The Bedford Book of Genres with 2016 MLA Update: A Guide & Reader

by Amy Braziller, Elizabeth Kleinfeld

Overview

THIS TITLE HAS BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT THE 2016 MLA UPDATES! Our editorial team has updated this text based on content from The MLA Handbook, 8th Edition. Browse our catalog or contact your representative for a full listing of updated titles and packages, or to request a custom ISBN.
In a striking full-color visual format, The Bedford Book of Genres collects compelling examples that tell stories, report information, and persuade their audiences and then invites students to unpack how they work in order to experiment with their own compositions—not only through writing, but through photography, sketching, audio recording, and other creative forms. The Guide presents a simple rhetorical framework for reading in any genre and supports students through every step of the composing process, from finding a topic and sources to choosing a genre, presenting your work, and creating an author’s statement about your composing choices. Guided Readings—in print and e-Pages—map out the rhetorical situation and conventions of common public and academic genres, while Guided Process sections follow the decisions that 5 real students made as they worked in multiple genres and media. With 16 topic clusters and a range of readings from short visual arguments to longer, more complex pieces, the Reader gives students a wealth of sources, models, and inspiration for their own compositions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781319090104
Publisher:	Bedford/St. Martin's
Publication date:	07/18/2016
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	816
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Amy Braziller is an English faculty member and former department chair at Red Rocks Community College. She received her B.A. from Empire State College and her M.A. from New York University. Amy has presented on teaching writing and new media at numerous national and regional conferences. Her research focuses on the intersections between classroom and personal writing. Amy, who is at work on a series of personal essays related to her punk rock days in NYC, blogs about food, film, music, GLBT issues, and social media distractions at amybraziller.com. She is co-author (with Elizabeth Kleinfeld) of The Bedford Book of Genres. Elizabeth Kleinfeld is the Writing Center Director and an Associate Professor of English at Metropolitan State College of Denver. She received her B.S. from Bradley University, and her M.S. in English and Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric from Illinois State University. Liz is a contributing researcher on The Citation Project and has published essays on new media, writing centers, and student source use in various journals and collections, including Computers & Composition Online. She is co-PI on a grant to develop a program on academic literacy for at-risk students, particularly migrants. Her current research focuses on how writing centers can intervene in students’ research processes. Liz is co-author (with Amy Braziller) of The Bedford Book of Genres.

Table of Contents

GUIDE

Part I: Experimenting with Genres: from analysis to draft

1. Understanding Genres

The Rhetorical Situation

  Purposes: Why Are You Composing?

  Audiences: Who Are You Composing For?

  Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

  Modes & Media

Genre Conventions

  Elements of the Genre

  Style

  Design

  Sources

Case Study: One Event, Two Genres: Arch Collapse at a National Park

  GUIDED READINGS

  (press release) Paul Henderson, Wall Arch Collapses

  (blog post) Shaan Hurley, The Wall Arch Collapses in Arches National Park

Student Case Study: One Topic, Multiple Genres: Prescription Drugs and Advertising

  Kristen LaCroix (student), Drugs & Marketing Project

  Researching a Topic

  Choosing a Topic

  Determining a Purpose

  Considering Audience

  Using Rhetorical Appeals

  Choosing a Genre(s)

  Working with Modes and Media

  Working with Style

  Working with Design

  Drawing from Sources

GUIDED READINGS

  (collage capsule sculpture) Kristin LaCroix, Prescription for Change: The Impact of Drug Advertising 

  (artist’s statement) Kristin LaCroix , Why I Created “Prescription for Change”

2. Narrative Genres

The Rhetorical Situation

  Purposes: Why Tell Stories?

  Audience: How Do We Get Others to Connect with Our Stories?

  Rhetorical Appeals: How Do We Use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to Tell Stories?

  Mode & Media: What Are the Best Choices? How Will They Affect your Story?

The Genre’s Conventions

  Elements of the Genre: What Do All Stories Have In Common?

  Style: How Does It Contribute to Your Story?

  Design: What Is the Best Physical Format For Your Story?

  Source: What Information Do We Draw on to Tell Stories?

