The Curious Writer is an assignment-oriented rhetoric-reader that stresses the connections between personal and academic writing. Offering a unique, entertaining, and personal author voice, The Curious Writer is sure to grab the reader's interest and motivates writing. Also distinctive is The Curious Writer’s emphasis on inquiry as both a driving force behind the writing process and a method of discovery and learning.
Table of Contents:
>Chapter 1 WRITING AS INQUIRY Motives for Writing
Beliefs About Writing
EXERCISE 1.1 What Do You Believe?
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Bernice’s Journal
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Journals
Unlearning Unhelpful Beliefs
The Beliefs of This Book
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Portfolios
Writing Situations and Rhetorical Choices
Habits of Mind
Start with Questions, Not Answers
Suspend Judgment
Search for Surprise
EXERCISE 1.2 A Roomful of Details
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Bernice’s Journal
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Invention Strategies
Writing as a Process
EXERCISE 1.3 What Is Your Process?
Thinking About Your Process
EXERCISE 1.4 Literacy Narrative Collage
Writing Creatively, Writing Critically: A Process of Writing
EXERCISE 1.5 Alternating Currents of Thought: Generating and Judging Thinking and Writing Dialectically
Opening Questions
Questions, Creativity, and Critical Thinking: A Strategy for Inquiry
EXERCISE 1.6 Writing with the Wrong Hand and Other Ways of Thinking About Yourself as a Writer
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: The Writing Literacy Memoir
SAMPLE STUDENT ESSAY Bernice Olivas, Writing a New Path
EXERCISE 1.7 Taking a Reflective Turn
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 2 READING AS INQUIRY
Motives for Reading
Beliefs About Reading
EXERCISE 2.1 What Do You Believe?
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Briana’s Journal
Reading Situations and Rhetorical Choices
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Briana’s Journal
EXERCISE 2.2 Reading Autobiography
Reading as a Process
Reading to Write
Goal-Directed Reading
EXERCISE 2.3 What Do You Know and When Did You Know It?
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Briana’s Journal
Inquiry Questions for Reading to Write
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Reading Perspectives
Reading Dialectically
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Visual Literacy: Reading Photographs
EXERCISE 2.4 Reading Creatively, Reading Critically
READINGSBruce Ballenger, “The Importance of Writing Badly”
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Briana’s Journal
Read to Write and Write to Read
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: The Reading Literacy Memoir
STUDENT ESSAY Briana Duquette-Shackley, Reading Literacy Memoir
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS The Double-Entry Journal
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 3 WRITING A PERSONAL ESSAY
Writing About Experience
Motives for Writing a Personal Essay
The Personal Essay and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
READINGS
PERSONAL ESSAY 1 Laura Zazulak, “Every Morning for Five Years”
Inquiring into the Essay
PERSONAL ESSAY 2 Judith Ortiz Cofer, “One More Lesson”
Inquiring into the Essay
SEEING THE FORM Nautilus Shell
WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES The Personal Academic Essay
WRITING IN YOUR LIFE Essaying “This I Believe”
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: Writing a Personal Essay
Thinking About Subjects
Generating Ideas
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Margaret’s Journal
Listing Prompts
Fastwriting Prompts
Visual Prompts
Research Prompts
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Clustering or Mapping
Judging What You Have
What’s Promising Material and What Isn’t?
Questions About Purpose and Audience
Questions for Reflection
Writing the Sketch
STUDENT SKETCH Amanda Stewart, “Earning a Sense of Place”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Evaluating Your Own Sketch
Questions for Peer Review
Reflecting on What You’ve Learned
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information
Composing the Draft
Methods of Development
Using Evidence
Workshopping the Draft
Reflecting on the Draft
Questions for Readers
Revising the Draft
Polishing the Draft
STUDENT ESSAY Julia C. Arredondo, “Beet Field Dreams”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 4 WRITING A REVIEW
Writing That Evaluates
Motives for Writing a Review
The Review and Academic Writing
WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES Evaluation Across the Disciplines
Features of the Form
READINGS
REVIEW 1 Mark Kermode, “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”
Inquiring into the Essay
REVIEW 2 Ezra Dyer, “A Ton (Just Barely) of Fun”
Inquiring into the Essay
SEEING THE FORM Choosing the Best Picture
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: Writing a Review
Thinking About Subjects
Generating Ideas
Listing Prompts
Fastwriting Prompts
Visual Prompts
Research Prompts
Judging What You Have
WRITING IN YOUR LIFE Online Product Reviews
What’s Promising Material and What Isn’t?
