Compiled from the workshop assignments of Ottone M. Riccio, a master teacher, "Unlocking the Poem" is a teaching tool, a stimulus to individual creative expression, and a compendium of outstanding contemporary poetry written from these very assignments.

Unlike many "how to write poetry" texts, Unlocking the Poem teaches by doing. Its assignments offer writers, new and experienced, the chance to try new things, to practice their craft-and to produce their own original, polished poems in the process.

"Unlocking the Poem" offers 450 proven assignments-more than any other work available-based on poetic form, subject matter, the use of specific words or lines, time for writing, and so forth. The collection contains assignments to elicit autobiographical experience, moods, and the realms of fact and fantasy. These assignments provide stimuli to get the creative process underway, with subjects ranging from the everyday to the surreal, from people to the natural world, from the works of man to history to investigating language.

"Unlocking the Poem" is organized so that related material comes together, readily findable. Turn to a given section-villanelles, for example, or surreal experience-or browse until something strikes your interest. Assignments are adaptable to beginners and to advanced writers; there's plenty in here for every poet.

"Unlocking the Poem" belongs in the library of every writing student who wants to be a poet, and every poet who wants to write more and better poems.

Chinese characters are written with "strokes" of a brush. The HanABC system has classified these different types of strokes using 24 Roman letters. Anyone who knows the proper stroke writing order of a character and the HanABC stroke classification system can write the "Romanization" of that character. Since the Roman alphabet has an established and well known order, HanABC has adopted this alphabetical order to sort Chinese information. This book includes the HanABC Romanizations for 14,515 Chinese characters. HanABC does not require a person to know the traditional radical, the number of strokes or the phonetics of a character. HanABC requires minimal rules, while still efficiently encoding the entirety of Chinese characters. HanABC facilitates quick and easy search in a sorted list. Thus, HanABC would be very well suited to sort dictionaries and telephone books, to index any book, or even for typing Chinese at a computer keyboard.

Women, Writing, and Soul-Making: Creativity and the Sacred Feminine moves the reader to quiet depths, affirming what it is to embody and then write down one's truth. At once informative and inspirational, the book reveals its wisdom in layers, inviting the reader to return to it again and again. Millin delivers the profound message that women have access to a feminine approach to writing, one that differs from what they have been taught. When employed, this approach frees them from the fears and "shoulds" that have restrained their creativity. Although written primarily about the feminine and a woman's journey, men and women alike will find the book a guide to writing as a journey of the soul.

Selected pieces of the student literary magazine, Forum, have been assembled into this compilation - timeless stories ranging from such topics as racism to multiculturalism; from living with AIDS to dying from AIDS; from quantum physics to existentialism; from Esperanto to terrorism; from the respect for history to the fears of growing up; and from living with obsessive-compulsive disorder to dying from cancer. Readers will be hard-pressed to determine whether a story was written in 1986 or 2006. Therein lies the beauty of Lavender & Old Ladies: its content has a degree of timelessness.

In these essays, Stevenson gives advice on a variety of subjects, ranging from inspiration and direction to the technical methods of writing. He explains the basic tools of word choice, rhythm in verse and prose, plotting, and style, with a discussion of the morality of writing--the potential for good that literature has, and the responsibility of the writer to wisely use that power. Newly designed and typeset in a modern 5.5-by-8.5-inch format by Waking Lion Press.

Available now for the first time in paperback, COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE FROM THE 17TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT elaborates the emergence of the scientific article from its beginnings to the present. Gross, Harmon, and Reidy analyze numerous sample texts in French, English, and German, focusing on the changes in the style, organization, and argumentative structure of scientific communication over time. The authors also speculate on the currency and influence of the scientific article in the digital age. COMMUNICATING SCIENCE: THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE FROM THE 17TH CENTURY TO THE PRESENT has been an invaluable resource text in the rhetoric of science and stands as the definitive study on the topic. " COMMUNICATING SCIENCE] offers a moment of coalescence in the rhetoric of science as a model of rigorous research, not likely to be duplicated soon. It will be a staple introductory text in science studies courses and a stimulant for better scholarship in the field." -Jeanne Fahnestock, RHETORIC SOCIETY QUARTERLY "Communicating Science is a substantial contribution to the literature mapping out the changing language and rhetoric of the scientific article from 1665 to the present." -Charles Bazerman, ISIS "Gross, Harmon, and Reidy have set a new and higher standard for methodological and presentational rigor in scientific communication content analysis." ��-Kathryn Northcut, JOURNAL OF TECHNICAL WRITING AND COMMUNICATION "Gross, Harmon, and Reidy's decision to emphasize depth over breadth is characteristic of groundbreaking scholarship." -Suzanne Black, JOURNAL OF BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION "Communicating Science is a marvel of scholarship and expression and deserves to be in the curriculum of every university's rhetoric department." -Tim Whalen, IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION "The book will be an essential starting point for future discussion of the history of scientific writing." -John Turney, DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS "A book to buy, to read, and to think about." -A. J. (Tom) van Loon, EUROPEAN SCIENCE EDITING