Literacy Narratives

  Analyzing Literacy Narratives: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING:

  (literacy narrative) Richard Rodriguez, From Aria: A Memoir of Bilingual Education

  Drafting a Literacy Narrative

Memoirs

  Analyzing Memoirs: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (memoir) Dave Eggers, From A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

  Drafting a Literacy Narrative

Graphic Memoirs

  Analyzing Graphic memoirs: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (graphic memoir) Alison Bechdel, From Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic

  Drafting a Graphic Memoir

Photo Essays

  Analyzing Photo Essays: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (photo essay) Eros Hoagland, Life in the Googleplex

  Drafting/Sketching Out a Photo Essay

e-Pages

Fairy Tales

  Analyzing Fairy Tales: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (fairy tale) Charles Perrault, Little Red Riding Hood

  Drafting a Fairy Tale 

e-Pages 

Short Stories

  Analyzing Short Stories: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (short short story) Annie Proulx, 55 Miles to the Gas Pump

  Drafting a Short Story 

e-Pages

Dramatic Films

  Analyzing Dramatic Films: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (dramatic film) Danny Boyle, From Slumdog Millionaire

  Drafting/Sketching Out a Dramatic Film

3. Informative Genres

The Rhetorical Situation

  Purposes: Why Share Information?

  Audiences: How Do We Inform Others?

  Rhetorical Appeals: How Do We Use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to Inform?

  Mode & Media: How Can They Help You Inform?

The Genre Conventions

  Elements of the Genre: What Does All Informative Writing Have in Common?

  Style: How Does It Help You Inform?

  Design: What Is the Best Physical Format for Informing?

  Source: What Research Do We Draw on to Inform Our Readers?

Encylopedia Entries

  Analyzing Encyclopedia Entries: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (encyclopedia entry) The Encyclopedia Britannica, Global Warming

  Drafting an Encyclopedia Entry

Charts / Infographics

  Analyzing Charts / Infographics: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (infographic) The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Why Does a Salad Cost More than a Big Mac?

  Drafting a Chart / Infographic

News articles

  Analyzing News Articles: What to look for

  GUIDED READING

  (news article) Nicholas Wade, For Cats, a Big Gulp with a Touch of the Tongue

  Drafting a News Article

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  Analyzing Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (peer-reviewed journal article) Sika Alaine Dagbovie, Mixed Race Superstars

  Drafting a Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

e-Pages

Maps

  Analyzing Maps: What to Look For

  (interactive map) GUIDED READING: WorldView, Ltd. MyLondonMap

  Drafting/Sketching a Map

e-Pages

Documentary Films

  Analyzing Documentary Films: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (documentary film) Doug Pray, from Scratch

  Sketching a Plan for a Documentary Film

e-Pages

Business Memos

Analyzing Business Memos: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (memo) Ellen Thibault, Video Project

  Drafting a Business Memo

4. Persuasive Genres

The rhetorical situation

  Purposes: Why Write to Persuade?

  Audiences: How Do We Persuade Others?

  Rhetorical Appeals: How Do We Use Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to Persuade?

  Mode & Media: How Can They Help You Persuade?

The genre conventions

  Style: How Do Elements of a Genre and Features of Your Writing Contribute to Your Persuasive Texts?

  Design: What is the Best Physical Format for Persuading?

  Source: What Research Do We Draw on to Persuade Others?

Advertisements

  Analyzing Advertisements: What to Look For

   GUIDED READING

  (advertisement) Danone/Evian, Detox with Evian

  Drafting an Advertisement

Editorials

  Analyzing Editorials: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (editorial) Katha Pollitt, Adam and Steve—Together at Last

  Drafting an Editorial

Researched Arguments

  Analyzing Researched Arguments: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (researched argument) Chase Dickinson (student), Are Kids On a One-Way Path to Violence?

  Drafting a Researched Argument

Authors’ & Artist’s Statements

  Analyzing Authors’ & Artist’s Statements: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (artist’s statement) Michael Kipp (student), Why and How I Created My Collage: Thank You

  Drafting an Author’s or Artist’s Statement

Collages / Visual Arguments

  Analyzing Collages / Visual Arguments: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (collage) Richard Hamilton, Just What Makes Today’s Homes So Different, So Appealing?

