Full Description
For courses in First-Year Composition - Rhetoric. This version of The Curious Writer, Brief Edition has been updated to reflect the 8th Edition of the MLA Handbook (April 2016)*Puts inquiry at the heart of good writingWe write to learn as much as we do to express what we already know. In his remarkably personal and engaging voice, Bruce Ballenger makes that powerful concept central to The Curious Writer, Brief Edition.The Curious Writer, Brief Edition doesn't read like a textbook or provide a formula for composing essays. Instead, it encourages students to suspend judgment, to ask questions, and to seek answers much like academics do. Yet it covers a wide range of genres beyond the academic essay-narrative, profile, review, ethnography, argument, and more-all with a distinctive approach and "personality" that is lacking in other texts. It also reinforces the assumption that genres are malleable with a new chapter on repurposing or "re-genre-ing."Students love that this book helps them learn to write by pursuing their own curiosity. Teachers appreciate that Ballenger gives students ample opportunity to develop the habits of mind necessary to become critical thinkers and curious writers.* The 8th Edition introduces sweeping changes to the philosophy and details of MLA works cited entries. Responding to the "increasing mobility of texts," MLA now encourages writers to focus on the process of crafting the citation, beginning with the same questions for any source. These changes, then, align with current best practices in the teaching of writing which privilege inquiry and critical thinking over rote recall and rule-following.
Contents
I. THE SPIRIT OF INQUIRY1. Writing as InquiryMotives for WritingBeliefs About Writing and Writing DevelopmentExercise 1.1 This I Believe (and This I Don't)One Student's Response Bernice's JournalInquiring into the Details JournalsUnlearning Unhelpful BeliefsThe Beliefs of This BookAllatoncenessBelieving You Can Learn to Write WellHabits of MindStarting with Questions, Not AnswersMaking the Familiar StrangeSuspending JudgmentBeing Willing to Write BadlySearching for SurpriseExercise 1.2 A Roomful of DetailsOne Student's Response Bernice's JournalWriting Situations and Rhetorical ChoicesA First Reflection on Your Writing ProcessA Case StudyThinking About Your ProcessExercise 1.3 Literacy Narrative CollageExercise 1.4 What Is Your Process?Problem Solving in Your Writing ProcessThe Nature of the Writing ProcessThe Writing Process as Recursive and FlexibleA System for Using Writing to ThinkInquiring into the Details Invention StrategiesExercise 1.5 Two Kinds of ThinkingA Writing Process That Harnesses Two Currents of ThoughtThe Sea and the MountainAnswering the So What? QuestionA Writing Process Driven by QuestionsA Strategy of Inquiry: Questioning, Generating, and JudgingExercise 1.6 A Mini Inquiry Project: Cell Phone CultureExercise 1.7 Scenes of WritingUsing What You Have Learned2. Reading as InquiryPurposes for Academic ReadingExercise 2.1 Using the Four Purposes for Academic ReadingBeliefs About ReadingExercise 2.2 A Reader's MemoirOne Common Belief That Is an ObstacleReading Situations and Rhetorical ChoicesFour Frames for ReadingReading ScenariosScenario #1Scenario #2Inquiring into the Details Reading PerspectivesExercise 2.3 Reading a LifeA Process for Reading to WriteQuestions for the Process of Reading to WriteWhat Do I Want to Know?What Should I Read to Find Out?What Do I Do with What I've Read?Having a Dialogue with What You ReadInquiring into the Details Reading the VisualExercise 2.4 Double-Entry Journaling with a Visual TextTechniques for Keeping a Double-Entry JournalExercise 2.5 Reading Creatively, Reading CriticallyREADING Bruce Ballenger, "The Importance of Writing Badly" Alternatives to the Double-Entry JournalWrestling with Academic Discourse: Reading from the Outside InFeatures of Academic DiscourseUsing What You Have LearnedII. INQUIRY PROJECTS3. Writing a Personal EssayWriting About Experience and ObservationsMotives for Writing a Personal EssayThe Personal Essay and Academic WritingInquiring into the Details The Power of Narrative ThinkingFeatures of the FormReadingsPersonal Essay 1 Laura Zazulak, "Every Morning for Five Years"Inquiring into the EssayPersonal Essay 2 Judith Ortiz Cofer, "One More Lesson"Inquiring into the EssaySeeing the Form Photo EssaysWriting ProcessInquiry Project: Writing a Personal EssayWriting Beyond the ClassroomEssaying "This I Believe"What Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsNarrowing