Patterns of Poetry: An Encyclopedia of Forms

Patterns of Poetry: An Encyclopedia of Forms
Miller Williams (Author)
(7)

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The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach

The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach
Robin Behn (Author)
(29)

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The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms

The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms
Edited by Ron Padgett (Author)
(16)

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The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children's Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books

The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children's Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books
Desdemona McCannon (Author), Sue Thornton (Author), Yadzia Williams (Author)
(18)

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines

How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines
by Thomas C. Foster (Author), David de Vries (Narrator)
(254)

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Reporting Technical Information

Reporting Technical Information
Kenneth W. Houp (Author), Thomas E. Pearsall (Author), Elizabeth Tebeaux (Author), Sam Dragga (Author)
(12)

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In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction
Lee Gutkind (Editor), Annie Dillard (Introduction)
(19)

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A cross section of the famous and those bound to become so, this collection is a riveting experience highlighting the expanding importance of this dramatic and exciting new genre.

Creative nonfiction, also known as narrative nonfiction, liberated journalism by inviting writers to dramatize, interpret, speculate, and even re-create their subjects. Lee Gutkind collects twenty-five essays that flourished in this new turf, all originally published in the groundbreaking journal he founded, Creative Nonfiction, now in its tenth anniversary year.

Many of the writers here are crossing genres—from poetry to fiction to nonfiction. Annie Dillard provides the introduction, while Gutkind discusses the creative and ethical parameters of this new genre. The selections themselves are broad and fascinating. Lauren Slater is a therapist in the institution where she was once a patient. John Edgar Wideman reacts passionately to the unjust murder of Emmett Till. Charles Simic contemplates raucous gatherings at his Uncle Boris's apartment, while John McPhee creates a rare, personal, album quilt of his own life. Terry Tempest Williams speaks on the decline of the prairie dog, and Madison Smartt Bell invades Haiti. 

• Rank: #94001 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20" h x 5.40" w x 8.20" l, .85 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

The Elements of Style, Annotated and Updated for Present-Day Use

The Elements of Style, Annotated and Updated for Present-Day Use
William Strunk Jr. (Author), Stanford Pritchard (Author)
(18)

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ABOUT THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE:
UPDATED FOR PRESENT-DAY USE

“The ancients wrote at a time when the great art of writing badly had not yet been invented. In those days to write at all meant to write well.” – Georg Christoph Lichtenberg.

I was originally born in Ohio....

Well, that's interesting, I thought, as I absentmindedly listened to the sports announcer on the radio.

Wait! STOP! "I was ORIGINALLY BORN IN OHIO..."?

Well, gosh. Where were you born after THAT?

Then there are the baseball commentators who routinely say things like: "If he makes that play, the run may not have scored."

Well, again, wait just a minute. "If he MAKES that play...." But the play is already over. Why is the sentence in the present tense? "...The run may not have scored." But it DID score, so in this case, the proper word is "might," "MIGHT not have scored." A baseball announcer with any feeling for elementary good grammar would have said: "If he had made that play, the run might not have scored."

Oh, and then there are little niceties like this: "If I'm the Dallas Cowboys, I gotta believe...." But you AREN'T the Dallas Cowboys, and besides, how could one person be an entire football organization?

Okay, okay, sports broadcasters are easy to pick on (though one wonders why sports announcers, who are paid to speak, can't speak clearly, grammatically, and well).

The problem is -- and it's the problem squarely confronted in this book -- that such loose, breezy, and ungrammatical language is epidemic in print, too. Newspapers and magazines are full of clichés and buzzwords, and there's not one writer in ten who understands that difference between "lay" and "lie." If you have a friend who goes duck hunting, and s/he gives you a bunch of down, you might want to LAY the down on your mattress. Similarly, you LAY turf in the yard, or LAY bricks in the patio. But when you take to your bed for a nap, you LIE down. (The issue is clarified in this book.)
Language, whether spoken or written, is like a game, and like all games, it has rules. Now, "rules" does not have to be a scary word, and we all know that in language, the rules are constantly changing. "Ain't" was once a fairly common, and unremarkable, word, but nowadays, the President cannot use "ain't" in a State of the Union address; that's just the way the game is currently played. Furthermore, we judge language, whether spoken or written, by how well it accomplishes its ends within the agreed-upon rules. (On the subject of games without rules, Robert Frost said, apropos free verse: "I would as soon play tennis with the net down.")

There are many rules, formal and informal, and many little distinctions, to be learned, in language, and the author considers it fun, rather than a chore, to learn them. What is the difference between "loath" and "loathe"? When do we use "who," and when do we use "whom"? What is a gerund, what is apposition?

These, and many other niceties of language, are investigated and explained in this updating of William Strunk, Jr.'s classic work. The book is based on Strunk's original text of 1918, which he wrote for the use of his students at Cornell University; it proved to be a landmark. The book was revised and expanded by E.B. White, of New Yorker fame, in 1959, but it has had no significant update since 1979. And since that time, many little affronts (for some of us, insults) to the eye and ear have gotten into the language.

So here is a new edition of Strunk's classic work, with many of his rules and pronouncements expanded and explained; with new sections on proper usage and correct spelling; and even a "Rogue's Gallery" comprised of samples of egregious writing culled from current newspapers and magazines.

For anyone who will reflect on it, language is an ongoing, fascinating adventure. The author intends this book to make that adventure more rewarding, and more enjoyable.

