5)
Writing with Computers	91	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	91	(2)
Writing a Personal Essay	93	(46)
Writing About Experience	93	(1)
Motives for Writing a Personal Essay	94	(1)
Personal Essays and Academic Writing	95	(1)
Features of the Form	96	(19)
Personal Essay Barbara Kingsolver, ``Life Without Go-Go Boots''	97	(3)
Inquiring into the Essay	100	(1)
Personal Essay Bailey White, ``Forbidden Things''	101	(3)
Inquiring into the Essay	104	(1)
Personal Essay Judith Ortiz Cofer, ``Silent Dancing''	105	(7)
Inquiring into the Essay	112	(1)
Seeing the Form Self-Portrait by Frances Benjamin Johnston	113	(2)
The Writing Process	115	(22)
Thinking About Subjects	115	(1)
Generating Ideas	116	(1)
Listing Prompts	116	(1)
Fastwriting Prompts	117	(1)
Visual Prompts	117	(2)
Inquiring into the Details Clustering or Mapping	119	(1)
Research Prompts	120	(1)
Judging What You Have	120	(1)
What's Promising Material and What Isn't?	121	(1)
Questions About Purpose and Audience	121	(1)
Questions for Reflection	122	(1)
Writing the Sketch	122	(1)
Writing with Computers	123	(1)
Student Sketch Lana Kuchta, ``The Way I Remember''	124	(2)
Moving from Sketch to Draft	126	(1)
Evaluating Your Own Sketch	126	(1)
Questions for Peer Review	127	(1)
Reflecting on What You've Learned	127	(1)
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information	127	(2)
Composing the Draft	129	(1)
Methods of Development	129	(1)
Using Evidence	130	(1)
Workshopping the Draft	131	(1)
Reflecting on the Draft	131	(1)
Questions for Readers	131	(1)
Revising the Draft	132	(1)
Polishing the Draft	133	(1)
Student Essay Micaela Fisher, ``Holy Jealousy''	134	(2)
Evaluating the Essay	136	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	137	(2)
Writing a Review	139	(44)
Writing That Evaluates	139	(1)
Motives for Writing a Review	140	(1)
The Review and Academic Writing	141	(1)
Features of the Form	142	(17)
Review Bryan Curtis, ``The Best Little Chophouse in Town''	145	(2)
Inquiring into the Essay	147	(1)
Review Neal Pollack, ``Rock On? Yeah, in Chairs''	148	(3)
Inquiring into the Essay	151	(1)
Review Ann Hodgman, ``No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch''	152	(4)
Inquiring into the Essay	156	(1)
Seeing the Form Choosing the Best Picture	157	(2)
The Writing Process	159	(22)
Thinking About Subjects	160	(1)
Generating Ideas	160	(1)
Listing Prompts	160	(1)
Fastwriting Prompts	161	(1)
Visual Prompts	161	(1)
Research Prompts	161	(1)
Writing with Computers	162	(1)
Judging What You Have	162	(1)
What's Promising Material and What Isn't?	162	(1)
Questions About Audience and Purpose	163	(3)
Thinking About Criteria	166	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Collaborating on Criteria	167	(1)
Writing the Sketch	168	(1)
Student Sketch Mike Peterson, ``Gladiator: Good Hollywood''	168	(2)
Moving from Sketch to Draft	170	(1)
Evaluating Your Own Sketch	170	(1)
Questions for Peer Review	171	(1)
Reflecting on What You've Learned	171	(1)
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information	171	(1)
Re-experience	171	(1)
Interview	172	(1)
Read	172	(1)
Composing the Draft	172	(1)
Methods of Development	173	(1)
Using Evidence	174	(1)
Workshopping the Draft	175	(1)
Reflecting on the Draft	175	(1)
Questions for Readers	175	(1)
Revising the Draft	176	(1)
Polishing the Draft	177	(1)
Student Essay Mike Peterson, ``Open Your Eyes, Cameron Crowe''	178	(2)
Evaluating the Essay	180	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	181	(2)
Writing a Proposal	183	(44)
Writing About Problems and Solutions	183	(3)
Problems of Consequence	184	(1)
Problems of Scale	185	(1)
Motives for Writing Proposals	186	(1)
The Proposal and Academic Writing	187	(1)
Features of the Form	187	(16)
Proposal Maia Szalavitz, ``Stand and Deliver''	189	(3)