DownInquiring into the Details Clustering or MappingWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Purpose and AudienceTrying OutQuestions for ReflectionWriting the SketchStudent Sketch Amanda Stewart, "Earning a Sense of Place"Moving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your Own SketchReflecting on What You LearnedDevelopingDraftingMethods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceInquiring into the Details More Than One Way to Tell a StoryWorkshoppingQuestions for ReadersReflecting on the WorkshopRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Seth Marlin,"Smoke of Empire"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned4. Writing a ProfileWriting About PeopleMotives for Writing a ProfileThe Profile and Academic WritingFeatures of the FormProfile 1 Bruce Ballenger, "Museum Missionary"Inquiring into the EssayProfile 2 Ian Frazier, "Passengers"Inquiring into the EssayProfile 3 Amelia Pang, "The Life of a Violin Prodigy from South Bronx"Inquiring into the EssaySeeing the Form "Sun Boy" by William SouleInquiry Project: Writing a ProfileWho Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsOne Student's Response Bruce's JournalNarrowing DownWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeTrying OutPossible FramesQuestions for ReflectionInterviewingInterview ApproachesInterview TechniquesWriting Beyond the Classroom Digital ProfilesMaking ContactConducting the InterviewInquiring into the Details Recording InterviewsListening and WatchingFlash Profile: Veterans History Projects From Bullets to Bottles: The Two Wars of Dan AkeeWriting the SketchMoving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your SketchReflecting on What You've LearnedDevelopingResearch, Interviews, and ReinterviewsEstablishing the FrameInquiring into the Details Using Audacity to Record and Edit AudioDraftingMethods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceWorkshoppingReflecting on the WorkshopRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Micaela Fisher, "Number 6 Orchard"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned5. Writing a ReviewWriting That EvaluatesMotives for Writing a ReviewThe Review and Academic WritingSeeing the Form Choosing the Best PictureFeatures of the FormReadingsFilm Review Roger Ebert, "A Christmas Story"Inquiring into the EssayReviewing Methods Carol E. Holstead, "The Benefits of No-Tech Note Taking"Inquiring into the EssayVideo Game Review Seth Schiesel, "Grand Theft Auto Takes on New York"Inquiring into the EssayThe Writing ProcessInquiry Project: Writing a Review EssayWhat Are You Going to WriteAbout?Opening UpListing PromptsFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsNarrowing DownWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeTrying OutFocusing the CategoryFastwritingWeb ResearchInterviewsExperiencing Your SubjectThinking About CriteriaRefining Criteria for Better EvidenceConsidering Criteria and Rhetorical ContextInquiring into the Details Collaborating on CriteriaWriting the SketchStudent Sketch Laura Burns, "Recipe for a Great Film: Unlikeable People, Poor Choices, and LittleRedemption"Moving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your SketchReflecting on What You've LearnedDevelopingTalking It ThroughRe-ExperienceInterviewReadDraftingFinding an OpeningMethods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceWorkshoppingReflecting on the DraftRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Laura Burns, "How to Not Feel Good and Feel Good About It"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned6. Writing a ProposalWriting About Problems and SolutionsProblems of ConsequenceProblems of Manageable ScaleMotives for Writing a ProposalThe Proposal and Academic WritingInquiring into the Details Writing a Research ProposalFeatures of the FormProposal 1 Buzz Bissinger, "Why College Football Should Be Banned"Inquiring into the EssayProposal 2 Robert F. Saltz, Ph. D., "Preventing Alcohol-Related Problems on College Campuses-Summaryof the Final Report of the NIAAA Task Force on College Drinking"Inquiring into the EssaySeeing the Form A Problem in PicturesInquiry Project: Writing a ProposalWhat Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsNarrowing DownWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeTrying OutResearching to Answer the So What? QuestionGiving Your Answer on a PowerPointWriting the SketchStudent Sketch Jenna Appleman, "Loving and Hating Reality TV"Moving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your