Questions About Audience and Purpose
EXERCISE 4.1 From Jury to Judgment
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Sam’s Journal
Thinking About Criteria
Writing the Sketch
STUDENT SKETCH Sam Battey, “River Birch: A Diamond in the Rough”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Evaluating Your Own Sketch
Questions for Peer Review
Reflecting on What You’ve Learned
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information
Re-Experience
Interview
Read
Composing the Draft
Methods of Development
Using Evidence
Workshopping the Draft
Reflecting on the Draft
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Christy’s Journal
Questions for Readers
Revising the Draft
Polishing the Draft
STUDENT ESSAY Sam Battey, “River Birch: A Diamond in the Rough”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 5 WRITING A PROPOSAL
Writing About Problems and Solutions
Problems of Consequence
Problems of Scale
Motives for Writing a Proposal
The Proposal and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
READINGS
PROPOSAL 1 David S. Johnston, “Housing and Our Military”
Inquiring into the Essay
PROPOSAL 2 UC Santa Cruz Dining Services, “Green Dining”
Inquiring into the Essay
WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES Writing a Research Proposal
SEEING THE FORM A Problem in Pictures
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: Writing a Proposal
Thinking About Subjects
Generating Ideas
Listing Prompts
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Caesar’s Journal
Fastwriting Prompts
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Gina’s Journal
Visual Prompts
Research Prompts
Judging What You Have
What’s Promising Material and What Isn’t?
Questions About Audience and Purpose
Questions of Form
Research Considerations
Writing the Sketch
STUDENT SKETCH Gina Sinisi, “Clothing Optional”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Evaluating Your Own Sketch
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Gina’s Journal
Questions for Peer Review
Reflecting on What You Learned
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information
WRITING IN YOUR LIFE Grant Proposals and Group Ethos
Composing the Draft
Methods of Development
Using Evidence
Workshopping the Draft
Reflecting on the Draft
Questions for Readers
Revising the Draft
Polishing the Draft
STUDENT ESSAY Gina Sinisi, “Clothing Optional”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 6 WRITING AN ARGUMENT
Writing to Persuade People
What Is Argument?
Two Sides to Every Argument?
Argument and Inquiry
Suspending Judgment
Making Judgments
Analyzing Argument
Using Toulmin
Using Logical Fallacies
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Common Logical Fallacies
Motives for Writing an Argument
The Argument and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
WRITING IN YOUR LIFE Public Argument in a Digital Age
READINGS
ARGUMENT 1 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, “The Language of War Is Killing”
Inquiring into the Essay
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Some Basic Argument Strategies
ARGUMENT 2 Jeff Jacoby, “A Teacher with Faith and Reason”
Inquiring into the Essay
ARGUMENT 3 Loye Young, “Is Humiliation an Ethically Appropriate Response to Plagiarism?”
Inquiring into the Essay
SEEING THE FORM The “Imagetext” as Argument
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: Writing a Public Argument
Thinking About Subjects
Generating Ideas
Listing Prompts
Fastwriting Prompts
Visual Prompts
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Ben’s Journal
Research Prompts
Judging What You Have
What’s Promising Material and What Isn’t?
Questions About Audience and Purpose
Research Considerations
Narrowing the Question
Writing the Sketch
STUDENT SKETCH Ben Bloom, “How to Really Rock the Vote”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Evaluating Your Own Sketch
Questions for Peer Review
Reflecting on What You’ve Learned
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information
Composing the Draft
Methods of Development
Using Evidence
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS What Evidence Can Do
Workshopping the Draft
Reflecting on the Draft
Questions for Readers
Revising the Draft
WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES Argument in Academic Disciplines
Polishing the Draft
STUDENT ESSAY Kelly Sundberg, “I Am Not a Savage”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 7 WRITING A CRITICAL ESSAY
Writing About Literature
Motives for Writing a Critical Essay
The Critical Essay and Academic Writing
Features of the Form
READINGS
SHORT STORY 1 Ursula Le Guin, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”
Inquiring into the Story
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Bernice’s Double-Entry Journal
WRITING IN THE DISCIPLINES Why Literary Theory Is Not a Sleep Aid
ESSAY Sarah Vowell, “Shooting Dad”
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS How to Read Nonfiction
Inquiring into the Essay
SEEING THE FORM Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth
THE WRITING PROCESS
Inquiry Project: Writing a Critical Essay
Thinking About Subjects
Generating Ideas
Listing Prompts
Fastwriting Prompts
Visual Prompts
Research Prompts
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Common Literary Devices
Judging What You Have
What’s Promising Material and What Isn’t?
Questions About Audience and Purpose
Writing the Sketch
STUDENT SKETCH Bernice Olivas, “Who Are `The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’?”
Moving from Sketch to Draft
Evaluating Your Own Sketch
Questions for Peer Review
Reflecting on What You’ve Learned
Research and Other Strategies: Gathering More Information
Composing the Draft
Methods of Development
Using Evidence
Workshopping the Draft
WRITING IN YOUR LIFE Book Groups
Reflecting on the Draft
Questions for Readers
Revising the Draft
Polishing the Draft
STUDENT ESSAY Bernice Olivas, “Can You Really Walk Away?”
