Best of
Writing

1987

Three by Annie Dillard: Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, An American Childhood, The Writing Life


Annie Dillard - 1987
    

Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft


Janet Burroway - 1987
    A bestseller through six editions, Writing Fiction by novelists Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey-French explores the elements of fiction, providing practical writing techniques and concrete examples. Written in a tone that is personal and non-prescriptive, the text encourages students to develop proficiency through each step of the writing process, offering an abundance of exercises designed to spur writing and creativity. The text also integrates diverse, contemporary short stories in every chapter in the belief that the reading of inspiring fiction goes hand-in-hand with the writing of fresh and exciting stories.

Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language


Richard Lederer - 1987
    From bloopers and blunders to Signs of the Times to Mixed Up Metaphors...from Two-Headed Headlines to Mangling Modifiers, Anguished English is a treasury of assaults upon our common language.

Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage


Bryan A. Garner - 1987
    With great detail and care, Garner explains what legalese is, how it can be simplified, and how far legal writers can go in simplifying it. The topics are alphabetically arranged for ease of reference: simply look up any phrase or grammatical category you're interested in, and you're likely to find the final word on the subject. Shortly after the completion of this massively expanded second edition, the late Charles Alan Wright said: The first edition of this book has been praised around the world as both the most reliable guide to legal usage and the most fascinating to read. The second edition outdoes even its predecessor.

The Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms


Ron Padgett - 1987
    Defined in alphabetical order, each entry is allotted 1-7 pages with examples and histories of-and ideas for using-each form.

Falling Through Space: The Journals of Ellen Gilchrist


Ellen Gilchrist - 1987
    The sassy and moving commentaries she recorded for National Public Radio were a large part of the original kindling for this intense interest.In Falling Through Space: The Journals of Ellen Gilchrist the spark that first attracted this audience flashes again in fifty-eight short essays drawn from those enormously successful broadcasts. To update and continue the dialogue she has always maintained with her fans, Gilchrist has added fifteen new essays.Originally published in 1987 by Little, Brown and Company, Falling Through Space provides a funny and intimate diary of a writer's self-discovery. Author of more than a dozen books and winner of the National Book Award, Gilchrist is a beloved and distinctive southern voice whose life and memories are every bit as entertaining as the wild and poignant short stories for which she is famous.The short essays that anchor this book vividly explore the Mississippi plantation life of her childhood; the books, teachers, and artists who influenced her development; and her thoughts about writing and life in general. Coupled with forty-two pictures from Gilchrist's youth and adulthood, these slices of life create a running autobiography.In new essays, originally published in such magazines as Vogue, Outside, New Woman, and the Washington Post Sunday Magazine, Gilchrist reveals her origins, influences, and the way she works when she writes. Required reading for any fan, this book is Ellen Gilchrist at her funniest and best. For her readers it confirms her spontaneity and her talent for finding life at its zaniest and brightest.

On Writing the College Application Essay: The Key to Acceptance at the College of Your Choice


Harry Bauld - 1987
    Most students worry about what an admissions officer looks for in a writing sample. But that’s the wrong way to approach this vital component, says former college admissions officer Harry Bauld. At Brown and Columbia, he saw what prospective students often did wrong—and now tells you how to do it right.On Writing the College Application Essay is his inside guide to writing a college application essay that will stand out from the pack. Baum advises you on how to avoid platitudes and find your authentic voice, gives you tools and ideas that will spark your imagination, and shows you how to approach themes with originality and panache to make even the most tired topics—the ones most students should stay away from—fresh, such as:The trip (“I had to adjust to a whole new way of life.”)My favorite things (puppy dogs, freedom, and chocolate chip cookies)The pageant contestant (“I think World Peace is the most important issue facing us today.”)The jock (“Through wrestling I have learned to set goals and to work with people.”)The autobiography (“Hello, my name is . . . ”)Tales of my success (“But, finally, when I crossed the finish line . . . ”)Pet death (“As I watched Buttons’s life ebb away, I came to value . . . ”)Getting into the college of your dreams is tough. The competition is fierce. For more than twenty-five years, On Writing the College Application Essay has helped thousands of students improve their chances. Now, let it work for you.