  Sketch or Draft a Collage / Visual Argument 

e-Pages

Presentations

  Analyzing Presentations: What to Look For

   GUIDED READING

  (presentation) Shereen El Feki, Pop Culture in the Arab World

  Drafting a Presentation

e-Pages

Personal Statements

  Analyzing Personal Statements: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  (personal statement) TopLawSchools.com & Stay-at-Home Dad, Personal Statement for Penn Law School

  Drafting a Personal Statement

e-Pages

Cover Letters & Resumes

  Analyzing Cover Letters & Resumes: What to Look for

  GUIDED READING

  Julia Nollen, Applying for Marketing Assistant Job

  Drafting a Cover Letter & Resume 

e-Pages

Film Reviews

  Analyzing Film Reviews: What to Look For

  GUIDED READING

  Roger Ebert, Ratatouille: Waiter, There’s a Rat in my Soup

  Drafting a film review 

Part II: Composing in Genres — from start to finish

5. Exploring Topics & Creating a Research

Choosing a Topic through Basic Research

  1. Brainstorm topic ideas: Read, talk, sketch, enjoy.

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Choose a Topic

  Sharon Freeman (student), From Coffee to Germs

  2. Explore topic ideas through preliminary research. Who’s saying what?

  3. Commit to a single viable topic. What are you most curious about?

  4. Form a working research question—and refine as you go.

Moving from Research Question to Proposal

  GUIDED PROCES: How to Research a Topic

  Jasmine Huerta (student), Diabetes Project

  Exploring a topic: Diabetes

  Finding facts about Diabetes

  Gathering Opinions about Diabetes

  Creating a Research Proposal 

Organizing Your Sources

  Use simple strategies: email, bookmark, copy/paste, screen capture 000

  Create a list of sources: keep a working bibliography 000

  Better yet, keep an annotated working bibliography 000

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Create a Bibliography

  Jasmine Huerta (student), Diabetes Project: Bibliography

  Drafting a research question, proposal, and bibliography

6. Evaluating & Choosing Sources

Getting Started with Sources

  What are sources?

  Where do I find sources?

  What can sources do for me?

  What’s a general source? What’s a specialized academic source?

  What are primary & secondary sources? What are tertiary sources?

  How do I preview a source critically?

Previewing a Source

  Emily Kahn (student): Women in Comic Books Project

  1. What is Lightspeed Magazine?

  2. Who Are the Editors & Staff Members at Lightspeed Magazine?

  3. Who Is Jehanzeb, the Author of the Article?

  4. What Type of Article Is This? Will It Work for My Project?

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Preview a Source

  Emily Kahn (student), Women in Comic Books Project: Previewing Jehanzeb Dar 

  5. Should I add this source to my working bibliography?

Evaluating a Source

  Calvin Sweet: Hurricane Katrina Project

  How do I evaluate a source? How is this different from previewing?

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Evaluate Sources

   Calvin Sweet, Hurricane Katrina Project: Evaluating 3 Sources

  Calvin Sweet, Hurricane Katrina Project: Research Plan

7. Integrating & Documenting sources

Integrating Sources into Your Writing

Using a Parenthetical Citation or Signal Phrase

Quoting

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Quote from a Source

  Paul Pierre (student), Nonviolent Protest Project: Quoting Gandhi

Paraphrasing

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Paraphrase a Source

  Paul Pierre (student), Nonviolent Protest Project: Paraphrasing Julia Bacha

Summarizing

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Summarize a Source

  Paul Pierre (student), Nonviolent Protest Project: Summarizing Julia Bacha

Avoiding Plagiarism

Documenting sources: A Guide to MLA & APA Styles

How to choose a documentation style

MLA Style

MLA Models

APA Style

APA Models 

8. Composing in Genres

Rough Drafting

Advice for rough drafting

  GUIDED READING: A Rough Draft

  Gwen Ganow (student), Superhero Project: Rough Draft

Rereading & Annotating Sources

Steps for Rereading & Annotating Sources

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Reread & Annotate a Source

  Gwen Ganow (student), Superhero Project: An Annotated Source

Choosing a genre to compose in

Steps for choosing a genre to compose in

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Choose a Genre to Compose In

  Gwen Ganow (student), Superhero Project:

  Brainstorm to Refine Topic & Purpose

  3 Annotated Persuasive Sources

  Notes on Persuasive Genre Chosen to Compose In

Composing your Genre Piece

Steps for composing

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to Compose a Genre Piece

  Gwen Ganow (student), Superhero Project

  Film Review Draft #1

  Evaluation of Film Review Draft #1

  Film Review Drafts #2 and #3

Composing an Accompanying Author’s or Artist’s Statement

Advice for composing your statement

  GUIDED PROCESS: How to compose an author’s statement

  Gwen Ganow (student), Superhero Project: Author’s Statement: Draft #1

9. Revising & remixing your work

Revising Your Work

Revising Based on Your Own Observations

Revising Based on Peer Review

  GUIDED PROCESS: Integrating Peer Feedback: Draft to Finished Composition

  Gwen Ganow (student), Superhero Project:

