With a real-world genre orientation, attention to diverse media, focus on visual literacy, and emphasis on the ethics of writing, the Fourth Edition of The Call to Write continues to break new ground in composition.   Organized by genres—letters, memoirs, public documents, profiles, reports, commentaries, proposals, and reviews—this innovative rhetoric gives students the practice they need to write both in college and in the public sphere. Connecting writing to the real worlds of everyday life, college, and work, it gives students reasons to write and the skills to help them succeed. A strong emphasis on public writing promotes civic involvement through writing—to inform the public, to shape opinion, to advocate change, etc.—while relevant, provocative readings underscore when and why citizens are called to write.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: WRITING AND READING   Introduction: The Call to Write.   1. What Is Writing? Analyzing Literacy Events. Writing in Everyday Life. Writing in the Workplace.             Letters by and to Michael Brown             Memo, “TO: The Thief that has been stealing pens from the IBM” Writing in the Public Sphere.             “ACORN Katrina Survivors Association” Writing in School.             Sample high school research paper Analyzing a Literacy Event.             Frederick Douglass, from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.             Eudora Welty, from One Writer's Beginnings.             Margaret J. Finders, from Just Girls. Writing Assignment: Analyzing a Literacy Event.   2. Reading Strategies for Academic Purposes: Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation. Reading as Research.             Jonathan Kozol, from Distancing the Homeless. Strategies for Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation. Sample Analysis of a Rhetorical Situation.             Kevin Powell, My Culture at the Crossroads. Writing Assignment: Rhetorical Analysis. .   3. Persuasion and Responsibility: Analyzing Arguments. Understanding Argument.             Darcy Peters and Marcus Boldt:Exchange of Letters. Entering a Controversy. Taking a Position: From Issues to Claims. Developing a Persuasive Position.             Malcolm X, from The Ballot or the Bullet. Making an Argument.             Vigilant Neighbors or Big Brother Informants. Negotiating Differences.             Call for Moratorium on Executions. Sample Rhetorical Analysis for an Argument. Writing Assignment: Analyzing an Argument. .   PART TWO: WRITING PROJECTS   Introduction: Genres of Writing.   4. Letters: Establishing and Maintaining Relationships. Thinking About the Genre. Readings:             David C. Lewis, Meth Science Not Stigma: Open Letter to the Media Readings: Letter to the Editor.             Mark Patinkin, Commit a Crime, Suffer the Consequences.             Kristen Tardiff, Letter to the Editor.             John N. Taylor, Letter to the Editor. Writing in a Digital World: Text Messages             Charles McGrath, “The Pleasures Of the Text” Readings: Open Letters.             James Baldwin, My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew. Visual Design: Open Letters             Letter of Appeal from Doctors Without Borders, “Yellow Fever in Sudan” Further Explorations: Letters. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop.             Michael Brody, Letter to the Editor. Reflecting on Your Writing.   5. Memoirs: Recalling Personal Experience. Thinking About the Genre. Readings.             Annie Dillard, from An American Childhood.Throwing Snowballs.             Gary Soto, Black Hair.             Gail Caldwell, Teenage Angst in Texas Writing in a Digital World: Social Networking Web sites             MySpace.com Visual Design: Graphic Novels              Marjane Satrapi,The Veil Further Explorations: Memoirs. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop.             Jennifer Plante, Sunday Afternoons. Reflecting on Your Writing.     6. Public Documents: Codifying Beliefs and Practices. Thinking About the Genre. Readings.             Declaration of Independence Encounters with Public Documents.             Abraham Verghese, from My Own Country.             Ellen Cushman, from The Struggle and the Tools. Petitions.             Amnesty International, Call for Human Rights in Russia.             Jason Pierce, Tiger Woods–Stand up for Equality–Augusta National Golf Club. Policy Statements             WPA Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition Writing in a Digital World: Posting  Memorandum on Torture Visual Design.             Paula Scher, Defective Equipment: The Palm Beach County Ballot. Further Explorations: Public Documents. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop. The Warehouse State Honor Code. Reflecting on Your Writing.     7. Profiles: Creating a Dominant Impression. Thinking About the Genre. Readings.             Molly O'Neill, A Surgeon's War on Breast Cancer.             Mike Rose, I Just Wanna Be Average.             Paul Buhle, Insurgent Images: Mike Alewitz, Muralist. Writing in a Digital World: Soundmap             Folksongs for the Five Points Visual Design: Profiles in a Public Campaign.             Richard Misrach & Jason Berry, Cancer Alley: The Poisoning of the American South. Further Exploration: Profiles. Writing Assignment. Writers’ Workshop.             Richard Quitadamo, A Lawyer's Crusade Against Tobacco. Reflecting on Your Writing.   8. Reports: Informing and Explaining. Thinking About the Genre. Readings.             News Reports: Mentally Ill People Aren't More Violent, Study Finds.             Fox Butterfield, Studies of Mental Illness Shows Links to Violence.             The Sentencing Project: Facts About Prisoners. From Steven Heller and Karen Pomeroy, I Shop Therefore I Am, Barbara Kruger and The First Record Album, Alex Steinwess.             