Inquiring into the Essay	192	(1)
Proposal James Howard Kunstler and Nikos A. Salingaros, ``The End of Tall Buildings''	193	(5)
Inquiring into the Essay	198	(1)
Proposal Caroline Hsu, ``Is It Time to Ditch Senior Year?''	199	(2)
Inquiring into the Essay	201	(1)
Seeing the Form Stop Torturing Chicks?	202	(1)
The Writing Process	203	(22)
Thinking About Subjects	204	(1)
Generating Ideas	204	(1)
Listing Prompts	204	(1)
Fastwriting Prompts	204	(2)
Inquiring into the Details Causation	206	(1)
Visual Prompts	207	(1)
Research Prompts	207	(1)
Judging What You Have	208	(1)
What's Promising Material and What Isn't?	208	(1)
Questions About Audience and Purpose	209	(1)
Questions of Form	209	(1)
Research Considerations	210	(1)
Writing the Sketch	210	(1)
Student Sketch Amy Garrett, ``The Happy Cow''	211	(1)
Moving from Sketch to Draft	212	(1)
Evaluating Your Own Sketch	212	(1)
Questions for Peer Review	212	(1)
Writing with Computers	213	(1)
Reflecting on What You've Learned	214	(1)
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information	214	(1)
Composing the Draft	215	(1)
Methods of Development	216	(1)
Using Evidence	217	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Evidence---A Case Study	218	(1)
Workshopping the Draft	218	(1)
Reflecting on the Draft	218	(1)
Questions for Readers	219	(1)
Revising the Draft	219	(1)
Polishing the Draft	220	(1)
Student Essay Amy Garrett, ``The Happy Cow''	221	(4)
Evaluating the Essay	225	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	225	(2)
Writing an Argument	227	(46)
Writing to Persuade People	227	(5)
Getting into Arguments	228	(2)
Making Claims	230	(1)
Two Sides to Every Argument?	231	(1)
Motives for Writing an Argument	232	(1)
The Argument and Academic Writing	233	(1)
Features of the Form	234	(13)
Argument Amitai Etzioni, ``Law and Order and the Wild, Wild Web''	236	(3)
Inquiring into the Essay	239	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Some Basic Argument Strategies	239	(1)
Argument George F. Will, ``The `Growth Model' and the Growth of Illiteracy''	240	(2)
Inquiring into the Essay	242	(1)
Argument Doris Lessing, ``What We Think of America''	243	(1)
Inquiring into the Essay	244	(1)
Seeing the Form Guess.com Ad	245	(2)
The Writing Process	247	(24)
Thinking About Subjects	247	(1)
Generating Ideas	248	(1)
Listing Prompts	248	(1)
Fastwriting Prompts	249	(1)
Visual Prompts	250	(1)
Research Prompts	250	(2)
Writing with Computers	252	(1)
Judging What You Have	252	(1)
What's Promising Material and What Isn't?	252	(1)
Questions About Audience and Purpose	253	(1)
Research Considerations	254	(2)
Inquiring into the Details Thinking Globally, Acting Locally	256	(1)
Narrowing the Question	256	(1)
Writing the Sketch	257	(1)
Student Sketch Ben Bloom, ``How to Really Rock the Vote''	257	(1)
Moving from Sketch to Draft	258	(1)
Evaluating Your Own Sketch	258	(1)
Questions for Peer Review	259	(1)
Reflecting on What You've Learned	260	(1)
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information	260	(1)
Composing the Draft	261	(1)
Methods of Development	261	(2)
Inquiring into the Details What Evidence Can Do	263	(1)
Using Evidence	264	(1)
Workshopping the Draft	264	(1)
Reflecting on the Draft	264	(1)
Questions for Readers	265	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Ten Common Logical Fallacies	265	(2)
Revising the Draft	267	(1)
Polishing the Draft	268	(1)
Student Essay Kelly Sundberg, ``I Am Not a Savage''	269	(2)
Evaluating the Essay	271	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	271	(2)
Writing a Critical Essay	273	(50)
Writing About Literature	273	(1)
Motives for Writing a Critical Essay	274	(1)
The Critical Essay and Academic Writing	275	(1)
Features of the Form	276	(26)
Short Story Leslie Marmon Silko, ``Lullaby''	277	(8)
Inquiring into the Story	285	(1)
