The Brief Bedford Reader with 2009 MLA Update

A compact version of one of the most widely adopted composition readers of all time at a significant savings to students The Brief Bedford Readercontinues to engage and inspire with 50 remarkable selections, all the outstanding instructional material of the full-length text, and a unique "Writers on Writing" feature in which 32 of the book's writers comment on their process and their work. Thorough coverage of critical reading, effective writing, and working with sources guides students, now more than ever, through their own academic writing. And an exciting visual dimension shows that rhetorical methods apply to both images and text.The Brief Bedford Readeris a favorite of students for the Kennedys' clarity and wit, of instructors for the flexible and realistic view of the rhetorical methods, and of both for the superior selections and perceptive commentaries by writers worth reading.

X. J. KENNEDY is an acclaimed poet, children’s writer, college teacher, and textbook author. He has taught freshman composition at the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Tufts University. Since 1966, more than two million students have treasured his introductory literature texts and The Bedford Guide for College Writers, Eighth Edition (2008), coauthored with Dorothy M. Kennedy and Marcia F. Muth.

DOROTHY M. KENNEDY is a writer and editor whose articles and reviews have appeared 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 respected writer and editor who has taught composition at New York University and New School University. For Bedford/St. Martin’s she is the author of The Compact Reader, Eighth Edition (2008), and 40 Model Essays: A Portable Anthology (2005).

 

Preface for Instructors

Thematic Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

WHY READ? WHY WRITE? WHY NOT PHONE?

USING THE BEDFORD READER

PART ONE

READING, WRITING, AND RESEARCH

1 Critical Reading

READING AN ESSAY

NANCY MAIRS, Disability

THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT VISUAL IMAGES

*Visual Image: A Deployed Soldier and His Daughter, photograph by Erik S. Lesser

2 The Writing Process

ANALYZING THE WRITING SITUATION

DISCOVERING IDEAS

FOCUSING ON THE THESIS AND THE THESIS STATEMENT

DRAFTING

REVISING AND EDITING

COLLABORATION

AN ESSAY-IN-PROGRESS

*ROSIE ANAYA, Mental Illness on Television

3 Academic Writing

RESPONDING TO A TEXT

INTEGRATING SOURCE MATERIAL

WRITING FROM RESEARCH

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

SOURCE CITATION USING MLA STYLE

SAMPLE RESEARCH PAPER

*ROSIE ANAYA, The Best Kept Secret on Campus

 PART TWO

THE METHODS

4 NARRATION: Telling a Story

Visual Image: How Joe’s Body Brought Him Fame Instead of Shame, advertisement for Charles Atlas

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

NARRATION IN PARAGRAPHS

NARRATION IN PRACTICE: Reporting a car accident

PAIRED SELECTIONS [ANGELOU and TAN]

DIFFERENCE

MAYA ANGELOU, Champion of the World

Maya Angelou on Writing

AMY TAN, Fish Cheeks

Amy Tan on Writing

ANNIE DILLARD, The Chase

Annie Dillard on Writing

*HAROLD TAW, Finding Prosperity by Feeding Monkeys

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

5 DESCRIPTION: Writing With Your Senses

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

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

DESCRIPTION IN PARAGRAPHS

DESCRIPTION IN PRACTICE: Advertising an apartment for sublet

PAIRED SELECTIONS [MANNING and VOWELL]

FATHERS

BRAD MANNING, Arm Wrestling with My Father

Brad Manning on Writing

SARAH VOWELL, Shooting Dad

Sarah Vowell on Writing

*YIYUN LI, Orange Crush

*Yiyun Li on Writing

*ROBERT BENCHLEY, My Face

*Robert Benchley on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

6 EXAMPLE: Pointing to Instances

*Visual Image: Low-Energy Drinks, cartoon by Glen LeLievre

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

EXAMPLES IN PARAGRAPHS

EXAMPLES IN PRACTICE: Writing a cover letter for a job application

PAIRED SELECTIONS [ASCHER and QUINDLEN]

HOMELESSNESS

BARBARA LAZEAR ASCHER, On Compassion

Barbara Lazear Ascher on Writing

ANNA QUINDLEN, Homeless

Anna Quindlen on Writing

*ANDREW KORITZ KRULL, Celebrating the Pity of Brotherly Love

*Andrew Koritz Krull on Writing

BRENT STAPLES, Black Men and Public Space

Brent Staples on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

7 COMPARISON AND CONTRAST: Setting Things Side by Side

Visual Images: American Gothic, painting by Grant Wood; Rural Rehabilitation Client, photograph by Ben Shahn

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST IN PARAGRAPHS

COMPARISON AND CONTRAST IN PRACTICE: Creating a campaign poster

PAIRED SELECTIONS [BRITT and BARRY]

