The Bedford Reader

Long one of the most popular composition readers on the market, The Bedford Reader combines timeless readings with the leading voices of our day. It takes a practical and flexible approach to the rhetorical methods, focusing on their uses in varied writing situations. The unique and newly reimagined "Writers on Writing" feature connects reflections from professional writers with point-of-need advice for student writers, and the Kennedys' class-proven instruction helps students connect critical reading to academic writing. The thirteenth edition has been thoroughly revised with compelling readings, helpful guidance for students on critical reading and writing, and an appendix covering APA documentation and 2016 MLA documentation MLA and APA documentation. Comprehension quizzes are also available for each reading in the book when The Bedford Reader is packaged with either Writer’s Help or LaunchPad Solo for Readers and Writers.

X. J. Kennedy is an acclaimed poet, children’s author, college teacher, and textbook author. He has taught freshman composition at the University of Michigan; the University of North Carolina, Greensboro; and Tufts University. Since 1966, more than 2 million students have treasured his introductory literature texts and The Bedford Reader, coedited with Dorothy M. Kennedy and Jane E. Aaron, now in its ninth edition.

Dorothy M. Kennedy is a writer and editor whose articles and reviews have ppeared in both professional and academic journals. She has taught composition at the University of Michigan and Ohio University and, with X. J. Kennedy, is the recipient of the NCTE Teacher's Choice Award for Knock at a Star: A Child's Introduction to Poetry.

Jane E. Aaron is a professional writer and editor as well as an experienced teacher. She is the author of the best selling Little, Brown Handbook and coeditor of the best-selling Bedford Reader, Eighth Edition (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003). She has served as consultant, editor, or writer on more than a dozen other textbooks for the first-year composition course.

Ellen Kuhl Repetto (M.A., University of Massachusetts Boston) is a freelance editor and writer who has contributed to more than twenty composition readers, handbooks, and rhetorics. She is the author of The Bedford/St. Martin's Textbook Reader (2003), Readings for Discoveries: A Collection of Short Essays (2006), and Hope over Hardship: A History of the Boston Home, 1881 - 2006 (2007).

 

 

PREFACE FOR INSTRUCTORS

CONTENTS by theme

new contents by academic discipline

HOW (AND WHY) TO USE THIS BOOK

THE SELECTIONS

THE METHODS OF DEVELOPMENT

THE PRACTICAL GUIDANCE

THE WRITERS ON WRITING

Part one

ACADEMIC Reading and Writing

1 Critical Reading

Reading actively

NANCY MAIRS 　Disability (annotated essay)

developing an understanding

analyzing essays

examining Visual Images

Visual image: Man Fishing by a Power Plant, photograph by Robin Nelson

new reading to write

2 The Writing Process

assessing The Writing Situation

Discovering Ideas

drafting

revising

new integrating reading

editing

an essay-in-progress

ROSIE ANAYA 　Mental Illness on Television (annotated student essay)

PART TWO

THE METHODS

3 NARRATION: Telling a Story

Visual Image: Proposal, drawing by Demetri Martin

The Method

the process

narration in academic writing

new Scott Beltran 　from Ride-Along Report (annotated student writing)

new embarrassment

AMY TAN 　Fish Cheeks

new NAOMI SHIHAB NYE 　Museum

new Naomi Shihab Nye on Writing

new JONATHAN BETHARDS 　Code Three (student essay)

JUNOT DÍAZ 　The Dreamer 　

Junot Díaz on Writing

MAYA ANGELOU 　Champion of the World

Maya Angelou on Writing

SHIRLEY JACKSON 　The Lottery

Shirley Jackson on Writing

4 DESCRIPTION: Writing with Your Senses

Visual Image: Doug and Mizan’s House, East River, photograph by Margaret Morton

The Method

the process

description in academic writing

Nick Fiorelli 　from Teaching Methodologies at Child’s Play Preschool (annotated student writing)

fathers

　　BRAD MANNING 　Arm Wrestling with My Father (student essay)

