80 Readings for Composition

This collection of professional and student essays is arranged thematically with four alternate tables of contents: rhetorical, argument, literature, and writing about the disciplines.    No matter the approach you take in your composition course, this flexible, substantial, and engaging reader will answer your teaching needs.  Available packaged with most Longman handbooks at no additional cost, this reader will also answer your students’ need for a low cost (no cost!) collection of essays.

Table of Contents:
1. Writers on Writing. Joan Didion, On Keeping a Notebook. Anne Johnson (student), On “On Keeping a Notebook.” Susan Scarbek (student), Monkey See, Monkey Do. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Introduction to Frankenstein. John O'Hayre, A First Look at Gobbledygook. Virginia Woolf, If Shakespeare Had a Sister. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Journal Notes on Thoreau. Toni Morrison, Nobel Lecture 1993. William Safire, The Perfect Paragraph. Kurt Vonnegut, How to Write with Style. Donald M. Murray, The Maker's Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscript. John Keats, When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be. George Schimmel (student), Redaction in Keats' “When I Have Fears.” 2. Nature. Chief Seattle, Address. Allison Hobgood (student), Sioux Sun Dance Ceremony. Diana Peck (student), The Shellfish of Arey's Pond. Mark Twain, Two Views of the Mississippi. John Muir, A Wind-Storm in the Forests. Andrew Campbell (student), Night in the Woods. Mary Austin, Water Trails of the Ceriso. Barry Lopez, Encounter on the Tundra. Edward Abbey, Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks. Al Gore, Remarks to Climate Change Conference. Carey McAlister (student), Spatial Memory in Pigeons and Rats. 3. Women and Men. Mary Wollstonecraft, from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. John Stuart Mill, from The Subjection of Women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution. Olive Schreiner, Sex-Parasitism. D.H. Lawrence, Pornography. Margaret Atwood, Pornography. Lisa Shin (student), Response to Lawrence and Atwood on Pornography. Mark Gerzon, Manhood: The Elusive Goal. Paul Theroux, Being a Man. Anita K. Blair, Shattering the Myth of the Glass Ceiling. Lester C. Thurow, Why Women Are Paid Less Than Men. Kay Ebeling, The Failure of Feminism. Felicia Andersen (student), Why I Am Not a Feminist. 4. Customs and Habits. Jane Austen, from Pride and Prejudice. Leah Neuman (student), Calling a “Boy” for a “Date.” Stephanie A. Crockett, 'Haven't We Met … ?': The Pickup Line Just Goes On and On. Kathleen Doheny, Desperately Seeking … Anyone. Adam Burrell (student), Time Torture. W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of White Folk. William Raspberry, The Handicap of Definition. Melvin Konner, Kick off Your Heels. 5. Politics and Belief. Translations of the Bible. D. T. Suzuki, What Is Zen? John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address. Adlai E. Stevenson, Veto of the “Cat Bill.” Eileen Williams (student), Mandatory AIDS Testing for Job Applicants. Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal. Mark Twain, Running for President. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, School Prayer (con position). The American Center for Law and Justice, School Prayer (pro position). 6. Rights and Obligations. Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence. Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address. Frederick Douglass, The Meaning of the 4th of July for the Negro. Henry David Thoreau, An Immoral Law. