Everyone Can Write: Essays toward a Hopeful Theory of Writing and Teaching Writing Review

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Everyone Can Write: Essays toward a Hopeful Theory of Writing and Teaching Writing ReviewProbably Elbow's best book yet. This is a superb book reconciling the often conflicting dimensions of the writing process--public vs. private, high-stakes vs. low-stakes writing, freewriting vs. crafted writing, etc.--so much so that it has virtually eliminated my 15-year-old case of writer's block. Despite its scholarly appearance, this is a supremely *practical* book on the writing process, that attempts to lower the stakes and make writing accessible to all of us, while simultaneously cultivating the ground for excellent writing and thinking. Highly recommended!Everyone Can Write: Essays toward a Hopeful Theory of Writing and Teaching Writing OverviewWith Writing without Teachers (OUP 1975) and Writing with Power (OUP 1995) Peter Elbow revolutionized the teaching of writing. His process method--and its now commonplace "free writing" techniques--liberated generations of students and teachers from the emphasis on formal principles of grammar that had dominated composition pedagogy.This new collection of essays brings together the best of Elbow's writing since the publication of Embracing Contraries in 1987. The volume includes sections on voice, the experience of writing, teaching, and evaluation. Implicit throughout is Elbow's commitment to humanizing the profession, and his continued emphasis on the importance of binary thinking and nonadversarial argument. The result is a compendium of a master teacher's thought on the relation between good pedagogy and good writing; it is sure to be of interest to all professional teachers of writing, and will be a valuable book for use in composition courses at all levels.

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The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English Review

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The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English ReviewSo, what do you think about when you hear the word "grammar"? As a kid, I would think "Uh oh; I guess I wrote something wrong again." As a young adult I'd say, "Hey, that's just the way I speak." As an Englishwoman moving to America I'd groan that it's not just the spellings that are different here but the grammar rules as well. And after reading this book I'd say, "Wow!"
So, what about my punctuation above? Why did I put that question mark outside the quotes when the exclamation point went inside at the end of the paragraph? I'd often wondered how to punctuate quotes, and since I want to be a writer, I'd often thought I really ought to learn. At last I have.
Clark's book starts by pointing out that "glamour" and "grammar" come from the same root. I guess is makes sense. After all, we "spell" words correctly or otherwise, and wizards cast "spells." Grammar's just the next step.
I used to teach chess, and I'd explain to the kids that there are two types of rules. Some have to be obeyed (pawns move forwards for example), or else you're not playing chess. Others are there to be understood and used judiciously (such as "Don't get your queen out too soon") to set or avoid falling into traps. Once you know the rules, you know what it means when they're broken.
Spelling's probably the first sort of rule, and Clark includes a chapter on how meanings can change where the wrong spelling or wrong word is used. Suddenly you're not saying what you thought; your reader's dragged out of the writing; you're not playing the same game. But other grammar rules can be judiciously broken. We just have to know what we're doing and why--be prepared for what the reader will see, and be ready to make sure it's what we intend.
Clark's chapters are written with delightful style, great voice, amazing examples, and just pure fun. (Yes, grammar can be fun!) There's advice for aspiring writers that any of us could use--the value of the well-chosen long or short word, the nuances of sound or foreign phrase, the alliteration of short and long sentences... And then there are chapter endings with quick and easily read "Keepsakes." There he might emphasize a point, help the reader practice a technique, or simply list the rules. (That's how I learned how to punctuate my first paragraph.)
Clark doesn't want to regiment our writing. He acknowledges how different countries (UK and US for example), industries (newspaper vs book), and even publishers have their own chosen styles. Obey the rules of your intended audience he says. But then he frees us to shift those chess pieces round and win the game.
Is grammar glamorous? It certainly is now. I love this book, and I'd recommend that everyone who loves reading or writing really should read it. I can hardly believe how lucky I was to get a copy to review--you'll hardly believe how lucky you are if you get your own copy too. And, just for reference, since Roy Peter Clark is vice president and senior scholar at the Poynter Institute, I have no qualms about trusting him to give me, and you, the right facts.
The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English Overview

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English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners Review

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English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners ReviewWOW! English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners is a breath of fresh air given to the old, musty methods of teaching grammar in the hallowed halls of academia.
This book helps put the thought of "teaching in isolation" to rest! It gives relevance to language and helps students and teachers realize the practical reasons for learning grammar while understanding the history of language. Chapter 7 particularly brings "A world of understanding" to grammar!
Giving students the background knowledge necessary for connecting the history of grammar to relevant, real world learning, makes the process practical and meaningful for all children.English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners OverviewOffering a fun, engaging approach to grammar instruction, this guide includes clear explanations of grammatical terms and practical activities for all students, including English language learners.

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Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert Review

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Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert ReviewFor a serious writer or editor, this is an essential book. I keep it close by my dictionary, thesaurus, Chicago Manual, Garner, and Fowler's (the 2nd edition, of course, not the awful 3rd). Your Own Words is, as another reviewer aptly noted, a meta-reference, the one that allows me to find my way around the others and answer grammar and usage questions for myself. (I never, for instance, would have thought of using Google News as a usage guide.) The many selections from Wallraff's Atlantic Monthly column are a welcome bonus.Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert Overview

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Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer Review

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Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer ReviewRoy Peter Clark invites aspiring writers "to imagine the act of writing less as a special talent and more as a purposeful craft." In his "Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer," Clark urges the reader to "think of writing as carpentry, and consider this book your toolbox." The goal is to take away the fright and nausea that accompanies writer's block, and to make every writer more proficient at expressing himself.
Clark divides his book into four sections: "Nuts and Bolts," "Special Effects," "Blueprints," and "Useful Habits." Within these divisions, the author clearly and concisely presents his tools; he also includes excerpts from the works of outstanding writers to illustrate each point. For instance, Tool 22 is "Climb up and down the ladder of abstraction." The writer should know when to use concrete examples and when to reach for "higher meaning." Avoid the treacherous middle rungs of the ladder where "bureaucracy and technocracy lurk," and where euphemisms and meaningless phrases abound. Clark cites Updike and a baseball writer named Thomas Boswell to show the reader how it's done. Tool 38 exhorts us to "Prefer archetypes to stereotypes." We should beware of heavy-handed symbols and strive for subtlety. Although it is tempting to fall back on familiar phrases and well-worn ideas, a writer should aspire to cultivate his own distinctive voice. To get his message across, Clark cites a passage from James Joyce's tale "The Dead." Each tool is followed by a "workshop," with several practice exercises.
Some of the tools mentioned in this book are far from unique--most writing handbooks encourage us to make every word count and vary sentence length--but there are a few noteworthy tips that stand out. For example, Clark discusses how to "establish a pattern, then give it a twist," and how to "mix narrative modes" using the broken line technique. A clever writer knows when to move his lens back to broaden his perspective and when to zoom in for a close-up on his subject.
There is no shortage of excellent books on the art of writing. Along with "On Writing Well," by William Zinsser, and Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style," I recommend "Spunk and Bite," by Arthur Plotnik, "How Not to Write," by Wiliam Safire, and "A Dash of Style," by Noah Lukeman. All of these guides, as well as Roy Peter Clark's "Writing Tools," take some of the mystery out of writing and make it a craft accessible to all.Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer Overview

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