Evaluating the Essay
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 8 RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Methods of Collecting
Research in the Electronic Age
Magic Words That Open Doors
Google Your Boole
Developing Working Knowledge
A Strategy for Developing Working Knowledge
Developing Focused Knowledge
A Strategy for Developing Focused Knowledge
Library Research
Web Research
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Methods of Recording Information
Evaluating Library Sources
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS The Working Bibliography
Evaluating Web Sources
Writing in the Middle: Synthesizing Source Information and Your Own Ideas
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS How to Annotate a Book
Double-Entry Journal
Research Log
Interviews
Arranging Interviews
Conducting the Interview
Using the Interview in Your Writing
Surveys
Defining a Survey’s Goals and Audience
Types of Survey Questions
Crafting Survey Questions
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Types of Survey Questions
Conducting a Survey
Using Survey Results in Your Writing
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 9 USING AND CITING SOURCES
Controlling Information
Using Sources
Summarizing
Paraphrasing
Quoting
Citing Sources
Avoiding Plagiarism
EXERCISE 9.1 The Accidental Plagiarist
MLA Documentation Guidelines
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS The Common Knowledge Exception
Citing Sources
Where to Put Citations
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Citations That Go with the Flow
When You Mention the Author’s Name
When There Is No Author
Works by the Same Author
When One Source Quotes Another
Personal Interviews
Several Sources in a Single Citation
Sample Parenthetical References for Other Sources
Format
The Layout
Preparing the Works Cited Page
Format
Citing Books
Sample Book Citations
Citing Periodicals
Sample Periodical Citations
Citing Nonprint and Other Sources
A Sample Paper in MLA Style
STUDENT ESSAY Amy Garret, “We Need the Sun”
APA Documentation Guidelines
How the Essay Should Look
Page Format
Title Page
Abstract
Body of the Paper
References Page
Appendix
Notes
Tables and Figures
Language and Style
Citing Sources in Your Essay
When the Author Is Mentioned in the Text
When the Author Isn’t Mentioned in the Text
When to Cite Page Numbers
A Single Work by Two or More Authors
A Work with No Author
Two or More Works by the Same Author
An Institutional Author
Multiple Works in the Same Parentheses
Interviews, E-Mail, and Letters
New Editions of Old Works
A Web Site
Preparing the References List
Order of Sources
Order of Information
Sample References: Articles
Sample References: Books
Sample References: Other
A Sample Paper in APA Style
STUDENT ESSAY Amy Garrett, “The Happy Cow”
Using What You Have Learned
Chapter 10 REVISION STRATEGIES
Re-seeing Your Topic
Divorcing the Draft
Strategies for Divorcing the Draft
Photography as a Metaphor for Revision
Five Categories of Revision
Problems with Purpose
Revision Strategy 10.1: The Motive Statement
Revision Strategy 10.2: What Do You Want to Know About What You Learned?
ONE STUDENT’S RESPONSE Julia’s Draft
Revision Strategy 10.3: Finding the Focusing Question
Revision Strategy 10.4: What’s the Relationship?
Problems with Meaning
Where Does Meaning Come From?
Methods for Discovering Your Thesis
Revision Strategy 10.5: Find the “Instructive Line”
Revision Strategy 10.6: Looping Toward a Thesis
Revision Strategy 10.7: Reclaiming Your Topic
Revision Strategy 10.8: Believing and Doubting
Methods for Refining Your Thesis
Revision Strategy 10.9: Questions as Knives
Revision Strategy 10.10: Qualifying Your Claim
Problems with Information
Revision Strategy 10.11: Explode a Moment
Revision Strategy 10.12: Beyond Examples
Revision Strategy 10.13: Research
Revision Strategy 10.14: Backing Up Your Assumptions
Problems with Structure
Formal Academic Structures
Revision Strategy 10.15: Beginnings, Middles, Ends, and the Work They Do
Revision Strategy 10.16: Reorganizing Around Thesis and Support
Revision Strategy 10.17: Multiple Leads
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Types of Leads
Revision Strategy 10.18: The Frankenstein Draft
Problems with Clarity and Style
Solving Problems of Clarity
Revision Strategy 10.19: The Three Most Important Sentences
The First Sentence
The Last Line of the First Paragraph
The Last Line of the Essay
Revision Strategy 10.20: Untangling Paragraphs
Revision Strategy 10.21: Cutting Clutter
INQUIRING INTO THE DETAILS Transition Flags
Revision Strategy 10.22: The Actor and the Action Next Door Improving Style
Revision Strategy 10.23: Actors and Actions
Revision Strategy 10.24: Smoothing the Choppiness
Revision Strategy 10.25: Fresh Ways to Say Things
Using What You Have Learned
INDEX