Own SketchReflecting on What You LearnedDevelopingResearchFocusing on the JustificationsDrafting Methods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceInquiring into the Details Evidence-A Case StudyWorkshoppingReflecting on the DraftRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Jenna Appleman, "Avoidable Accidents: How to Make Reality TV Safer"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned7. Writing an ArgumentWriting to Persuade PeopleMotives for Writing an ArgumentWriting Beyond the Classroom Public Argument in a Digital AgeThe Argument and Academic WritingFeatures of the FormWhat Is Argument?Argument Has More Than Two SidesInquiry Arguments Begin with ExplorationWhat Do We Mean by Claims, Reasons, and Evidence?Claims: What You Want People to BelieveReasons: The "Because. . ." Behind the ClaimEvidence: Testing the ClaimSeeing the Form The "Imagetext" as ArgumentAnalyzing What Makes a Good Argument Classical Argument: Ethos, Pathos, LogosRogers: Accurately Restating and Refusing Opposing ClaimsExercise 7.1 Argument as TherapyOne Student's Response Rebecca's JournalAvoiding Logical FallaciesExercise 7.2 Find the FallaciesFactual Argument: Is it true that _____? David Leonhardt, "Is College Worth It?"Inquiring into the EssayDefinition Argument: What should we call it? Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, "The Language of War Is Killing"Inquiring into the EssayCasual Argument: What's the cause? Kevin Sabet, "Colorado Will Show Why Legalizing Marijauna is a Mistake?"Inquiring into the EssayInquiry Project: Writing an ArgumentWhat Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsOne Student's Response Rebecca's JournalFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsNarrowing DownWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeTrying OutKitchen Knives of ThoughtResearch ConsiderationsInterviewsWriting the SketchStudent Sketch Rebecca Thompson, "Twitter a Profound Thought?"Moving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your Own SketchReflecting on What You've LearnedDevelopingWriting for Your ReadersResearching the ArgumentDraftingDesigning Your Argument RhetoricallyMethods of DevelopmentInquiring into the Details What Evidence Can DoUsing EvidenceWorkshoppingReflecting on the DraftRevisingShapingInquiring into the Details Toulmin: A Method for Analyzing an ArgumentPolishingStudent Essay Rebecca Thompson, "Social Networking Social Good?"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned8. Writing an Analytical EssayWriting to InterpretMotives for Writing an Analytical EssayThe Analytical Essay and Academic WritingExercise 8.1 Find Interpeting an ImageFeatures of the FormLiterary Analysis Bart Brinkman, "On 'The Shield That Came Back'"Inquiring into the StoryInquiring into the Details Four Methods of AnalysisFilm Analysis Bryan Bishop, "Why Won't You Die?!" The Art of the Jump Scare"Inquiring into the EssaySeeing the Form Brand as Visual InterpretationInquiry Project: Writing a Critical EssayWhat Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsInquiring into the Details Common Literary DevicesNarrowing DownWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeWriting the SketchStudent Sketch Hailie Johnson-Waskow, "All About That Hate"Moving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your Own SketchReflecting on What You've LearnedDevelopingAnalysisResearchDraftingMethods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceWorkshoppingReflecting on the DraftRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Hailie Johnson-Waskow, "All About That Hate: A Critical Analysis of 'All About That Bass'"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned9. Writing an Ethnographic EssayWriting About CultureMotives for Writing EthnographyEthnography and Academic WritingFeatures of the FormEthnographic Essay 1 Elisabeth Chiseri-Strater, "Anna as Reader: Intimacy and Response"Inquiring into the EssayEthnographic Essay 2 Rebekah Nathan, "My Freshman Year: Worldliness and Worldview"Inquiring into the EssaySeeing the Form German CowboysInquiry Project: Writing the Ethnographic EssayWhat Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsWriting Beyond the Classroom Commercial EthnographyFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsResearch PromptsNarrowing DownInquiring into the Details Researching Trends and Subcultures on the WebWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeTrying OutInquiring into the Details Questions Ethnographers AskTaking NotesInquiring into