Synopses & Reviews
What do John Steinbeck and Toni Morrison have in common? They're both among the great authors you'll encounter in VISIONS ACROSS THE AMERICAS: SHORT ESSAYS FOR COMPOSITION. This book presents 72 cross-cultural essays on such diverse themes as: Language and Culture; The Family; Americans and Immigrants; Racism, Sexism, Theism, and Ageism; Technology, Cyberspace, and the Cosmos; and Irony and Humor. Each chapter provides students with a blueprint for a specific type of essay, with pre- and post-reading questions and activities that reinforce an understanding of the rhetorical modes addressed in that chapter.
Review
"I like the questions given for essay compositions--they are not too overly intellectual yet they are not too simplistic. They have the right amount of challenge and accessibility."
Review
"A great selection of readings, with a wide range of reading levels, by many well-known authors that students are bound to see again and again in their college careers and after. Many opportunities to use the readings in the chapters as they are presented or to pull them out of the chapters and use them based on different themes."
Synopsis
Louise Erdrich, Amy Tan, John Steinbeck, Pat Mora, and Andrew Lam are among the authors represented in Visions Across the Americas: Short Essays for Composition, 8th Edition. The book's 72 cross-cultural essays (12 of them new) cover a variety of themes--from cyberspace, humor, and popular culture to ecology, politics, and work. Writing guidance includes an overview of the writing process, writing tips, pre- and post-reading questions that reinforce understanding of the rhetorical modes, and optional activities on conducting research online and documenting sources.
Table of Contents
Preface. Annotated Rhetorical Table of Contents. Internet Connections. Thematic Table of Contents. 1. COMMUNICATION IS LANGUAGE AT WORK. Tips on Becoming an Active Reader. Toni Morrison, "Writers Together" (sample annotated text). Responding to Readings: Constructing Paragraphs and Essays. Generating Ideas and Establishing a Focus. Peter Elbow, "Freewriting". Structuring Essays. Point of View: Position of Authority. Lead-Ins and Concluding Sentences. Transitions. Revising and Editing. Joanne Jaime, "Marriage: The Changing Institution" (annotated). Special Writing Activities: The Individual and Group Response. Journal, Reading/Writing Logs, and Thesis Notebooks. Response and Summary. Group Activities and Collaborative Writing. Pat Mora, "Why I Am a Writer". Ray Bradbury, "The Joy of Writing". Amy Tan, "My Mother's English". 2. NARRATION. Common Elements of Narration. Tips on Writing Narrative Essays. Maxine Hong Kingston, "Ghosts". Black Elk, "The Offering of the Pipe" as told to John G. Neihardt (Flaming Rainbow). Alice Walker, "Journey to Nine Miles". Nguyen Ngoc Ngan, "Saigon, April 1975". Alma Luz Villanueva, "Leaps of Faith". Arthur C. Clarke, "The Star". Additional Topics and Issues for Narrative Essays. 3. DESCRIPTION. Details: Appealing to the Five Senses. Figurative