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail. Catherine Garaldi (student), King's Way with Words. Linda Hasselstrom, The Cow versus the Animal Rights Activist. Tom Regan, Animal Rights, Human Wrongs. Stephen Rose, Proud to Be Speciesist. Thomas Sowell, Cold Compassion. Katha Pollitt, A Dangerous Game on Abortion. Roy Bowen Ward, Is the Fetus a Person? The Bible's View. Sarah Doud (student), Changing Kyle. Katherine Crane (student), Handling Room. 7. Coming of Age. Zora Neale Hurston, I Get Born. Edith Wharton, The Valley of Childish Things. Annie Dillard, from An American Childhood. Ashley Wagner (student), The Third Row. Richard Wright, The Library Card. Aaliyah El-Amin (student), Milestones. Russell Baker, from Growing Up. Mark Gerrard (student), Bozo Revisited. Anne Frank, Diary. E. B. White, Once More to the Lake. Pearl Klein (student), Once More to the Pool. Jonathan Muir (student), Bottom of the Ninth. Alternate Tables of Contents: Argument Contents Edward Abbey, Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks      The American Center for Law and Justice, School Prayer (pro position)   Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, School Prayer (con position)   Anita K. Blair, Shattering the Myth of the Glass Ceiling   Al Gore, Remarks to Climate Change Conference     Linda Hasselstrom, The Cow versus the Animal Rights Activist Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence   Anne Johnson (student), On “On Keeping a Notebook”   Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail   Toni Morrison, Nobel Lecture 1993   Stephen Rose, Proud to Be Speciesist   Thomas Sowell, Cold Compassion   Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal   Lester C. Thurow, Why Women Are Paid Less Than Men   Eileen Williams (student), Mandatory AIDS Testing for Job Applicants   Mary Wollstonecraft, from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman   Virginia Woolf, If Shakespeare Had a Sister     Writing About the Disciplines Contents Natural Sciences / Geology, Biology Edward Abbey, Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks   Mary Austin, Water Trails of the Ceriso   Al Gore, Remarks to Climate Change Conference   Linda Hasselstrom, The Cow versus the Animal Rights Activist   Barry Lopez, Encounter on the Tundra   Carey McAlister (student), Spatial Memory in Pigeons and Rats   John Muir, A Wind-Storm in the Forests   Diana Peck (student), The Shellfish of Arey's Pond   Tom Regan, Animal Rights, Human Wrongs   Stephen Rose, Proud to be a Speciesist   Political Science/ History American Center for Law and Justice, School Prayer (pro position)   Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, School Prayer (con position)   Frederick Douglass, The Meaning of the 4th of July for the Negro   W.E.B. DuBois, The Souls of White Folk   Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence   John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address   Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail   Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address   John Stuart Mill, from The Subjection of Women   Chief Seattle, Address   Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Declaration of Sentiments and Resolution   Adlai E. Stevenson, Veto of the “Cat Bill”   Mark Twain, Running for President   Henry David Thoreau, An Immoral Law   Mary Wollstonecraft, from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman  Psychology Russell Baker, from Growing Up   Annie Dillard, from An American Childhood   Aaliyah El-Amin (student), Milestones   Anne Frank, from Diary   Mark Gerrard (student), Bozo Revisited   Ashley Wagner (student), The Third Row   Richard Wright, The Library Card   Religion Translations of the Bible   Katha Pollitt, A Dangerous Game on Abortion   Thomas Sowell, Cold Compassion   D. T. Suzuki, What Is Zen?   Roy Bowen Ward, Is the Fetus a Person? The Bible's View  Sociology /Anthropology Felicia Andersen (student), Why I Am Not a Feminist   Anita K. Blair, Shattering the Myth of the Glass Ceiling   Kay Ebeling, The Failure of Feminism   Mark Gerzon, Manhood: The Elusive Goal   Allison Hobgood (student), Sioux Sun Dance Ceremony   Olive Schreiner, Sex-Parasitism   Paul Theroux, Being a Man   Lester C. Thurow, Why Women Are Paid Less Than Men     Literature Contents Jane Austen, from Pride and Prejudice   Russell Baker, from Growing Up   Joan Didion, On Keeping a Notebook   Annie Dillard, from An American Childhood   Nathaniel Hawthorne, Journal Notes on Thoreau   John Keats, When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be   Toni Morrison, Nobel Lecture 1993   Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Introduction to Frankenstein   Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal   Kurt Vonnegut, How to Write with Style   Virginia Woolf, If Shakespeare Had a Sister