Visions across the Americas: Short Essays for Composition , Seventh Edition

577 Pages·2009·2.57 MB·English

by  J. Sterling Warner

V A
ISIONS CROSS
A
THE MERICAS
Short Essays for Composition
Seventh Edition
J. Sterling Warner
Evergreen Valley College
Judith Hilliard
San Jose State University
Australia • Brazil • Japan • Korea • Mexico • Singapore • Spain • United Kingdom • United States
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Short Essays for Composition,
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Preface to the
Seventh Edition
A Cross-Cultural Emphasis: Visions Across the Americas
takes an intensive look at cross-cultural issues and themes af-
fecting the lives of Americans today as well as those in the past.
Overall, these essays offer a broad perspective of selected top-
ics, providing students with a chance to evaluate and reevalu-
ate their biases, prejudices, or “programmed notions” about
familiar subjects and controversial issues. Most importantly,
our selections present good writings that are valuable tools for
generating material, for writing logs and journals, for collab-
orative work activities, and for individual writing assignments,
all of which encourage creativity and help the student to think
and write clearly and critically.
Writers on Writing: At the beginning of the book, to get stu-
dents off to a good start, we feature some professional writers
discussing their craft. For instance, in Chapter I: Communicat-
ing is Language at Work, Toni Morrison’s “Writers Together”
continues to illustrate the practice of active reading; Peter
Elbow’s “Freewriting,” presents a method for generating ideas
freely, avoiding writer’s block; and Joanne Jaime’s student essay,
“Marriage: The Changing Institution,” demonstrates how writ-
ers develop a controlling idea or thesis in stages. Meanwhile,
Pat Mora’s “Why I Am a Writer” and Ray Bradbury’s “The Joy
of Writing” explain the art and satisfaction that can come from
writing, while Amy Tan’s “My Mother’s English” examines the
power of words.
At a Glance—The Rhetorical and Thematic Table of
Contents: In Visions Across the Americas’ main table of contents,
brief annotations provide readers with a bird’s-eye-view of each
rhetorically organized essay. However, we offer a thematic table
of contents in which we have organized essays into categories
(e.g., Language and Culture, Americans and Immigrants, Life-
styles, American Society) as well. That way, teachers can struc-
ture class readings pursuant to writing assignments according
to what works best for them.
iii
iv Preface
New Essays—Current Issues: Twelve new essays appear in
the seventh edition of this text, and they—along with other
current, updated articles—offer a range of topics and issues
for reading, discussion, critical thinking, and writing. From
essays related to popular culture in American society such as
Leslie Bow’s “Camera Ready,” Heidi Ramirez’s “Community
Re-discovered,” Matthew Shulman’s “The Science of Aphrodi-
siacs,” Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Liposuction: The Key to Energy
Independence,” Neil Young’s “The CD and the Damage Done,”
to articles on social, political, and scientifi c issues such as John
Steinbeck’s “The Snake,” Sravani Banerjee’s “Pizza, Pakora
and Pancit—The Importance of Global Education,” Anastasia
Toufexis’ “The Right Chemistry,” Anna Quindlen’s “The Same
People,” Dave Barry’s, “A GPS Helps a Guy Always Know Where
His Couch Is,” Alice Park’s “Can Science Tell a Gymnast’s Age?”
and Bruce Henderson’s, “Why Are We in Iraq?” the newest es-
says in Visions Across the Americas create additional opportu-
nities for modern language study.
A Progressive Level of Diffi culty: Generally arranged from
the easiest to the most challenging essay, each chapter in
Visions Across the Americas contains six readings. As in the
sixth edition of Visions Across the Americas, with rare excep-
tion, we have complemented our brief biographies with photo-
graphs for each of the selection authors.
Pedagogy: To reinforce an understanding of rhetorical modes
and their purposes in context, there is a short discussion of a
specifi c writing strategy at the beginning of each chapter.
Following chapter introductions are brief lists of tips on how
to develop a particular type of essay effectively—using a domi-
nant rhetorical method (i.e., comparison and contrast, division
and classifi cation, or cause-and-effect).
An Emphasis on the Reading and Writing Connection:
To emphasize the connection between reading and writing, we
have designed specifi c questions and activities to engage stu-
dents in reading. Each reading is accompanied by apparatus
designed to help students organize their thinking about what
they have read and prepare to write. Pre-reading Questions
precede each essay, and all essays are followed by Post-reading
Questions divided into the categories of: Content, Strategies
and Structures, Language and Vocabulary, Group Activities,
and Writing Activities.
Preface v
While instructors may modify our basic guidelines a bit, gen-
erally we suggest that students fi rst, thoroughly consider Pre-
reading Questions and do what they suggest prior to reading
the selection. Second, scan the composition, underline, list, and
then write the defi nition of each unfamiliar word. Third, care-
fully read the composition and jot down any notes or questions
that come to mind in the margins of the text. Fourth, reread
the selection after looking over the Post-reading Questions
and then write the answers to the questions found in the other
Post-reading apparatus.