Brad Manning on Writing

　　　　SVEN BIRKETS 　Ladder

new DIANE ACKERMAN 　Black Marble

new N. SCOTT MOMADAY 　The Way to Rainy Mountain

new N. Scott Momaday on Writing

JOYCE CAROL OATES 　Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, 1942

Visual Image: Nighthawks, painting by Edward Hopper

Joyce Carol Oates on Writing

5 EXAMPLE: Pointing to Instances

Visual Image: Low-Energy Drinks, cartoon by Glen Le Lievre

The Method

the process

examples in academic writing

Kharron Reid 　Letter to E-line Systems (annotated student writing)

new misperceptions

BRENT STAPLES 　Black Men and Public Space

Brent Staples on Writing

new ISSA RAE 　The Struggle

new BRIAN DOYLE 　A Note on Mascots

new Brian Doyle on Writing

ANNA QUINDLEN 　Homeless

Anna Quindlen on Writing

KELLIE YOUNG 　The Undercurrent (student essay)

6 COMPARISON AND CONTRAST: Setting Things Side by Side

new Visual Image: from Fun Home, graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel 　

The Method

the process

comparison and contrast in academic writing

Charlotte Pak 　from Beyoncé Knowles: Soloist (annotated student writing)

new upbringings 　

DAVID SEDARIS 　Remembering My Childhood on the Continent of Africa

new David Sedaris on Writing

ANDREA ROMAN 　"We’re Not . . ." (student essay)

Andrea Roman on Writing

SUZANNE BRITT 　Neat People vs. Sloppy People

Suzanne Britt on Writing

BRUCE CATTON 　Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts

FATEMA MERNISSI 　Size 6: The Western Woman’s Harem

new ALAIN DE BOTTON 　Tragedy

new Visual Images: A Man Drives Into His Family Home to Punish His Wife, video still by BBC News; Medea Kills Her Son to Punish Her Husband, Greek vase by unknown artist

new Alain de Botton on Writing

7 PROCESS ANALYSIS: Explaining Step by Step

Visual Image: Workers Making Dolls, photograph by Wally McNamee

The Method

the process

process analysis in academic writing

Victor Khoury 　from DNA Extraction (annotated student writing)

new writing

new ANNE LAMOTT 　The Crummy First Draft

new KOJI FRAHM 　How to Write an A Paper (student essay)

new Koji Frahm on Writing

FIROOZEH DUMAS 　Sweet, Sour, and Resentful

Firoozeh Dumas on Writing

DAN KOEPPEL 　Taking a Fall

JESSICA MITFORD 　Behind the Formaldehyde Curtain

Jessica Mitford on Writing

8 DIVISION OR ANALYSIS: Slicing into Parts

Visual Image: Deconstructing Lunch, cartoon by Roz Chast

The Method

the process

division or analysis in academic writing

new Rachel O’Connor, from A Question of Fairness: "The Lottery" as Social Commentary (annotated student writing)

new photography

　　　　JUDITH ORTIZ COFER, The Cruel Country

new Judith Ortiz Cofer on Writing

　LAILA AYAD 　The Capricious Camera (documented student essay) Visual Image: Mounted Nazi Troops on the Lookout for Likely Polish Children, photograph

ROBERT LIPSYTE 　Jock Culture 　

GUILLERMO DEL TORO AND CHUCK HOGAN 　Vampires Never Die

Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan on Writing

new BARBARA B. PARSONS 　Whistling in the Dark

new Barbara B. Parsons on Writing

9 CLASSIFICATION: Sorting into Kinds

Visual Image: How the Poor, the Middle Class, and the Rich Spend Their Money, table by National Public Radio

The Method

the process

classification in academic writing

Kharron Reid 　Résumé (annotated student writing)

failures to communicate

DEBORAH TANNEN 　But What Do You Mean?