the Details Ethnography and EthicsField Notes Rita Guerra, "Field Notes on Friday Afternoon at Emerald Lanes"Writing the SketchMoving from Sketch to DraftEvaluating Your Own SketchReflecting on What You've LearnedDevelopingSources of DataInquiring into the Details Useful Library Databases for EthnographyAnalyzing the DataDraftingMethods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceWorkshoppingReflecting on the DraftRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Kersti Harter,"Beyond 'Gaydar'"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have LearnedIII. INQUIRING DEEPER9. Writing an Ethnographic EssayWriting with ResearchResearch Essays, Research Papers, and Research ReportsMotives for Writing a Research EssayThe Research Essay and Academic WritingFeatures of the FormExercise 10.1 Flash Research on TattoosPoll: The Tattoo ParadoxExcerpt 1: Journal Article Derek J. Roberts, "Secret Ink: Tattoo's places in Contemporary American Culture"Excerpt 2: Journal Article Myrna L. Armstrong, Alden E. Roberts, Jeroem R. Koch, Jana C. Sanders, Donna C.Owen, and R. Rox Andresonl, "Motivation for Contemporary Tattoo Removal"Excerpt 3: Book Miliann Kange and Katherine Jones, "Why Do People Get Tattoos"Excerpt 4: Journal Article MyrJenn Home, David Knox, Jane Zusman, and Marty E. Zusman, "Tattoos andPiercings: Attitudes, Behaviors, and Interpretations of College Students"Exercise 10.1 (Continued from p. )Inquiry Project: Writing a Research EssayWhat Are You Going to Write About?Opening UpListing PromptsFastwriting PromptsVisual PromptsOne Student's Response Julian's JournalResearch PromptsNarrowing DownWhat's Promising Material and What Isn't?Questions About Audience and PurposeTrying OutRefining the QuestionFocus Like a JournalistWriting a ProposalSample Research ProposalMoving from Proposal to DraftEvaluating Your ProposalReflecting on What You've LearnedInquiring into the Details Scheduling Your TimeDevelopingTools for Developing the Research Essay DraftDraftingMethods of DevelopmentUsing EvidenceWorkshoppingReflecting on the DraftRevisingShapingPolishingStudent Essay Laura Burns, "The 'Unreal Dream': True Crime in the Justice System"Evaluating the EssayUsing What You Have Learned10. Research TechniquesMethods of CollectingResearch in the Electronic AgeResearch RoutinesPower Searching Using GoogleInquiring into the Details Google Tips and TricksGoogle ScholarPower Searching in the LibraryCombining Terms Using Boolean SearchingUsing Controlled Language SearchesDeveloping Working KnowledgeA Strategy for Developing Working KnowledgeRefine the Research QuestionDeveloping Focused KnowledgeLibrary Research: A Strategy for Developing Focused KnowledgeSearching for BooksSearching for Periodicals and NewspapersWeb Research: A Strategy for Developing Focused KnowledgeAdvanced Internet Research TechniquesEvaluating Library SourcesInquiring into the Details The Working BibliographyEvaluating Web SourcesAn Evaluation Checklist for Web SourcesResearch with Living Sources: Interviews, Surveys, and FieldworkInterviewsArranging InterviewsConducting the InterviewUsing the Interview in Your Writing The Online InterviewMaking Contact for Online InterviewSurveysDefining a Survey's Goals and AudienceTypes of Survey QuestionsCrafting Survey QuestionsInquiring into the Details Types of Survey QuestionsConducting a Survey: Paper or Electronic?Testing the SurveyFind the Target AudienceUsing Survey Results in Your WritingFieldwork: Research on What You See and HearThe Ethics of FieldworkNote-Taking StrategiesUsing Field Research in Your WritingWriting in the Middle: Note-Taking TechniquesDouble-Entry JournalResearch LogOne Student's Response Claude's Research LogUsing What You Have Learned12. Using and Citing SourcesControlling InformationUsing and Synthesizing Sources The Research Writer as NarratorThe Narrator as SynthesizerThe Notetaker's Triad: Summary, Paraphrase, and QuotationSummarizingParaphrasingQuotingCiting Sources and Avoiding PlagiarismAvoiding PlagiarismInquiring into the Details A Taxonomy of CopyingExercise 12.1 The Accidental PlagiaristMLA Documentation GuidelinesInquiring into the Details The Common Knowledge ExceptionCiting Sources Where to Put CitationsInquiring into the Details Citations That Go with the FlowWhen You Mention the Author's NameWhen There Is No AuthorWorks by the Same AuthorWhen One Source Quotes AnotherPersonal InterviewsSeveral Sources in a Single CitationSample Parenthetical References for Other SourcesAn Entire WorkA Volume of a Multivolume WorkA Literary