Other Student Aids: For greater accessibility, we include
additional writing topics at the end of each rhetorical chap-
ter, and to increase Visions’ usefulness as a reference, we
feature a glossary of common literary and rhetorical terms
at the back of the text. This reader primarily is designed to
consider short essay development through rhetorical mode
but does more than merely acquaint students with cause-
and-effect, argumentation, narration, and so on. The selec-
tions also enrich students’ vocabulary because clear, written
expression often is a matter of good reasoning coupled with
a broad command of words in the English language. Thus,
many of the reading selections challenge and test the read-
ers’ growing abilities.
An Overview of the Writing Process: We are aware that many
students may be unfamiliar with the reading-writing process.
Therefore, apart from a discussion of reading strategies, we
have included an overview of the writing process in Chapter 1
that (1) serves as a resource for students, and (2) allows instruc-
tors fl exibility in teaching what we offer, disregarding it, and/
or combining our information with information from a stan-
dard rhetoric. We have narrowed our discussion of the writing
process to:
• generating writing topics,
• organizing material for paragraphs and essays,
• strengthening and developing one’s thesis or controlling
ideas, and
• revising and editing compositions.
Once students have made the connection between reading and
writing and realize how the two go hand-in-hand, they will not
only read more clearly with greater retention but also be able
to respond to material critically and confi dently, which will be
important growth as writers.
vi Preface
Revised Special Feature: Several special features made their
debut in the past two editions of Visions Across the Americas,
including a section called, “Point of View: Position of Authority,”
as well as “Transitions” in Chapter 1: Communication Is Lan-
guage At Work, and a detailed discussion of “Irony and Voice”
in Chapter 7: Comparison and Contrast. These, in addition
to the Documentation Appendix and the Internet Connection
assignments (requiring the use of online search engines and
databases) sections discussed below—along with many other
revised features—provide a multitude of fresh, compelling
teaching opportunities for instructors and learning strategies
for students.
Introduction to Documentation: Visions Across the Ameri-
cas features a special Appendix, “MLA Documentation,” at
the end of the text explaining how, when, where, and why one
should use the MLA (Modern Language Association) format for
constructing parenthetical references within a text and writing
a list of works cited at the end of it. To illustrate the effective
use of documentation in context, we offer two essays, “Anima of
Animé Revised” (Grace Sumabat Estrada), and “Online Learn-
ing and Student Success” (Mark Charles Fissel) in Chapter 11:
Argumentation. A third essay, “Why Are We in Iraq?” (Bruce
Henderson) at the end of Chapter 12: Persuasion, further dem-
onstrates how to insert parenthetical references in your text
and construct a list of works cited.
The Internet Connection: To provide students with practice
researching material on the Internet and documenting sources
accordingly, we offer 25 optional assignments (approximately
two per chapter) requiring them to use the Internet and
another online databases. A sampling of assignments which
we call “Internet Connections” topics include topics such as:
Modern Marriages, Pilgrimages, Crisis in Faith/Science, Role-
playing, Testimonies/Beliefs, Colloquialisms/Jargon/Slang,
Model Minorities, Ecology, Poverty in America, Consumer
Products, Interviews, How to Do Something, Irony, Sexism,
Passive Resistance, Urban Myths, Alternate Lifestyles and
Parents, Cosmetics and Makeovers, Holistic/Folk Medicine,
Animé versus Cartoons, Constitutional Rights, Evaluating
Sources, HIV/AIDs, and Conspiracy Theories. Some assign-
ments conclude with an essay while others focus on exercises
that reinforce a research technique or a documentation skill.
Even if a class does not require a term paper, research and
references to readings usually can add depth and scope to an
Preface vii
essay because they move a composition beyond the personal
narrative by documenting the opinions of others.
Instructor’s Resource Manual: The Instructor’s Resource
Manual for the seventh edition of Visions Across the Ameri-
cas: Short Essays for Composition again includes suggested ap-
proaches to rhetorical sections, suggested responses to content
and strategies and structures questions; a section about poetry
and word use; and an expanded bibliography of great litera-
ture from the Americas and beyond. Additionally, the seventh
edition of the Instructor’s Resource Manual continues to offer
brief professional essays describing writing techniques and
tools, as well as approaches to writing assignments. We offer
“Distance Learning and American Society” as a counterpoint
to Mark Charles Fissel’s “Online Learning and Student Suc-
cess,” as well as other essays that may serve as counterpoints
to articles read in the main text such as Barbara Mikulski’s
“A Young Polish American Speaks Up: The Myth of the Melting
Pot,” Jane and Michael Stern’s “Valley Girl,” and Bruce Hen-
derson’s “Beyond the Spin; Sixties Assassinations and the
Vietnam War.” While all essays feature a complete pre-reading
and post-reading apparatus, “Valley Girl” also outlines an ex-
tensive slang project. Rounding off the Instructor’s Resource
Manual are reading comprehension quizzes/study guides for
each essay in Visions Across the Americas. Finally, in addition
to the hard copy Instructor’s Resource Manual for the seventh
edition of Visions Across the Americas, Wadsworth plans to pre-
pare an instructor’s website for the text.
