A Reader's Guide to College Writing

by Ruszkiewicz, John J.

• ISBN13: 9781457642586
• ISBN10: 1457642581
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2013-12-13
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

Get the insider view on how critical reading really works and can help you as a Reader's Guide to College Writing teaches you how to engage with ideas while growing as a successful academic writer.

Author Biography

John J. Ruszkiewicz is a professor at the University of Texas at Austin where he has taught literature, rhetoric, and writing for more than thirty-five years. A winner of the President’s Associates Teaching Excellence Award, he was instrumental in creating the Department of Rhetoric and Writing in 1993 and directed the unit from 2001-05. He has also served as president of the Conference of College Teachers of English (CCTE) of Texas, which gave him its Frances Hernández Teacher—Scholar Award in 2012. For Bedford/St. Martin's, he is coauthor, with Andrea Lunsford, of Everything’s An Argument (6th edition, 2013), and the author of　How To Write Anything (2nd edition 2012) and A Reader's Guide to College Writing (2014).

Table of Contents

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

PART ONE: You, the Reader

Chapter 1 Contexts

Get the Backstory: Who’s Assigning What?

Common Readings

Course Syllabi

Locate the Text: Canonical or Contemporary?

Scan the Text: Meet the Supporting Elements

Read Reviews — Intelligently

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 2 Authors and Publishers

Appreciate Scholars and Their Work

Recognize Popularizers, Experts, and Public Intellectuals

Understand Bloggers, Tweeters, and Citizen Reporters

Appraise Individual Authors

Know Publishers and Their Platforms

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 3 Audiences and Publics

Define the Audience: Who’s a Text For?

How Writers Appeal to Readers

Your Background as a Reader

Welcome to the Academic Community: A Fish Story

Accommodate Readers: Keep Them Interested

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 4 Genres

Read Narratives

Read Reports

Read Arguments

YOUR TURN

Chapter 5 Sources

How Academics Establish Credibility

Sources in STEM Fields

Sources in the Humanities

How Experts and Public Intellectuals Earn Authority

How the Other Guys Do It

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 6 Critical Reading

Leave Tracks on a Text

Read against the Grain: Logical Fallacies

Be Smart: Read beyond Your Range

YOUR TURN

 

PART TWO: You, the Respondent

Chapter 7 Claims and Contents

Look for a Thesis: Statement and Proof

Expect Variations: It Gets Complicated

How Writers Direct a Claim

How Writers Orchestrate a Claim

How Writers Lay Out Complex Ideas

YOUR TURN

Chapter 8 Explain and Imply

Examine Evidence: Support a Point

Find Meaning: Read between the Lines

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 9 Dispute, Concede, and Rebut

Dispute and Challenge: Build Interest

Concede and Correct: Build Trust

Rebut and Reply: Build Authority

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 10 Summarize, Annotate, and Paraphrase

Summarize a Reading

Annotate a Bibliography

Paraphrase a Selection

YOUR TURN 

Chapter 11 Discuss

Write a Response Paper in Your Head

Agree or Disagree

Identify Strengths and Weaknesses of a Text

See Similarities and Differences

Point Out Complications

Express Any Doubts

Get Involved

Learn the Right Moves

Effective Strategies in Discussions

What to Avoid in Discussions

YOUR TURN

 

PART THREE: You, the Writer

Chapter 12 Compose

Manage Assignments
Figure Out Audiences
Overcome Writer’s Block
YOUR TURN 

Chapter 13 Make a Point

Find a Thesis
YOUR TURN 

Chapter 14 Structure

Organize a Paper
Think in Paragraphs
Use Transitions
Make Introductions
Draw Conclusions
Choose Titles
YOUR TURN 

Chapter 15 Evidence

Find Sources
Library Catalogs and Resources
Information Databases and Indexes
The Internet
Seek Expert Advice
YOUR TURN 

Chapter 16 Frame Ideas and Quotations

Use Frames to Give Credit
Use Frames to Connect Ideas
Use Frames to Synthesize Ideas
Use Frames to Join the Conversation
Handle Quotations Correctly
YOUR TURN 

Chapter 17 Style

High, Middle, and Low Style
High Style
Middle Style
Low Style
Inclusive and Culturally Sensitive Style
YOUR TURN 

Chapter 18 Clarity and Economy

Thirteen Suggestions to Improve Your Writing
YOUR TURN 

Appendix A: Style Guides Used in Various Disciplines

Appendix B: MLA and APA Basics
MLA Documentation and Format
MLA In-Text Citation
Works Cited
APA Documentation and Format
APA In-Text Citation
List of References
Bibliography of Works Quoted or Discussed
Index