Daniel Pauly and Reg Watson, Counting the Last Fish. Writing in a Digital World: An Informational Web Site             “The Triangle Factory Fire” Visual Design: Pictorial Timelines             The Evolution of the SBC and AT&T Brands: A Pictorial Timeline Further Exploration: Reports. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop.             Michael E. Crouch, Lost in a Smog. Reflecting on Your Writing.     9. Commentary: Identifying Patterns of Meaning. Thinking About the Genre. Readings.             Eric Liu, Remember When Public Spaces Didn't Carry Brand Names.             Lundy Braun, How to Fight the New Epidemics.             Ayn Rand, Marilyn Monroe’s Sad, Lonely Cry for Help Writing in a Digital World: Blogs             Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq by Riverbend Visual Design: Political Posters.             iRaq poster             Prozaz parody poster Further Exploration: Commentary. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop.             Rachel Smith, Socially Acceptable Discrimination? Reflecting on Your Writing.   10. Proposals: Formulating and Solving Problems. Thinking About the Genre. Readings.                                 Ross Gelbspan, RX for An Ailing Planet Lucia Trimbur,“Training Fighters, Making Men: A Study of Amateur Boxers and Their Trainers at Gleason’s Gym”             Leon Botstein, Let Teenagers Try Adulthood. Writing in a Digital World             Student Labor Action Project Visual Design: Advertising             Student Labor Action Project             Tab energy drink ad             “Let There Be Q” Motorola ad Further Exploration: Proposals. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop.             Proposal for a Campus Coffee House. Reflecting on Your Writing.   11. Reviews: Evaluating Works and Performances. Thinking About the Genre. Readings             Sasha Frere-Jones, “1979”             Jon Pareles, “The Case Against Coldplay”             Stephen Holden, After 20 Years It Still Comes Out Swinging.             Scott Jones, “Grand Theft Auto” Writing in a Digital World: Travel Guides             San Francisco, DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides Further Explorations: Reviews. Writing Assignment. Writers' Workshop.             Denise Sega, Working Draft of More Than Just Burnouts. Reflecting on Your Writing. . PART THREE: WRITING AND RESEARCH PROJECTS   Introduction: Doing Research and the Need to Know   12. The Research Process: Critical Essays and Research Projects.   Understanding the Genre: Critical Essays and Research Projects. Sample Student Papers for Analysis.             Critical Essay: Jacqueline Perkins, The Dilemma of Empire. Research Paper (MLA), Andy Mgwanna, “The Prison Privatization Debate The Need for a New Focus” Research Paper (APA), Jennie Chen, “Defining Disease: The Case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” The Research Process: An Overview. Finding Sources Evaluating  Sources Making an Argument Planning and Drafting Your Project. A Closing Note.   13. Working with Sources. Working with Sources to Answer Your Research Question What Is Plagiarism? Avoiding Plagiarism: How to Cite Properly Fitting Quotations to Your Sentences. Revising Your Research Project. In-Text Citations. Works Cited (MLA) and References (APA).   14. A Guide to Print, Electronic, and Other Sources.   Books and Periodicals: Understanding Types of Print Sources. Learning about the Library. Searching the Web. Government Publications. Other Sources.   15. Fieldwork and the Research Report.   Understanding the Genre of the Research Report. Luis Ramirez, Food Sources in South Providence. Designing A Field Research Project. Observation. Interviews. Surveys.   PART FOUR: WRITERS AT WORK   Introduction: Understanding the Writing Process   16. The Writing Process: A Case Study of a Writing Assignment. Case Study of a Writing Assignment. Talking to Teachers. Going to the Writing Center.   17. The Shape of the Essay: How Form Embodies Purpose.   Thinking about Form. Three Patterns of Organization. Readings             Sara Boxer, I Shop, Ergo I Am: The Mall as Society’s Mirror.             Ellen Goodman, MinneapolisPornography Ordinance.             Joan Didion, Los AngelesNotebook. Seeing Patterns of Organization: How Form Embodies Purpose. Putting the Parts Together.             Laurie Ouellette, Putting the Parts Together Connecting the Parts: Keeping Your Purpose Visible. Designing Paragraphs. How Paragraphs Make Patterns of Organization Easy to Recognize.             18. Working Together: Collaborative Writing Projects. Guidelines for Collaborating in Groups. How to Work Together on Collaborative Writing Projects. Identifying the Call to Write: Types of Projects. Reflecting on Your Writing: Analyzing Collaborative Writing.   PART FIVE: PRESENTING YOUR WORK   Introduction: Communicating with Your Readers.   19. Visual Design.   How Visual Design Embodies Purposes. Visual Design: Four Basic Principles. Working with Type. Visual Design Projects. Writers’ Workshop.   20. Web Design.   The Rhetorical Purpose of Web Design. National Baseball Hall of Fame, Dressed to the Nines Website Amnesty International Website The Structure of Web Design. The Visual Design of Web Sites Writing Assignment Planning a Web Site. Reflecting on Your Writing.   21. Oral Presentations.   Understanding the Differences Between Writing and Oral Presentations. Planning an Oral Presentation for a Class. Designing and Using Visual Aids. Rehearsing Your Presentation. Delivering Your Presentation.   22. Essay Exams.   Preparing for Essay Exams. Analyzing Exams. Planning Your Answer. Writing a Good Answer. Sample Essay Answers.   23. Writing Portfolios.   What Should You Include in a Portfolio? Some Options for a Writing Portfolio. On-Line Portfolios.