The Bedford Reader: High School Edition

 

Preface for Instructors

Thematic Table of Contents

Introduction

 

 

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
*Editing 
Collaborating
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 a Case Study
     | Paired Selections: 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
     *Bradley Philbert, Good
     *Bradley Philbert on Writing
     *Howard Markel, Mary Ellen's Story
     Shirley Jackson, The Lottery
     Shirley Jackson on Writing

 

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 a Field Observation
     | Paired Selections: Fathers
     | Brad Manning, Arm Wrestling with My Father
     | Brad Manning on Writing
     | Sarah Vowell, Shooting Dad
     | Sarah Vowell on Writing
     *Elizabeth Gilbert, The Best Pizza in the World 
     *William Least Heat-Moon, Dance of the Hobs
     *William Least Heat-Moon on Writing
     *Joyce Carol Oates, Edward Hopper's Nighthawks, 1942
     *Joyce Carol Oates on Writing

 

6. Example: Pointing to Instances
Visual Image: Low-Energy Drinks, cartoon by Glen LeLievre
The Method
The Process
Example in Paragraphs
Example in a Job Application Letter
   | Paired Selections: Homelessness
   | Barbara Lazear Ascher, On Compassion
   | Barbara Lazear Ascher on Writing
   | Anna Quindlen, Homeless
   | Anna Quindlen on Writing
     *Sharman Apt Russell, The Adored, Buzzing Around Us
     *Sharman Apt Russell on Writing
     Brent Staples, Black Men and Public Space
     Brent Staples on Writing
     *David Foster Wallace, This Is Water
     *David Foster Wallace on Writing

 

7. Comparison and Contrast: Setting Things Side by Side
Visual Image: 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 a Review
   | Paired Selections: 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
     *David Sedaris, Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa
     *David Sedaris on Writing
     Fatema Mernissi, Size 6: The Western Woman's Harem
     George Chauncey, The Legacy of Antigay Discrimination

 

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 a Lab Report
   | Paired Selections: The Environment
   | Linnea Saukko, How to Poison the Earth 
   | Linnea Saukko on Writing
   | Gretel Ehrlich, Chronicles of Ice
   | Gretel Ehrlich on Writing
     *Firoozeh Dumas, Sweet, Sour, and Resentful
     *Firoozeh Dumas on Writing
     Jessica Mitford, Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain
     Jessica Mitford on Writing
     *Michael Pollan, Corn Walking
     *Michael Pollan on Writing

 

Visual Image: Deconstructing Lunch, cartoon by Roz Chast
The Method
The Process
Division or Analysis in Paragraphs
Division or Analysis in an Annotated Bibliography
   | Paired Selections: Women and Men
   | Judy Brady, I Want a Wife 
   | *Judy Brady on Writing
   | *Christina Hoff Sommers, Men-It's in Their Nature 
   | *Christina Hoff Sommers on Writing
     *Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan, Vampires Never Die
     *Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan on Writing
     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

 

10. Classification: Sorting into Kinds
*Visual Image: Maple Ridge Curbside Recycling, illustrated chart by Ridge Meadows Recycling Society
The Method
The Process
Classification in Paragraphs
Classification in a Résumé
   | Paired Selections: Telling Lies
   | Stephanie Ericsson, The Ways We Lie
   | Stephanie Ericsson on Writing
   | William Lutz, The World of Doublespeak
   | William Lutz on Writing
     Russell Baker, The Plot Against People
     Russell Baker on Writing
     Deborah Tannen, But What Do You Mean?
     Deborah Tannen on Writing
     *Dacher Keltner, A Vocabulary of Smiles

 

11. Cause and Effect: Asking Why
*Visual Image: Im txtng while drvng, cartoon by Mike Luckovich
The Method
The Process
Cause and Effect in Paragraphs
Cause and Effect in a Letter to the Editor
   | Paired Selections: Globalization

   | Chitra Divakaruni, Live Free and Starve
   | Chitra Divakaruni on Writing
   | Marie Javdani, Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead
   | Marie Javdani on Writing
     *Helen Pilcher, The New Witch Doctors: How Belief Can Kill
     *Charles Fishman, The Squeeze
     *Charles Fishman on Writing
     Chris Anderson, The Rise and Fall of the Hit
     Chris Anderson on Writing

 

12. Definition: Tracing Boundaries
*Visual Image: Army Strong, advertisement for the U.S. Army
The Method
The Process
Definition in Paragraphs
Definition in an Essay Exam
   | Paired Selections: 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”
     *Barbara Kingsolver, Rural Delivery
     *Barbara Kingsolver on Writing
     *Andrea Jones, Identity's Edge

 

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 a Proposal

   Colleen Wenke, Too Much Pressure
   | Paired Selections: Same-Sex Marriage
   | Katha Pollitt, What's Wrong with Gay Marriage?
   | Katha Pollitt on Writing
   | Charles Colson, Gay “Marriage”: Societal Suicide
   | *Paired Selections: Steroids in Sports  
   | *Peter F. Martin, Destroyed
   | *Peter F. Martin on Writing
   | *Rodrigo Villagomez, The Designer Player
   | *Rodrigo Villagomez on Writing
Casebook
     Immigration: Border Control
     Mark Krikorian, Safety Through Immigration Control
     Edwidge Danticat, Not Your Homeland
     Edwidge Danticat on Writing

     *Immigration: Assimilation
     *Linda Chavez, Supporting Family Values
     *Linda Chavez on Writing
     *Jay Nordlinger, Bassackwards

 

 

     Sandra Cisneros, Only Daughter
     Sandra Cisneros on Writing
     Joan Didion, In Bed
     Joan Didion on Writing
     *Barbara Ehrenreich, The Menace of Negative People
     Barbara Ehrenreich on Writing
     Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream
     Maxine Hong Kingston, No Name Woman
     Maxine Hong Kingston on Writing
     George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant
     George Orwell on Writing
     Francine Prose, What Words Can Tell
     Francine Prose on Writing
     Richard Rodriguez, Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood
     Richard Rodriguez on Writing
     Edward Said, Clashing Civilizations?
     Jonathan Swift, A Modest Proposal
     Jonathan Swift on Writing
     *John Updike, Extreme Dinosaurs 
     *John Updike on Writing
     E. B. White, Once More to the Lake
     E. B. White on Writing

 

Useful Terms

Index