More than merely a writing text, The Imaginative Argument offers
writers instruction on how to use their imaginations to improve
their prose. Cioffi shows writers how they can enliven
argument--the organizing rubric of all persuasive writing--by
drawing on emotion, soul, and creativity, the wellsprings of
imagination. While Cioffi suggests that argument should become a
natural habit of mind for writers, he goes still further, inspiring
writers to adopt as their gold standard the imaginative argument:
the surprising yet strikingly apt insight that organizes disparate
noises into music, that makes out of chaos, chaos theory. Rather
than offering a model of writing based on established formulas or
templates, Cioffi urges writers to envision argument as an active
parsing of experience that imaginatively reinvents the world.
Cioffi's manifesto asserts that successful argument also requires
writers to explore their own deep-seated feelings, to exploit the
fuzzy but often profoundly insightful logic of the imagination. But
expression is not all that matters: Cioffi's work anchors itself in
the actual. Drawing on Louis Kahn's notion that a good architect
never has all the answers to a building's problems before its
physical construction, Cioffi maintains that in argument, too,
answers must be forged along the way, as the writer inventively
deals with emergent problems and unforeseen complexities. Indeed,
discovery, imagination, and invention suffuse all stages of the
process. The Imaginative Argument offers all the intellectual
kindling that writers need to ignite this creativity, from insights
on developing ideas to avoiding bland assertions or logical leaps.
It cites exemplary nonfiction prose stylists, including William
James, Ruth Benedict, and Erving Goffman, as well as literary
sources to demonstrate the dynamic of persuasive writing.
Provocative and lively, it will prove not only essential reading
but also inspiration for all those interested in arguing more
imaginatively more successfully. This edition features new chapters
that cover the revision process in greater depth, as well as the
particular challenges of researching and writing in the digital
age, such as working with technology and avoiding plagiarism. The
book also includes new sample essays, an appendix to help
instructors use the book in the classroom, and much more.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