  Author Statement Draft #1—with Peer Review

  Author Statement Revision List

  Author Statement Draft #2

  Author Statement Revision List

  Author Statement Draft #3

  Author Statement: Final (shows edits)

  Author Statement: Final (edits incorporated)

Remixing Your Work into Different Genres 

  GUIDED PROCESS: Remixing a Genre Project

  Gwen Ganow, Superhero Project Remix: PowerPoint presentation with “Top 10” List 

10. Assembling a Multigenre Project

The Possibilities of the Multigenre Project

  Your Rhetorical Situation

  The Conventions of the Multigenre Project

The Steps to Assembling a Multigenre Project

  1. Introduce your project and provide context

  2. Sequence your genre pieces

  3. Title your project

  4. Create an author’s or artist’s statement

  5. Package your project creatively

Examples of multigenre projects

  GUIDED READINGS: Multigenre projects

  Neil Carr (student), Video Games and Violence: Who Should We Blame When Kids are Violent?

  Gwen Ganow (student), When Worlds Collide: Why Superheroes Matter

  Dawson Swan (student), The Threat of Nature Deficit Disorder

Appendix: 4 readings 

e-Pages

Identity

  (poster campaign) Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, Not Who You Expected?

e-Pages

The body

  (argument) Michael Pollan, 6 Food Rules

e-Pages

The environment

(object/ad) Surfrider Foundation, Catch of the Day: Plastic Surprise

e-Pages

Heroes & villains

  (myths) The Federal Bureau of Investigation, From Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators: Common Myths and Misconceptions Regarding Serial Murder

READER

11. Identity

Identity & Stuff

  (researched argument) Sam Gosling, From Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You

  (ad) Acura, The 2009 Acura TSX

Composing Identity

  (essay) Garrison Keillor, Last Words

  (profile) Kirsten Herold, Facebook Profile

  (blog entry / diagram) Mark Dixon, Discovering Identity

  (timeline) Alli, Timeline of My Life

Our Bodies, Ourselves

  (essay) Paul Bloom, First Person Plural

  (photo series) Billie Hara, Identity: Parts and Pieces

  (essay) Hanna Rossin, A Boy’s Life

  (nursery rhyme) Unknown, What Are Folks Made Of?

Immigration & Identity

  (fiction) Amy Tan, Two Kinds

  (poem) Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus

  (cartoon) Conservative Outpost, Not Yours

American Identity

  (editorial) Matthew Iglesias, The Myth of Majority-Minority America

  (ads) Homeless Coalition of Hillsborough County, Not Who You Expected?

    Sameya, age 18; Jeff, age 44

  (editorial blog post) Ted Merwin, What Makes the Jewish Deli American?,

Subculture Identity

  (wiki entry) eHow, How to Become a Geek

  (interview) Deborah Soloman, Patti Smith: She Is a Punk Rocker

12. The Body

Bodies 101

  (poem) Walt Whitman, From I Sing the Body Electric

  (instructions) American Heart Association and the University of Washington School of Medicine, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

  (medical history) Dr. John G. Sotos, aka Doctor Zebra, The Health and Medical History of President Ronald Reagan

  (personal essay) Harriet McBryde Johnson, Unspeakable Conversations

  (researched argument) Barbara Ehrenreich, Smile or Die: The Bright Side of Cancer

Food, Obesity, & Fat Advocacy

  (list/argument) Michael Pollan, 6 Food Rules

  (essay) Regina Schrambling, Lard: After Decades of Trying, Its Moment Is Finally Here

  (ad) GlaxoSmithKline, Alli: My Story

  (napkin) Starbucks, Real Food, Simply Delicious

  (essay) Laura Fraser, The Inner Corset: A Brief History of Fat in the U.S.

  (essay) Juliet Samuel, Fat Pride World Wide: The Growing Movement for Avoirdupois Acceptance

  (blog pages) Paul McAleer, About Big Fat Blog; About Fat Acceptance

  (essay) Daniel Engber, Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Fat Asses

Messing with the Body

  (argument essay) Gregg Easterbrook, Embrace Human Cloning

  (essay) Victoria Clayton, Is Cosmetic Surgery a Good Gift for Grads?

  (news article) Science Daily, Men Fuel Rebound in Plastic Surgery

  (phone app) Dr. Michael A. Salzhauer, iSurgeon

The Brain & Mental health

  (memoir) Andy Behrman, From Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania: “Oz”

  (journal news article) Joan Arehart-Treichel, Women’s Depiction in Drug Ads: Holdover from a Bygone Era?