Rhetoric has returned vigorously to the agenda of a number of academic disciplines. Aristotle defended the art of rhetoric, while Plato was suspicious of its manipulative power to persuade. This study examines rhetoric in the context of different kinds of religious texts, from sacred scripture to liturgy to contemporary and postmodern writing and religion.

Winner of the MLA's Mina P. Shaugnessy Prize for an outstanding work in the fields of language, culture, literacy, or literature with strong application to the teaching of English.

Focusing largely on the controversial website Wikipedia, the author explores the challenges confronting teachers of college writing in the increasingly electronic and networked writing environments their students use every day. Rather than praising or condemning that site for its role as an encyclopedia, Cummings instead sees it as a site for online collaboration between writers and a way to garner audience for student writing.

Applying an understanding of Commons-Based Peer Production theory, as developed by Yochai Benkler, this text is arranged around the following propositions:

-- Commons-Based Peer Production is a novel economic phenomenon which informs our current teaching model and describes a method for making sense of future electronic developments.

-- College writers are motivated to do their best work when they write for an authentic audience, external to the class.

-- Writing for a networked knowledge community invites students to participate in making knowledge, rather than only consuming it.

-- A plan for integrating networked writing for an external audience helps students understand the transition from high school to college writing.

-- Allowing students to review and self-select points of entry into electronic discourse fosters "laziness," or a new work dynamic where writers seek to better understand their own creativity in terms of a project's demands.

"Lazy Virtues" offers networked writing assignments to foster development of student writers by exposing them to the demands of professional audiences, asking them to identify and assess their own creative impulses in terms of a project's needs, and removing the writing teacher from the role of sole audience.

Winner of the MLA's Mina P. Shaugnessy Prize for an outstanding work in the fields of language, culture, literacy, or literature with strong application to the teaching of English.

Focusing largely on the controversial website Wikipedia, the author explores the challenges confronting teachers of college writing in the increasingly electronic and networked writing environments their students use every day. Rather than praising or condemning that site for its role as an encyclopedia, Cummings instead sees it as a site for online collaboration between writers and a way to garner audience for student writing.

Applying an understanding of Commons-Based Peer Production theory, as developed by Yochai Benkler, this text is arranged around the following propositions:

-- Commons-Based Peer Production is a novel economic phenomenon which informs our current teaching model and describes a method for making sense of future electronic developments.

-- College writers are motivated to do their best work when they write for an authentic audience, external to the class.

-- Writing for a networked knowledge community invites students to participate in making knowledge, rather than only consuming it.

-- A plan for integrating networked writing for an external audience helps students understand the transition from high school to college writing.

-- Allowing students to review and self-select points of entry into electronic discourse fosters "laziness," or a new work dynamic where writers seek to better understand their own creativity in terms of a project's demands.

"Lazy Virtues" offers networked writing assignments to foster development of student writers by exposing them to the demands of professional audiences, asking them to identify and assess their own creative impulses in terms of a project's needs, and removing the writing teacher from the role of sole audience.

At last--the contemporary masters of memoir have come together to reveal their strategies and impart their advice. This book contains an unprecedented wealth of knowledge in one place.

In "The Autobiographers Handbook," you're invited to a roundtable discussion with today's most successful memoirists. Let Nick Hornby show you how the banal can be brilliant. Elizabeth Gilbert will teach you to turn pain into prose. Want to beat procrastination? Steve Almond has the answer. Learn about memory triggers (Ishmael Beah: music) and warm-up exercises (Jonathan Ames: internet backgammon). These writers may not always agree (on research: Tobias Wolff, yes, Frank McCourt, no) but whether you're a blossoming writer or a veteran wordsmith, this book will help anyone who has ever dreamed of putting their story on paper, on writing themselves into existence.