Short Story Alice Walker, ``Everyday Use''	286	(8)
Inquiring into the Story	294	(1)
Critical Essay John Gruesser, ``Animal Imagery in `Everyday Use'''	295	(2)
Inquiring into the Essay	297	(1)
Seeing the Form Christina's World	298	(4)
Andrew Wyeth
The Writing Process	302	(19)
Thinking About Subjects	302	(1)
Generating Ideas	303	(1)
Listing Prompts	303	(1)
Fastwriting Prompts	304	(1)
Visual Prompts	304	(1)
Research Prompts	305	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Common Literary Devices	305	(2)
Judging What You Have	307	(1)
What's Promising Material and What Isn't?	307	(1)
Questions About Audience and Purpose	308	(2)
Writing a Sketch	310	(1)
Student Sketch Julie Bird, ``What Is the Role of Nature in `Lullaby'?''	310	(1)
Moving from Sketch to Draft	311	(1)
Evaluating Your Own Sketch	311	(1)
Questions for Peer Review	312	(1)
Reflecting on What You've Learned	312	(1)
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information	312	(2)
Composing the Draft	314	(1)
Methods of Development	314	(1)
Using Evidence	315	(1)
Workshopping the Draft	315	(1)
Reflecting on the Draft	315	(1)
Questions for Readers	316	(1)
Revising the Draft	316	(1)
Polishing the Draft	317	(1)
Student Essay Julie Bird, ``Nature as Being: Landscape in Silko's `Lullaby'''	318	(3)
Evaluating the Essay	321	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	321	(2)
Research Techniques	323	(42)
Methods of Collecting	323	(1)
Research in the Electronic Age	324	(8)
The Magic Words That Open Doors	325	(1)
How Librarians Organize Books	326	(2)
Library of Congress Subject Headings	328	(1)
Google Your Boole	328	(4)
Developing Working Knowledge	332	(8)
Searching Key Library References	333	(3)
Inquiring into the Details Methods of Recording Information	336	(1)
Conducting Subject Surveys on the Web	337	(2)
Inquiring into the Details The Working Bibliography	339	(1)
Evaluating Library Sources	340	(1)
Evaluating Web Sources	341	(4)
Developing Deep Knowledge	345	(8)
Finding Books	345	(1)
Inquiring into the Details How to Annotate a Book	346	(1)
Finding Periodicals	346	(1)
Finding Newspapers	347	(1)
Finding Sources on the Web	347	(1)
Writing in the Middle: Synthesizing Source Information and Your Own Ideas	348	(1)
Writing with Computers	349	(1)
Double-Entry Journal	350	(1)
Research Log	350	(3)
Interviews	353	(4)
Arranging Interviews	353	(1)
Making Contact	354	(1)
Conducting the Interview	355	(1)
Using the Interview in Your Writing	356	(1)
Surveys	357	(4)
Defining a Survey's Goals and Audience	358	(1)
Types of Survey Questions	358	(1)
Crafting Survey Questions	359	(1)
Conducting a Survey	360	(1)
Using Survey Results in Your Writing	360	(1)
Knowing When to Stop	361	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	362	(3)
Using and Citing Sources	365	(80)
Controlling Information	365	(1)
Using Sources	366	(5)
Summarizing	367	(1)
Paraphrasing	368	(1)
Quoting	369	(2)
Citing Sources	371	(4)
Writing with Computers	372	(1)
Avoiding Plagiarism	372	(3)
MLA Documentation Guidelines	375	(42)
Inquiring into the Details The Common Knowledge Exception	376	(1)
Citing Sources	376	(1)
Where to Put Citations	377	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Citations That Go with the Flow	378	(1)
When You Mention the Author's Name	379	(1)
When There Is No Author	379	(1)
Works by the Same Author	380	(1)
When One Source Quotes Another	380	(1)
Personal Interviews	380	(1)
Several Sources in a Single Citation	381	(1)
Sample Parenthetical References for Other Sources	381	(2)
Format	383	(1)
The Layout	383	(3)
Preparing the ``Works Cited'' Page	386	(1)
Format	387	(1)
Citing Books	388	(1)
Sample Book Citations	389	(4)
Citing Periodicals	393	(1)
Sample Periodical Citations	394	(3)
Citing Nonprint and Other Sources	397	(2)
Citing ``Portable'' Databases	399	(2)
Citing Online Databases	401	(2)