  (letter & painting) Vincent Van Gogh, “Dear Theo” and Dr. Gachet Seated at a Table

Cigarettes, Drugs, & Alcohol

  (spoof ad) Adbuster’s Magazine, Joe Chemo 

  (portfolio of ads) Stanford School of Medicine (curators), Vintage Cigarette Ads 000

  (map & chart) John Hoffman & Susan Froemke, Addiction is a National Concern and Drugs and Alcohol at a Glance

13. The Environment

Going Green: Ethics & The Climate Crisis

  (editorial) Alex Williams, Buying into the Green Movement

  (argument) Al Gore, From An Inconvenient Truth

  (brief arguments) Matt Power, Spencer Reiss, Joanna Pearlstein, Inconvenient Truths: 10 Green Heresies

Corporate Greening

  (brief article) Eric Hagerman, Little Green Lies

  (researched essay) Anna Lenzer, Spin the Bottle

  (fact sheet) Jen Quraishi, H2-Uh-Oh: Dirty Facts about Bottled Water

  (portfolio of ads) Shell, The New Energy Future; Chevron, I Will Leave the Car at Home More; BP, Gulf of Mexico Restoration

Pollution & Activism

  (article) Leyla Kokman, Environmental Justice for All

  (speech) President Barack Obama, The BP Oil Spill

  (billboard) Environmental Defense Fund, The Traffic Is Killing Me

  (complaint letter) Credo Action, Tell CEOs to stop burning coal

Plastics, Recycling, & Wildlife

  (object/ad) Surfrider Foundation, Catch of the Day: Plastic Surprise

  (ad) Oceana.org, Love Flipper and His Friends?

  (poster) Republic Services, Recycle More. It’s Easy to Do

  (comic & pie chart) Environmental Protection Agency, From Adventures of the Garbage Gremlin & Municipal Solid Waste Chart

Fashion & The Environment

  (brief article & ad) NotCot, Global Warming, Diesel Style

  (ad) Gaiam, Feel the World Outside: Organic Cotton

  (t-shirt) Ban T-Shirts, There Is No Planet B

Food & The Environment

  (personal essay) Jonathan Safran Foer, Against Meat

  (argument) Christine Lennon, Pro-Meat: Why Veggies Are Going Carnivore

  (argument) James E. McWilliams, The Locavore Myth

14. Heroes & Villains

Mythical Heroes

  (presentation) Chris Murban, The Archetypal Hero

  (interview) Joseph Campbell, From The Power of Myth: The Hero’s Adventure

  (map) Prestwick House Maps, The Journey of Odysseus

  (comic book adaptation) Homer/ Marvel Comics, From The Odyssey

  (fiction) Margaret Atwood, From The Penelopiad

Archetypal Villains

  (etymology) Dictionary.com, “Villain”

  (list) The American Film Institute, 100 Greatest Heroes &Villains

  (researched article) Stuart Fischoff, Villains in Film

  (instructions) Lee Masterson, Instructions for Writers: Creating Villains People Love to Hate

Everyday Heroes

  (parody) The Onion, Only Guy Who Puts Paper in the Copier Considers Himself a Hero

  (posters & brochure) War Production Co-Coordinating Committee, Rosie the Riveter: “We Can Do It; Vocational Education Posters, I Am a Firefighter; CISCRP.org, MedicalHeroes

  (lyrics) Bruce Springsteen, Local Hero

  (article) Joshua B. Freeman, Working-Class Heroes

  (editorial) Mike Celizic, No Athlete Deserves to Be Called a Hero

  (memoir) Jimmy Santiago Baca, A Place to Stand

Public Heroes

  (photo & quote) Martin Luther King

  (obituary) The New York Times, Rosa Parks

  (speech) John F. Kennedy, Special Address to Congress on The Importance of Space

  (photo) Neil Armstrong, Astronaut Buzz Aldrin

Serial Killers, Murderous Moms

  (myths) The Federal Bureau of Investigation, From Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators: Common Myths and Misconceptions Regarding Serial Murder

  (argument) David von Drehl, It's All About Him

  (police report) To Come

  (profiles) Charles Montaldo/About.com,

    Profile of Jeffrey Dahmer

    Profile of Andrea Yates

    Profile of Dennis Rader aka the "BTK" Strangler