"The Writer's Eye" teaches effective composition across media by showing how rhetorical purposes and principles inform multimedia texts throughout the culture. By establishing the fundamentals of effective composition and demonstrating how these fundamentals inform multimedia texts, "The Writer's Eye" gives students the tools to better interpret the different cultural media in their own daily lives and to better compose their own meaningful and well-developed texts.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS: SEEING, READING, AND COMPOSING Introduction. Viewing with a Writer's Eye Why Pay Close Attention to the Media? What Media Choices Do You Make? Media Survey (Individual Project) Personal Media Profile (Individual Project) Group Media Profile (Group Activity) Media Log (Individual Project) Media Fast (Individual Project) Media Memoirs (Individual Project) Bill Costanzo, Why Do I Like To Read? Melissa Ferreira, Student Media Memoir Chapter 1. Reading Across the Media Critical Thinking: Reading What You See Thinking Critically About Visual Images Thinking Critically About Moving Images Jell-o Pudding Commercial Storyboard ReadStarboardaluating Web Sites Analyzing Texts Reading is a Process Reading Strategies Formal Analysis Analyze a Magazine Ad (Individual Project) Student Text Analysis of a Cigarette Ad Cultural Analysis Reading Parodies Kathryn Bold, The Old Man and the Flea Adbusters, Wash Your Blues Away Create a Parody (Group Project) Chapter 2. Composing Across the Media Composing is a Process Principles of Effective Composition Clarity in Composition Completeness in Composition Discovering Planning Developing/Drafting Revising Proofreading Unity in Composition Continuity in Composition Structure in Composition Style in Composition Student Essay: My History Lesson Discovering Planning Developing/Drafting Revising Proofreading Anna's First Draft with Instructor Comments Composing with a Camera PART TWO: CONNECTIONS: READINGS, SCREENINGS, AND INVITATIONS TO COMPOSE Chapter 3. Flashbacks: Longing and Belonging Scenarios from Life Why Write to Remember? Writing Option: Writing to Remember Media Option: Video Journal Tips on Writing from Memory Discovering Planning Drafting Revising Proofreading Readings and Screenings: Longing and Belonging Reconstructing Memories across the Media Partial Transcript of Documentary, Maya Angelou's Journey Home Maya Angelou, Momma's Store Partial Transcript of Documentary, First Person Plural Working the Web, First Person Plural Langston Hughes, Salvation Dick Gregory, Shame Robert Hayden, Those Winter Sundays Esmaralda Santiago, Ironing Sandra Cisneros, Eleven Nicholas Gage, The Teacher Who Changed My Life Nuala Lynch, A Night of Terror (student essay) The Web of Memory Taking Stock Chapter 4. Close Ups: Observing Our Environments Scenarios from Life Why Write to Describe? Composing Options Writing Option: Writing to Describe Media Option: Collage Tips on Descriptive Writing Readings and Screenings: Observing the Environment Observing and Describing across the Media Annie Dillard, Seeing Discovering Planning Developing Revising Proofreading Partial Transcript of Documentary, Before the First Word Anna Quindlen, On A SoHo Street, a Feast for Body and Soul Mark Twain, Two Views of the River Website, Congo Trek N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy Mountain Linda Hogan, Dwellings Esmeralda Santiago, How to Eat a Guava Diane Ackerman, How to Watch the Sky A Student Writer in Action Preview Discovering Planning Developing Revising Proofreading and Advice Lisa Wess, In the Distant, Early, Morning (student essay) Evaluation Checklist Description on the Web Taking Stock Chapter 5. Shifting Angles: Analyzing American Cultures Scenarios from Life Why Write to Analyze? Composing Options Writing Option: Analyze a Cultural Icon or Activity Media Option: Illustrated Speech Tips on Writing an Analysis Discovering Planning Drafting Revising Readings and Screenings: American Cultures Analyzing and Explaining across the Media Partial Transcript of Radio Interview, Hip Hop: Today's Civil Rights Movement? Original Storyboard, Training