WorkAn Online SourceFormatThe LayoutPreparing the Works Cited PageFormatCiting BooksSample Book CitationsCiting PeriodicalsSample Periodical CitationsCiting Online and Other SourcesA Sample Paper in MLA StyleAPA Documentation GuidelinesHow the Essay Should LookPage FormatTitle PageAbstractBody of the PaperReferences PageAppendixNotesTables and FiguresLanguage and StyleCiting Sources in Your EssayWhen the Author Is Mentioned in the TextWhen the Author Isn't Mentioned in the TextWhen to Cite Page NumbersA Single Work by Two or More AuthorsA Work with No AuthorTwo or More Works by the Same AuthorAn Institutional AuthorMultiple Works in the Same ParenthesesInterviews, E-Mail, and LettersNew Editions of Old WorksA WebsitePreparing the References ListOrder of SourcesOrder of InformationSample References: ArticlesSample References: BooksSample References: OtherA Sample Paper in APA StyleUsing What You Have LearnedIV. RE-INQUIRING13. Re-Genre: Repurposing Your Writing for Multimedia GenresWhat Writers Can Learn from Re-Genre: Knowledge TransferTransfer from Blog Essay to Podcast: A Case StudyBeyond Words: Communicating in Other Modes The Problem of DefinitionRe-Genre is Deep Re-Vision Genre as a Way of Knowing and Seeing Genre and Its ConventionsRe-Genre: The Assignment Planning the Re-Genre Applying Rhetorical GoalsExercise 13.1 Re-Genre PitchSeven Multimodal Genres Slide Presentations Infographic Brochure Conference Poster Photographic Essay Radio Essays or Podcasts Website Video PSADrafting Tools: Storyboards, Mock-ups, and Scripts Scripts Storyboards Mock-upsExercise 13.2 Genre Analysis: Conventions and Best PracticesThe Ethics of Borrowing Creative Commons Licenses Public DomainReflecting on Re-GenreUsing What You Have Learned14. Revision StrategiesWhy Revise?Divorcing the DraftStrategies for Divorcing the DraftFive Categories of RevisionProblems with PurposeInquiring into the Details Explore or Argue?Revision Strategy 14.1: Dialogue with DaveRevision Strategy 14.2: What Do You Want to Know About What You Learned?One Student's Response Julia's DraftRevision Strategy 14.3: Finding the Focusing QuestionRevision Strategy 14.4: What's the Relationship?Problems with MeaningWhere Does Meaning Come From?Methods for Discovering Your ThesisRevision Strategy 14.5: Harvest Meanings in the DraftRevision Strategy 14.6: Looping Toward a ThesisRevision Strategy 14.7: Reclaiming Your TopicRevision Strategy 14.8: The Believing GameMethods for Refining Your ThesisRevision Strategy 14.9: Questions as KnivesRevision Strategy 14.10: Qualifying Your ClaimProblems with InformationRevision Strategy 14.11: Explode a MomentRevision Strategy 14.12: Beyond ExamplesRevision Strategy 14.13: ResearchRevision Strategy 14.14: Backing Up Your AssumptionsProblems with StructureFormal Academic StructuresRevision Strategy 14.15: Beginnings, Middles, Ends, and the Work They DoRevision Strategy 14.16: Reorganizing Around Thesis and SupportRevision Strategy 14.17: Multiple LeadsInquiring into the Details Types of LeadsRevision Strategy 14.18: The Frankenstein DraftRevision Strategy 14.19: Reverse OutlineProblems with Clarity and StyleSolving Problems of ClarityRevision Strategy 14.20: The Three Most Important SentencesThe First SentenceThe Last Line of the First ParagraphThe Last Line of the EssayRevision Strategy 14.21: Untangling ParagraphsRevision Strategy 14.22: Cutting ClutterInquiring into the Details Transition FlagsRevision Strategy 14.23: The Actor and the Action Next DoorImproving StyleRevision Strategy 14.24: Actors and ActionsRevision Strategy 14.25: Smoothing the ChoppinessRevision Strategy 14.26: Fresh Ways to Say ThingsUsing What You Have LearnedAppendix A. The Writer's WorkshopMaking the Most of Peer ReviewBeing ReadDivorcing the DraftInstructive TalkModels for Writing WorkshopsGroup WorkshopsOne-on-One Peer ReviewThe Writer's and Reader's ResponsibilitiesUseful ResponsesResponse Formats The No-Response Workshop The Initial-Response Workshop The Narrative-of-Thought Workshop The Instructive-Lines WorkshopThe Purpose WorkshopThe Graphing-Reader-Interest WorkshopThe Sum-of-the-Parts WorkshopThe Thesis WorkshopThe Editing WorkshopReflecting on the WorkshopAppendix B. The Writing PortfolioWhat Is a Portfolio?Types of PortfoliosUnevaluated PortfoliosEvaluated PortfoliosWhy Require a Portfolio?Organizing PortfoliosWriting a Reflective Letter or EssayFinal PreparationsAppendix C. The Annotated BibliographyWhat Is an Annotated Bibliography?Writing an Annotated Bibliography Sample Student Annotated Bibliography