PERSONALITIES

SUZANNE BRITT, Neat People vs. Sloppy People

Suzanne Britt on Writing

DAVE BARRY, Batting Clean-Up and Striking Out

Dave Barry on Writing

BRUCE CATTON, Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts

Bruce Catton on Writing

FATEMA MERNISSI, Size 6: The Western Women’s Harem

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

8 PROCESS ANALYSIS: Explaining Step by Step

Visual Image: Workers Making Dolls, photograph by Wally McNamee

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

PROCESS ANALYSIS IN PARAGRAPHS

PROCESS ANALYSIS IN PRACTICE: Explaining a fire-drill procedure

PAIRED SELECTIONS [SAUKKO and EHRLICH]

THE ENVIRONMENT

LINNEA SAUKKO, How to Poison the Earth

Linnea Saukko on Writing

*GRETEL EHRLICH, Chronicles of Ice

*Gretel Ehrlich on Writing

*IAN FRAZIER, How to Operate a Shower Curtain

*Ian Frazier on Writing

JESSICA MITFORD, Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain

Jessica Mitford on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

9 DIVISION OR ANALYSIS: Slicing into Parts

Visual Image: Deconstructing Lunch, cartoon by Roz Chast

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

DIVISION OR ANALYSIS IN PARAGRAPHS

DIVISION OR ANALYSIS IN PRACTICE: Writing an application essay

PAIRED SELECTIONS [BRADY and BROTT]

WOMEN AND MEN

JUDY BRADY, I Want a Wife

ARMIN A. BROTT, Not All Men are Sly Foxes

*BELLA DePAULO The Myth of Doomed Kids

*Bella DePaulo on Writing

LAILA AYAD, The Capricious Camera

Visual Image: Mounted Nazi Troops on the Lookout for Likely Polish Children, photograph

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

10 CLASSIFICATION: Sorting into Kinds

*Visual Image: The More They Learn, the More They Earn, graph from State Farm Bank

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

CLASSIFICATION IN PARAGRAPHS

CLASSIFICATION IN PRACTICE: Crafting a résumé

RUSSELL BAKER, The Plot Against People

Russell Baker on Writing

DEBORAH TANNEN, But What Do You Mean?

Deborah Tannen on Writing

PAIRED SELECTIONS [ERICSSON and LUTZ]

TELLING LIES

STEPHANIE ERICSSON, The Ways We Lie

Stephanie Ericsson on Writing

WILLIAM LUTZ, The World of Doublespeak

William Lutz on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

11 CAUSE AND EFFECT: Asking Why

Visual Image: Garbage In . . . , cartoon by Mike Thompson

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

CAUSE AND EFFECT IN PARAGRAPHS

CAUSE AND EFFECT IN PRACTICE: Setting the record straight in a letter to the editor

PAIRED SELECTIONS [DIVAKARUNI and JAVDANI]

GLOBALIZATION

CHITRA DIVAKARUNI, Live Free and Starve

Chitra Divakaruni on Writing

MARIE JAVDANI, Plata o Plomo: Silver or Lead

*Marie Javdani on Writing

*SARAH ADAMS, Be Cool to the Pizza Dude

*CHRIS ANDERSON, The Rise and Fall of the Hit

*Chris Anderson on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

12 DEFINITION: Tracing a Boundary

Visual Image: Need Is a Very Subjective Word, advertisement for the HUMMER H2

THE METHOD

THE PROCESS

DEFINITION IN PARAGRAPHS

DEFINITION IN PRACTICE: Explaining the mission of an organization

PAIRED SELECTIONS [NAYLOR AND LEONG]

HURTFUL WORDS

GLORIA NAYLOR, The Meanings of a Word

Gloria Naylor on Writing

CHRISTINE LEONG, Being a Chink

Christine Leong on Writing

THOMAS SOWELL, Needs

*EMILY DICKINSON, "Hope" is the thing with feathers

*Emily Dickinson on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS

13 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 PARAGRAPHS

ARGUMENT AND PERSUASION IN PRACTICE: Disputing a parking ticket

COLLEEN WENKE, Too Much Pressure

CASEBOOK

SECURITY VS. LIBERTY: Profiling

ADNAN R. KHAN, Close Encounters with US Immigration

LINDA CHAVEZ, Everything Isn’t Racial Profiling

SECURITY VS. LIBERTY: Immigration

*MARK KRIKORIAN, Safety Through Immigration Control

*EDWIDGE DANTICAT, Not Your Homeland

*Edwidge Danticat on Writing

ADDITIONAL WRITING TOPICS  PART THREE

MIXING THE METHODS

SANDRA CISNEROS, Only Daughter

Sandra Cisneros on Writing

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., I Have a Dream

GEORGE ORWELL, Shooting an Elephant

George Orwell on Writing

EDWARD SAID, Clashing Civilizations?

E. B. WHITE, Once More to the Lake

E. B. White on Writing

USEFUL TERMS

INDEX