Featuring: STEVE ALMOND - JONATHAN AMES - ISHMAEL BEAH - ELIZABETH GILBERT - NICK HORNBY - A. J. JACOBS - MAXINE HONG KINGSTON - PHILLIP LOPATE - FRANK MCCOURT - DAVID RAKOFF - ESMERALDA SANTIAGO - JULIA SCHEERES - ART SPIEGELMAN - ANTHONY SWOFFORD - SARAH VOWELL - SEAN WILSEY - TOBIAS WOLFF - AND MANY MORE

Sean Ingrams style reminds me of The Palmwine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola, one of the pioneers of African literature in Anglophone West Africa. His very witty use of symbolism is reminiscent of Beaudelaires Albatros and Les Fleurs Du Mal (Flowers of Evil). In fact, this collection challenges conventional thinking and writing, with its lexicon and syntax interestingly provocativeto put it mildly. Seans book, I strongly believe, must be carefully taken and read for what it truly is: A Beautiful Piece of Art! Dr. Dsir Baloubi, Ph.D. Associate Professor of English & Linguistics, Department of Humanities, Shaw University

For the twice-published novelist, reading an article about herself in the "National Enquirer"--under the headline "Here's One for the Books: Cleaning Lady Is an Acclaimed Author"--was more than a shock. It was an inspiration.

In "A Broom of One's Own," Nancy Peacock, whose first novel was selected by the "New York Times" as a Notable Book of the Year, explores with warmth, wit, and candor what it means to be a writer. An encouragement to all hard-working artists, no matter how they make a living, Peacock's book provides valuable insights and advice on motivation, craft, and criticism while offering hilarious anecdotes about the houses she cleans.

"A Counter-History of Composition" contests the foundational disciplinary assumption that vitalism and contemporary rhetoric represent opposing, disconnected poles in the writing tradition. Vitalism has been historically linked to expressivism and concurrently dismissed as innate, intuitive, and unteachable, whereas rhetoric is seen as a rational, teachable method for producing argumentative texts. Counter to this, Byron Hawk identifies vitalism as the ground for producing rhetorical texts-the product of complex material relations rather than the product of chance. Through insightful historical analysis ranging from classical Greek rhetoric to contemporary complexity theory, Hawk defines three forms of vitalism (oppositional, investigative, and complex) and argues for their application in the environments where students write and think today.
Hawk proposes that complex vitalism will prove a useful tool in formulating post-dialectical pedagogies, most notably in the context of emerging digital media. He relates two specific examples of applying complex vitalism in the classroom and calls for the reexamination and reinvention of current self-limiting pedagogies to incorporate vitalism and complexity theory.

This book helps readers master essay writing for the ACT - fast! If ACT savvy is what you seek, this book is the resource you need. Learn the secrets, shortcuts, and strategies to succeed - with only minutes of effort a day. Lively and straight to the point, this study aid to the ACT Essay section, new for 2005, presents key principles and practical strategies that promote effective essay writing, practical test strategies that are lifesavers when you're under time restraints, and sample essays with insightful commentary on how to construct a high-scoring piece. It features essential strategies for effective essay writing. It provides sample essays with annotated comments and examiner marks. It contains bite-sized sections ideal for students who study in short doses.

The ultimate guide and companion for anyone who wants to record the story of his or her life or that of a loved one.
Have you ever wondered about an ancestor you know only as a compelling face in a faded family photograph? Imagine discovering an entire book on this ancestor's life -one that described the world in which he lived and detailed his dreams, accomplishments, disappointments, and the accumulated wisdom of a lifetime. "The Legacy Guide" helps readers create such a book. Designed for writers and non-writers alike, it outlines a simple, intuitive, and highly flexible framework for turning your personal history-or that of a loved one-into a treasured family heirloom.
It's been said that everyone has a story to tell, but anyone who has sat down to record his or her life story will tell you that there were moments of feeling completely overwhelmed and frustrated. Introducing the innovative program Facts to Memories to Meaning, "The Legacy Guide" takes you step-by-step through the seven stages of life-such as childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, etc.-to recall moments long forgotten and to discover their significance. And it helps you fashion these pieces together, much as you would a scrapbook, into a creative and compelling whole. Full of engaging and instructive quotations from the famous and the not-so-famous who have committed their stories to paper, "The Legacy Guide" will inspire you to capture the milestone events that have given shape to your life and allow you to weave them into a book that preserves this legacy for generations to come.