Science Fiction 101


Robert SilverbergAlfred Bester - 1987
    Included are thirteen classic works of modern sf; wondrous stories by Alfred Bester, Philip K. Dick, Jack Vance, Frederick Pohl and many others. If you love science fiction, read how a young fan grew up to become one of the most honored masters in the history of the field, as told in his own words.

Headway Advanced Level: Student's Book


John Soars - 1987
    A multi-level course, supported by a broad range of supplementary material, which targets both accuracy and fluency in all four language skills.

The Discovery of Poetry: A Field Guide to Reading and Writing Poems


Frances Mayes - 1987
    After publishing five books of poetry and teaching creative writing for more than twenty-five years, Mayes is no stranger to the subject. In The Discovery of Poetry, an accessible "field guide" to reading and writing poetry, she shares her passion with readers. Beginning with basic terminology and techniques, from texture and sound to rhyme and repetition, Mayes shows how focusing on one aspect of a poem can help you to better understand, appreciate, and enjoy the reading and writing experience. In addition to many creative and helpful composition ideas, following each lyrical and lively discussion is a thoughtful selection of poems. With its wonderful anthology from Shakespeare to Jamaica Kinkaid, The Discovery of Poetry is an insightful, invaluable guide to what Mayes calls "the natural pleasures of language-a happiness we were born to have."

Words that Sell


Richard Bayan - 1987
    How about appealing? Take your pick from 76 synonyms. You'll even find more than 100 variations on exciting. Fully updated and expanded, this edition of the copywriting classic is packed with inspiration-on-demand for busy professionals who need to win customers--by mail, online, or in person.More than 75 lists of powerful and persuasive words and phrases, including 21 new lists for this editionCross-referencing of categories to jump-start creative thinkingA crash course in basic copywriting techniquesHelpful lists of commonly misspelled words, confusing words, pretentious phrases to avoid, and moreRoget's is fine for writing term papers and letters to the editor, but when it comes to the business of writing copy that translates into sales, there is no substitute for Words That Sell.Find the perfect words and phrases to win over customersGrabbers that get attention: No-risk offer * One day only! * No strings attached! * What have you got to lose? * All the right ingredients * Inside information * Do you enjoy...? * Leap into...Descriptions and benefits that create appeal: Irresistible * winning * zesty * huggable * satisfying * You'll fall in love with...* Your ticket to... * king-size * Gives you the power * baby-soft *Clinchers to win over your customer: Reap the benefits today * Don't miss out! * No risk now, no risk later! * You can do it!* You be the judge * Send for our free catalog * 100% satisfaction guaranteeSpecial strategies that seal the deal: Five-star quality * You're worth it * Don't fall for... * We make life easier * You're one of a select few... * discriminating * Your thoughtful gift

Truman Capote: Conversations


M. Thomas Inge - 1987
    The topics are often gossip about the famous people Capote ran with, but always he provides revealing information about his writings�the authors who inspired him, his meticulous methods of research and composition, and his personal reverence for the craft of authorship. He was, as the editor notes, �fiercely devoted to his art, and keenly aware of his place in the world of letters.� While his detractors, such as Ernest Hemingway and Gore Vidal, spoke out long and loud against the feisty and media-minded writer from Louisiana, Capote here has the last word. What emerges is a portrait of the author as pop cult figure�unabashed in his pursuit of fame and fortune but unstinting in his devotion to becoming one of America�s major prose stylists. These interviews range from the first he granted after the publication of his first novel through his shockingly personal self-interview which appeared at the end of his last major work.