Deborah Tannen on Writing

WILLIAM LUTZ 　The World of Doublespeak

William Lutz on Writing

RUSSELL BAKER 　The Plot against People

new JEAN-PIERRE DE BEER 　Stars of Life (student essay)

new MARION WINIK 　The Things They Googled

new Marion Winik on Writing

10 CAUSE AND EFFECT: Asking Why

new Visual Image: Wild Weather, bar graph by National Geographic

the method

the process

cause and effect in academic writing

Kate Krueger 　Letter to the Weekly (annotated student writing)

globalization

CHITRA DIVAKARUNI 　Live Free and Starve

Chitra Divakaruni on Writing

MARIE JAVDANI 　Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead (documented student essay)

Marie Javdani on Writing

new RANDALL MUNROE 　Everybody Jump

*Visual Image: What If, drawings by Randall Munroe

CHRISTOPHER BEAM 　Blood Loss

Visual Image: Trends in Serial Killing, bar graph by James Alan Fox and Jack Levin

new 　　　　　 *MALCOLM GLADWELL 　Little Fish in a Big Pond

new Malcolm Gladwell on Writing

11 DEFINITION: Tracing Boundaries

new Visual Image: It’s a Part of Me, Not a Definition of Who I Am, poster for the International Down Sydrome Coalition

the method

the process

definition in academic writing

Martin Ward 　Civil Liberties (annotated student writing)

new privilege

new TAL FORTGANG 　Checking My Privilege (student essay)

new Tal Fortgang on Writing

new ROXANE GAY 　Peculiar Benefits

new Roxane Gay on Writing

MEGHAN DAUM 　Narcissist — Give It a Rest

Meghan Daum on Writing

new DAGOBERTO GILB 　Pride

AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS 　How to Identify Love by Knowing What It’s Not

12 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 academic writing

new Adrianne Silver 　from Bullying Law Proposal (annotated student writing)

LINDA CHAVEZ 　Supporting Family Values

Linda Chavez on Writing

new HAVE POLITICS RUINED COMICS?

new CHUCK DIXON AND PAUL RIVOCHE 　How Liberalism Became Kryptonite for Superman

new Visual Image: Sink the Japanazis with Bonds and Stamps, cover illustration for World’s Finest Comics

new JANELLE ASSELIN 　Superhuman Error: What Dixon and Rivoche Get Wrong

new SHOULD COLLEGES ADOPT TRIGGER WARNINGS?

new BRIANNE RICHSON 　An Obligation to Prevent Trauma on Campus (student essay)

new Brianne Richson on Writing

new 　 　JON OVERTON 　Beware the Trigger Warning (student essay)

new Jon Overton on Writing

new WENDY KAMINER 　The Danger of Playing It Safe

new Wendy Kaminer on Writing

who needs privacy? 　 　　

NICHOLAS CARR 　Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty

Nicholas Carr on Writing

JIM HARPER 　Web Users Get as Much as They Give

LORI ANDREWS 　Facebook Is Using You

Lori Andrews on Writing

PART THREE

MIXING THE METHODS

JUDY BRADY 　I Want a Wife

Judy Brady on Writing

new JOAN DIDION 　Earthquakes

new Joan Didion on Writing

MAXINE HONG KINGSTON 　No Name Woman

Maxine Hong Kingston on Writing

JONATHAN SWIFT 　A Modest Proposal

new HENRY DAVID THOREAU 　Where I Lived, and What I Lived For

new LUIS ALBERTO URREA 　Barrio Walden

new Luis Alberto Urrea on Writing

E. B. WHITE 　Once More to the Lake

new COLSON WHITEHEAD 　Loving Las Vegas

Colson Whitehead on Writing

　

new 　　　　　　APPENDIX

new finding and documenting sources

conducting research

writing WITH SOURCES

Source Citation Using MLA Style

new MARGARET LUNDBERG 　Eating Green (annotated student essay)

Margaret Lundberg on Writing

source citation using apa style

new ERIC KIM 　The Brain that Changes (annotated student essay)

new Eric Kim on Writing

GLOSSARY OF USEFUL TERMS

DIRECTORY TO WRITERS ON WRITING

INDEX