Acknowledgments: Getting from one edition of a text to the
next is a long process, and so we want to acknowledge our ap-
preciation to all the instructors whose careful, critical com-
ments helped us to shape the seven editions of Visions Across
the Americas: Shirley Brozzo, Northern Michigan University;
Lawrence Carlson, Orange Coast College; Lynn M. Lowery
Darby, Kentucky State University; Sarah Dye, Elgin Com-
munity College; Jeannie Edwards, Memphis State University;
Lloyd A. Flanigan, Piedmont Virginia Community College;
Mary J. Flores, Lewis-Clark State College; Gail J. Gerlach,
Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Margie Glazier, Merced
College; Carolyn Hartnett, College of the Mainland; Shirley
Kahlert, Evergreen Valley College; William L. Knox, Northern
Michigan University; Regina Lebowitz, New York City Techni-
cal College; Reginald F. Lockett, San Jose City College; Robert
Mehaffy, American River College; Margaret Murray, Temple
viii Preface
University; Tamara O’Hearn, Ball State University; Joanne
Pinkston, Daytona Beach Community College; Harry Rubin-
stein, Hudson Community College; Nancy Sessano, American
River College; John Sklute, San Jose City College; Barbara
Smith-Cunningham, Olivet College; Sherry Sullivan, South
Puget Sound Community College; Sandra Trammell, Kentucky
State University; George T. Vaughn, Maysville Community
College; Regina Van Epps, Atlantic Cape Community College;
Jessica Stephens, Eastern Kentucky University; Linda Sloan,
King’s College; Brenda Dillard, Brazosport Community College;
Jane Davis, Heald Business College; Kay Wade, Northeastern
Illinois University, Chicago; Heidi Ramirez, Hartnell College;
Melissa Rankin, Richland College; Marian Teachcy, South Pied-
mont Community College; Dani McLean, Fullerton College;
Terri Cook, Santa Barbara City College; and Louis Agregan,
Moorpark College.
Finally, our indebtedness to Stephanie Surface deserves
special mention; her enthusiasm, support, and critical advice
never wavered as she followed the fi rst edition of our text from
its inception to its completion.
We also want to thank the authors who have contributed
to the present edition of Visions Across the Americas: Kevin
Warner for his technical support; and our family, friends, and
colleagues for their encouragement and patience. Further-
more, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to those
at Cengage Learning, particularly: Annie Todd, Director of
Developmental English and College Success, Helen Triller, our
Developmental Editor, and Lindsay Bethoney, Project Man-
ager, for their time, enthusiasm, and support in preparing the
seventh edition of our text.
Sterling Warner
Judith Hilliard
Rhetorical Contents
1. COMMUNICATING IS LANGUAGE AT WORK 1
• TIPS ON BECOMING AN ACTIVE READER 2
Toni Morrison, “Writers Together” (annotated) 4
Morrison discusses the dangers faced by authors on a
daily basis from censorship to anti-intellectualism and
suggests that they might be symptoms of a larger problem
or “. . . perhaps the mood of a terrifi ed, defensive, bullying
nation no longer sure of what the point is?”
• RESPONDING TO READINGS: CONSTRUCTING
PARAGRAPHS AND ESSAYS 9
• Generating Ideas and Establishing a Focus 10
Peter Elbow, “Freewriting” 12
Freewriting without stopping for revision or editing is one
way to lessen writer blocks and develop a natural voice.
According to Elbow, “The habit of compulsive, premature
editing doesn’t just make writing hard. It also makes
writing dead.”
• Structuring Essays 17
• Point of View: Position of Authority 19
• Lead-Ins and Concluding Sentences 21
• Transitions 23
• Revising and Editing 24
Joanne Jaime, “Marriage: The Changing
Institution” (annotated) 26
In this annotated student essay, Joanne Jaime examines
the institution of marriage and fi nds that the “current high
divorce rate in the United States is directly related to our
views about marriage, our motives for marriage, and our
expectations of marriage.”
• SPECIAL WRITING ACTIVITIES:
THE INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP RESPONSE 31
• Journal, Reading/Writing Logs, and Thesis
Notebooks 31
• Response and Summary 32
• Group Activities and Collaborative Writing 34
Pat Mora, “Why I Am a Writer” 36
Mora “takes pride in being a Hispanic writer.” She states
that “I want to give others what writers have given me,
a chance to hear the voices of the people I will never meet.”
ix