Sample Online Citations	403	(5)
A Sample Paper in MLA Style	408	(1)
Student Essay Amy Garrett, ``We Need the Sun''	408	(9)
Evaluating the Essay	417	(1)
APA Documentation Guidelines	417	(26)
Inquiring into the Details Recent APA Style Changes	418	(1)
How the Essay Should Look	419	(1)
Page Format	419	(1)
Title Page	419	(1)
Abstract	419	(1)
Body of the Paper	420	(1)
References Page	421	(1)
Appendix	421	(1)
Notes	421	(1)
Tables and Figures	422	(1)
Language and Style	422	(1)
Citing Sources in Your Essay	423	(1)
When the Author Is Mentioned in the Text	423	(1)
When the Author Isn't Mentioned in the Text	423	(1)
When to Cite Page Numbers	423	(1)
A Single Work by Two or More Authors	423	(1)
A Work with No Author	424	(1)
Two or More Works by the Same Author	424	(1)
An Institutional Author	424	(1)
Multiple Works in the Same Parentheses	424	(1)
Interviews, E-mail, and Letters	425	(1)
New Editions of Old Works	425	(1)
A Web Site	425	(1)
Preparing the ``References'' List	425	(1)
Order of Sources	425	(1)
Order of Information	426	(1)
Sample References	427	(5)
Citing Electronic Sources	432	(1)
Sample References	432	(4)
A Sample Paper in APA Style	436	(1)
Student Essay Jeremy Johnson, ``I See Me as You See Me: An Ethnography of West Junior High''	436	(7)
Evaluating the Essay	443	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	443	(2)
Revision Strategies	445
Reseeing Your Topic	445	(1)
Divorcing the Draft	446	(1)
Strategies for Divorcing the Draft	447	(1)
Five Categories of Revision	448	(2)
Writing with Computers	449	(1)
Problems of Purpose	450	(6)
Revision Strategy 11.1: What's Your Primary Motive?	452	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.2: What Do You Want to Know About What You Learned?	453	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.3: Finding the Focusing Question	454	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.4: What's the Relationship?	455	(1)
Problems with Meaning	456	(7)
Implicit or Explicit Meaning	456	(1)
Looking Beyond the Obvious	457	(1)
Methods for Discovering Your Thesis	458	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.5: Find the ``Instructive Line''	458	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.6: Looping Toward a Thesis	459	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.7: Reclaiming Your Topic	460	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.8: Believing and Doubting	461	(1)
Methods for Refining Your Thesis	462	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.9: Questions as Knives	462	(1)
Problems with Information	463	(4)
Revision Strategy 11.10: Explode a Moment	464	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.11: Beyond Examples	464	(2)
Revision Strategy 11.12: Research	466	(1)
Problems with Structure	467	(6)
Formal Academic Structures	467	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.13: Reorganizing around Thesis and Support	467	(2)
Revision Strategy 11.14: Multiple Leads	469	(1)
Inquiring into the Details Types of Leads	470	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.15: The Frankenstein Draft	471	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.16: Make an Outline	472	(1)
Problems of Clarity and Style	473	(9)
Solving Problems of Clarity	474	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.17: Untangling Paragraphs	474	(2)
Inquiring into the Details Transition Flags	476	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.18: Cutting Clutter	476	(2)
Revision Strategy 11.19: The Actor and the Action Next Door	478	(1)
Improving Style	479	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.20: Actors and Actions	479	(2)
Revision Strategy 11.21: Smoothing the Choppiness	481	(1)
Revision Strategy 11.22: Fresh Ways to Say Things	482	(1)
Using What You Have Learned	482
Credits	1	(1)
Index	1