Camp Nancy Masterson Sakomoto, Conversational Ballgames Horace Miner, Body Ritual Among the Nacirema Stephen King, Why We Crave Horror Movies Jack Hitt, The Hidden Life of SUVs William Doherty, Rituals of Passage: Weddings Susan Orlean, The American Man at Age Ten A Student Writer in Action Preview Discovering Planning Developing Revising Syliva Pace, Funeral Customs in Guayma (student essay) Analyze This on the Web Evaluation Checklist Taking Stock Chapter 6. Documented Investigations: The Changing Family Scenarios from Life Why Write to Investigate? Writing Options: Writing to Investigate Option 1: The I-Search Paper (Investigative Story) Option 2: The Academic Research Paper Media Option: Multi-media Presentation Tips on Writing from Research Discovering Planning Research Drafting Revising Readings and Screenings: The Changing Family Investigating and Reporting across the Media Partial Transcript: Dateline, Out of Order Frank Sulloway, Birth Order and Personality Daniel Goleman, The Family Crucible Shere Hite, New Family Forms Are Emerging Barbara Whitehead, From Death to Divorce Stephanie Coontz, Putting Divorce in Perspective Alice Walker, Everyday Use A Student Writer in Action Preview Discovering Planning Developing Revising Proofreading and Advice Mutsumi Oishi, Benefits of Raising Multi-lingual Children (student essay) Evaluation Checklist Research on the Web Taking Stock Chapter 7. Reaction Shots: Evaluating Our Consuming Choices Scenarios from Life Why Write to Evaluate? Writing Options: The Critical Review / Snap Judgments Media Option: Reviewer's Website Discovering Planning Developing Revising Proofreading Tips on Evaluative Writing Readings and Screenings: Consuming Choices Judging and Evaluating across the Media Ellen Langer, When the Light's on and Nobody's Home Partial Transcript of Documentary: The Persuaders David Bodanis, Danish Wendell Berry, The Pleasures of Eating Mary Kuntz, Is Nothing Sacred? Toni Cade Bambara, The Lesson Preview, Three Reviews The Matrix A Student Writer in Action Preview Discovering Planning Developing Revising Conclusions and Advice James Gerace, New York Ranger Hockey (student essay) Evaluation Checklist Reviews on the Web Taking Stock Chapter 8. Resolving and Persuading: Gender Wars Scenarios from Life Why Write to Persuade? Writing Option: Option 1: Taking a Position/ Option 2: Resolving a Conflict Media Options: Option 1: The Debating Game / Option 2: The Mediation Game Tips on Writing Persuasively Discovering Planning Drafting Revising Special Section on Resolving Conflicts Readings and Screenings: Engendering Conflicts and Solutions Resolving and Persuading across the Media Deborah Tannen, For Argument's Sake John Gray, Mr. Fix-It and the Home-Improvement Committee Natalie Anger, Condemning Our Kids to Life on Mars or Venus Partial Transcript of Quirks and Quarks: Male and Female Brains Judy Brady, I Want a Wife Dave Barry, Guys vs. Men Partial Transcript: Nightline What Are the Differences Between Men and Women Ernest Hemingway, Hills Like White Elephants A Student Writer in Action Preview Discovering Planning Developing Revising Conclusions and Advice Outline Katheryn Diamond, Progress or Poison: Does Genetic Engineering Take More Than It Gives? (student essay) Evaluation Checklist Taking Stock The Web of Persuasion Chapte r 9. Fast Forward: Predicting and Proposing Future Worlds Scenarios from Life Why Write to Predict and Propose? Writing Option: Option 1: What if?/ Option 2: Envisioning a Future Media Option: Composing Lyrics Tips on Writing Predictions and Proposals Discovering Planning Drafting Revising Readings and Screenings: Fastforward to the Future Predicting and Proposing across the Media Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken TV Commercial, Dan Brooks (Seiko) John Lennon, Imagine Commercial, Be Young, Have Fun (Pepsi) Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream Rachel Carson, Fable For Tomorrow Marvin Minsky, Will Robots Inherit the Earth? Kurt Vonnegut, Harrison Bergeron A Student Writer in Action Monique Bonfiglio, Boys Don't Cry Evaluation Checklist Futures on the Web Taking Stock