Synopses & Reviews
Stubborn Twig is a classic American story, a story of immigrants making their way in a new land. It is a living work of social history that rings with the power of truth and the drama of fiction, a moving saga about the challenges of becoming an American. Masuo Yasui traveled from Japan across the other Oregon Trail, the one that spanned the Pacific Ocean in 1903. Like most immigrants, he came with big dreams and empty pockets. Working on the railroads, in a cannery, and as a houseboy before settling in Hood River, Oregon, he opened a store, raised a large family, and became one of the areas most successful orchardists. As Masuo broke the race barrier in the local business community, his American-born children broke it in school, scouts and sports, excelling in most everything they tried. For the Yasu is a first-born son, the constraints and contradictions of being both Japanese and American led to tragedy. But his seven brothers and sisters prevailed, becoming doctors, lawyers, teachers, and farmers. It was a classic tale of the American dream come true until December 7, 1941, changed their lives forever. The Yasu is were among the more than 110,000 people of Japanese ancestry along the West Coast who were forced from their homes and interned in vast inland are location camps. Masuo was arrested as a spy and imprisoned for the rest of the war; his family was shamed and broken. Yet the Yasu is endured, as succeeding generations took up the challenge of finding their identity as Americans. Stubborn Twig is their story, a story at once tragic and triumphant, one that bears eloquent witness to both the promise and the peril of America.
Review
"Specific examples help the novice or less mature writer quickly see how the errors can be corrected. The section on parallel Structure is particularly important because students tend to overlook these errors."
Review
"I really like the clarity and directness of the writing style. In fact, style is one of the book's main strengths. The examples are clear, succinct and extremely helpful."
Review
"College students will find the casual writing style a refreshing change from many of their other textbooks. The conversational tone and frequent use of analogies turns a boring subject into an interesting narrative."
Synopsis
WHEN WORDS COLLIDE is the most versatile grammar and usage handbook for beginning and continuing media writers. The book is praised by readers for its straightforward, clear treatment of grammar, offered in a lighthearted, almost conversational tone. As a handbook, it serves as a reference tool for writers throughout their writing careers. It provides concise and clear explanations and examples, or a quick and accurate answer to a grammar or usage question. The unique 'from writer to writer' perspective engages writers and guides them firsthand through the writing process.
About the Author
Lauren Kessler is the author of ten books, including Los Angeles Times best-seller and Oregon Book Award finalist The Happy Bottom Riding Club (Random House 2000), the biography of one of the most colorful women of the 20th century: pioneering aviatrix, Hollywood stunt pilot and bordello madame Pancho Barnes. Her other books include a season-in-the-life narrative about women's sports, Full Court Press (Dutton 1997); Stubborn Twig (Random House1994), which won the Frances Fuller Victor Award for literary nonfiction; and After All These Years (Thunder's Mouth Press 1990), portraits of 60s radicals critics praised as "vital and revealing." Her books have been translated into Italian, Japanese and Chinese. Kessler's essays have appeared in Salon, The Nation and Oregon Quarterly. She writes regularly about the craft of writing for Writer's Digest and has published articles in a variety of magazines. The founder and editor of Etude, an online magazine devoted to new and emerging voices in literary nonfiction, she directs the graduate program in literary nonfiction at the University of Oregon in Eugene. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington and is a graduate of the Medill school of Journalism, Northwestern University.Duncan McDonald is currently serving at the University of Oregon as Vice President for Public Affairs and Development. He is a past winner of the University's prestigious Ersted Award for excellence in teaching, and has co-authored four well-known textbooks grammar, media writing, information gathering and graphics. He is an active freelance photographer, and his work is frequently published and exhibited. He has had experience as a newspaper photographer, reporter, editor and publisher. From 1992 to 1994, McDonald was chief operating officer of the Freedom Forum Media Studies Center at Columbia University. In addition to his work on skills texts, McDonald investigates how writing is taught and how we acquire and use language. The implications of electronic and digital manipulations of photographs are also among his research interests.
Table of Contents
Preface. Part One: UNDERSTANDING GRAMMAR AND STYLE. 1. Ten Secrets to Writing Well. 2. What You Don't Know Will Hurt You. 3. Parts of Speech, Part 1: The Power of the Verb. 4. Parts of Speech, Part 2: The Supporting cast. 5. The Sentence. 6. Agreement-Rules, Exceptions and Common Sense. 7. Case: It's All About Relationships. 8. Passive Voice. 9. Punctuation: Graceful Mechanics. 10. Spelling. 11. Clarity, Conciseness, Coherence. 12. Style. 13. Sense and Sensitivity. Part Two: TOPICAL GUIDE TO GRAMMAR AND WORD USE. Index.
Exclusive Essay
Read Lauren Kessler's exclusive essay, "The Art of the Guinea Pig"