Composing with Confidence: Writing Effective Paragraphs and Essays


Alan Meyers - 1987
    Fast-paced, high-interest, continuous discourse materials that make the book fun for students to read and work with. Students are guided step-by-step through the composing process, but are provided with options in prewriting, discovery, outlining, and predicting. Each chapter in the unit on the rhetorical modes offers student model paragraphs and essays, as well as professional models. Each chapter in this unit includes a well-wrought paragraph assignment, an optional essay writing assignment, and at least five alternative assignments--several of them in response to readings--to allow for maximum instructional flexibility. Original contributions from well-known authors, textbook writers, professors, and editors offer students advice and insights into the composing practices of professionals. And a full unit of fifteen readings from professional as well as student writers establishes the reading/writing connection, while providing students with additional models and prompts for writing.A full unit on sentence-level issues of grammar and mechanics offers students instruction in only those skills that they need to master to make their writing clear and grammatically correct. Each chapter in the unit ends with two Editing for Mastery exercises, in which students must find and correct errors in extended prose passage. The answers to the first exercise are provided in an appendix. Tips boxes and If Your First Language Is Not English boxes also provide short, specific, and practical advice to students.

Shut Up! He Explained: A Writer's Guide to the Uses and Misuses of Dialogue


William Noble - 1987
    1987.Author - William Noble.Publisher - Paul S. Eriksson.

Writing Groups: History, Theory, and Implications


Anne Ruggles Gere - 1987
    She offers instead a broader view of authorship that includes both individual and social dimensions, with implications not only for the teaching of composition but also for theories of rhetoric and literacy.

Writing Comedy


John Truby - 1987
    And he pauses to let ideas sink in; he doesn't race through too much information at once. He's like a laid-back professor and I've learned a lot from him.

Screenwriter: Words Become Pictures


Lee Server - 1987
    

American Slang: The Abridged Edition of the Dictionary of American Slang


Robert L. Chapman - 1987
    Expanded and completely updated, this 2nd edition contains thousands of contemporary and traditional slang expressions, including the newest computer lingo and slang from the Internet. Entries Feature: Definitions Pronunciations Time and place origins Editorial notes Cross-references Examples that illustrate and validate usage Synonyms and variant forms Impact symbols

Dictionary of English Idioms, The Penguin


Daphne M. Gulland - 1987
    The basis of the author's approach is the grouping of phrases around a limited number of key words from which idioms are derived.

Quintilian on the Teaching of Speaking and Writing: Translations from Books One, Two and Ten of the Institutio oratoria


James J. Murphy - 1987
    Murphy lists and defines the main elements that appear in the Institutio oratorio. Each of these elements—Precept, Imitation, Composition Exercises, Declamation, and Sequencing—is further subdivided according to goals and exercises.   The first two books of the Institutio oratorio concern the early education of the orator, with the focus on the interplay between seen-language and heard-language. Book Ten is an adult’s commentary on the instruction of rhetoric. It involves itself primarily with facilitas, the readiness to use language in any situation.

Atlas of Facial Expression: An Account of Facial Expression for Artists, Actors, and Writers


Stephen Rogers Peck - 1987
    The beautifully illustrated Atlas of Facial Expression expands upon the material in Peck's earlier book to provide a detailed guide to the complexities of facial expression. Illustrated with fifty pages of drawings depicting musculature and facial expressions and sixteen pages of photographs of heads sculptured in clay, the book analyzes facial behavior, ranging from the sardonic smile to the lustful leer, from day-dreaming to screaming, from nausea to cold sweat, and more. Artists, art students, actors, writers, and anyone else interested in the art of relating emotion to the physiology of the face will find this volume indispensable.

Personal Voices: A Celebration of Dialogue


Mary Lythgoe Bradford - 1987
    

Writing of Economics


Donald McCloskey - 1987
    

Hafez: Dance of Life


Hafez - 1987
    It offers not only a selection of Hafez's verses in Persian and in romanized Persian (for those who wish an idea of the cadence of the original), but two English translations and two sets of illustrations: com plementing Michael Boylan's modern translations, illustrated by striking works of Persian art/calligraphy, are translations bordered by traditional Persian art that were done by Wilberforce Clarke in the 19th century. A delightful introduction to a major world-class author that belongs in any library interested in world literature. Donald Clay Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota Lib. , Minneapolis