"Criticism is itself an art." This is one of the singular arguments in what must be one of Oscar Wilde's most compelling critical dialogues ever published. The Critic as Artist explores Wilde's defense of criticism through sharp, witty dialogue and riveting, thoughtful arguments. This theoretical dialogue uses prime examples to discuss many elements, such as criticism as an art form, the true definition of a critic, criticism's value over art, and more. A special treasure for admirers of Wilde and a welcome addition to any bookshelf, The Critic as Artist exemplifies the playwright's witty look on the world and his true love of art. --- About the author: Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1854, Oscar Wilde went on to become a prominent playwright, poet, and novelist all throughout the late Victorian Age. His many accomplishments in the field of writing have earned him praise as one of the most successful authors and playwrights of his era and beyond. He died in Paris in 1900 at the age of 46.

Craft Compelling, Salable Romances With a Christian Worldview

Every novel needs believable characters, strong plot lines, and universal themes&#150and Christian romance is no exception. This unmatched resource by award-winning novelist Gail Gaymer Martin will help you master basic fiction writing skills, while ensuring your story meets and exceeds the standards of the Christian market. It comprehensively covers the special techniques and elements of the Christian romance novel, as well as how to sell your finished product to a publisher. Through detailed step-by-step instruction, examples from successful Christian romances, and practical exercises, you'll discover how to:

• develop a story that includes personal, romantic, and spiritual growth
• incorporate prayer and spirituality into your story
• use introspection to fully develop characters' relationship with God
• discuss issues of sin and forgiveness in believable ways
• present sexuality realistically, but from a Christian viewpoint

The first step toward having your script succeed in Hollywood is by having a correctly formatted screenplay. Quite simply, "Formatting Your Screenplay" is the one book you need for learning this vital skill. In this unique manual, author and screenwriting teacher Rick Reichman walks you through all the major elements of an authentic author's script and gives you strategies for using each element to maximum effect. He also packs sound advice on: .Rewriting the Script .Differences between an "Author's Script" and a "Production Script" .How to cover, bind, and mail off a finished script .Writing for both film and television Buy this book, use this book, and reference this book often. Over 13,000 people have done that already, and now it's your turn to learn just what separates the "it's okay" script from the "we have a deal" screenplay.

How to Write is an introductory guide to writing, aimed at people who think they can't write, or for whom writing is an ordeal. Broken down into short topic-based chapters on everything from beginning to revising, it demystifies the writing process by taking the reader through each stage necessary to bring a piece of writing to a decent finish. The book also offers a wealth of invaluable practical considerations, including when and where to write, when to printout and when to edit onscreen, what type of pen works well for revisions, and the hazards of the paperclip. The author is a seasoned writer whose encouraging but uncompromising guidance will delight as well as instruct.
Offering practical advice in a lucid, no-nonsense style, How to Write will be ideal for both students and professional people who need to write during the course of their work.
Topic areas include:
How to begin, including prep work, producing drafts, and making outlines
Sentence construction, including word order, punctuation, and use of metaphors
Paragraph construction, including types of paragraphs, readability, and size reduction
Tips on research and using reference works

Whereas Volume I of this series investigates the overall structure of children's picture storybooks at the macro level, this volume, Volume II, investigates the very building blocks of picture storybooks at the micro level: the word, the sentence, the scene and the story. We look at the importance of word choice for giving the story meaning and cohesion. We look at ways to change sentence structure to emphasize the information that is important, and to ensure that sentences flow easily from one to another. We look at the scene: how to begin it, how to end it, and how to create the Beats of action-reaction that make up the scene. And finally we look at the story: what types of problems must a character solve? When does a story introduce a problem? And once a problem is intro-duced, how do picture storybooks move from problem to solution? What types of solutions do characters find? Is there any part of a story that occurs after the solution is found? To answer these and other questions is to describe storytelling strategies. We look at enduringly popular children's picture storybooks to see what storytelling strategies they employ.

A Short Guide to Writing about Music parallels musical skills to writing skills, examining a wide range of writing tasks for undergraduate and graduate courses. Intended for all writers on music - college through budding professional - and far more than a course textbook, this brief and inexpensive text coaches writers how to approach, research, and write about music. A Short Guide to Writing about Music is written in a clear and conversational style, and employs a variety of writing samples (both student and professional) as a means to illustrate effective writing.