Oh. The difference between "dryer" and "drier"? That, like so mu

• Rank: #30321 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-12-12
• Released on: 2013-12-12
• Format: Kindle eBook

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop
Steve Kowit (Author)
(32)

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An illuminating and invaluable guide for beginners wary of modern poetry, as well as for more advanced students who want to sharpen their craft and write poems that expand their technical skills, excite their imaginations, and engage their deepest memories and concerns. Ideal for teachers who have been searching for a way to inspire students with a love for writing--and reading--contemporary poetry.

• Rank: #37126 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.98" h x 6.02" w x .67" l, .87 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics: Fourth Edition

The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics: Fourth Edition
Roland Greene (Editor), Stephen Cushman (Editor), Clare Cavanagh (Editor), Jahan Ramazani (Editor), Paul Rouzer (Editor)
(7)

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Through three editions over more than four decades, The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics has built an unrivaled reputation as the most comprehensive and authoritative reference for students, scholars, and poets on all aspects of its subject: history, movements, genres, prosody, rhetorical devices, critical terms, and more. Now this landmark work has been thoroughly revised and updated for the twenty-first century. Compiled by an entirely new team of editors, the fourth edition--the first new edition in almost twenty years--reflects recent changes in literary and cultural studies, providing up-to-date coverage and giving greater attention to the international aspects of poetry, all while preserving the best of the previous volumes

At well over a million words and more than 1,000 entries, the Encyclopedia has unparalleled breadth and depth. Entries range in length from brief paragraphs to major essays of 15,000 words, offering a more thorough treatment--including expert synthesis and indispensable bibliographies--than conventional handbooks or dictionaries.

This is a book that no reader or writer of poetry will want to be without.

• Thoroughly revised and updated by a new editorial team for twenty-first-century students, scholars, and poets
• More than 250 new entries cover recent terms, movements, and related topics
• Broader international coverage includes articles on the poetries of more than 110 nations, regions, and languages
• Expanded coverage of poetries of the non-Western and developing worlds
• Updated bibliographies and cross-references
• New, easier-to-use page design
• Fully indexed for the first time

• Rank: #32348 in Books
• Published on: 2012-08-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 10.00" h x 2.09" w x 7.01" l, 5.73 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 1664 pages

Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory

Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory
David HERMAN (Editor), Manfred JAHN (Editor), Marie-Laure RYAN (Editor)
(2)

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Literature

The past several decades have seen an explosion of interest in narrative, with this multifaceted object of inquiry becoming a central concern in a wide range of disciplinary fields and research contexts. As accounts of what happened to particular people in particular circumstances and with specific consequences, stories have come to be viewed as a basic human strategy for coming to terms with time, process, and change.
However, the very predominance of narrative as a focus of interest across multiple disciplines makes it imperative for scholars, teachers, and students to have access to a comprehensive reference resource.

• Rank: #138235 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-05-13
• Released on: 2013-05-13
• Format: Kindle eBook
• Number of items: 1

The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms

The Making of a Poem: A Norton Anthology of Poetic Forms
Mark Strand (Author), Eavan Boland (Author)
(35)

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"Concise, learned, revisionary... should enrich the passionate conversation about poetic forms for years to come."— Edward Hirsch, author of How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry

Two beloved and esteemed poets have collaborated on this intimate and useful anthology illuminating the history, practice, and wonder of our most elusive art. Intended for all those who love poetry, including teachers, readers, writers, and students, The Making of a Poem will be especially valued by those who feel that an understanding of form—sonnet, ballad, villanelle, sestina, etc.—would enhance their appreciation of poetry, but are daunted by the terms, the names, and the histories of various poetic forms. This anthology draws the reader in, by example and explanation, to the excitement and entertainment of these forms. It explains their origins, traces their development, and shows examples from the past and present. In a feature called "The form at a glance" the reader can try his or her own hand writing a particular form. Included are essays by each of the editors describing their own personal journeys toward a form for their poetic voice. Above all, this anthology shows that poetic form is a continuing adventure. Contemporary poets can be seen here trying out the same forms that poets used hundreds of years ago, but in the new circumstances of a complicated modern world. In this way poetic form is illustrated not as a series of rules, but as a passionate conversation in which every reader of poetry can become involved. "A marvelous new anthology."—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• Rank: #15518 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.98" h x 1.06" w x 5.59" l, 1.11 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms & Literary Quotations

The Describer's Dictionary: A Treasury of Terms & Literary Quotations
David Grambs (Author)
(29)

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Have you ever found yourself grasping in vain for that ideal descriptive word lost somewhere within the misty recesses of your vocabulary? Or felt frustrated that an oddly shaped structure or pretty setting you wished to portray in writing didn't quite translate clearly to paper?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then The Describer's Dictionary is exactly the book you need. Open it, and you have not only just the right words but—bringing them to life—stellar literary examples of descriptive writing as well.

The Dictionary concern itself with the observable, from shapes to buildings to human beings. "Referably" organized, the book uses a handy reverse, definition-to-term format that makes it easy to zero in on the term you're seeking. For example, look up "Noses" to find "aquiline," "leptorrhine," and "snub-nosed." And as an inspiration to any writer—showing how it's done by the best—hundreds of colorful and evocative descriptive passages from such diverse authors as Dickens, Darwin, and Updike appear on facing pages, making this a singularly and richly different kind of reference book.

The craft of description lives in literature, conversation, journalism, and personal letters. For help in painting pictures with the English language, The Desciber's Dictionary is one of the most indispensable reference tools you can own.

• Rank: #8830 in Books
• Published on: 1995-08-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.30" h x 1.10" w x 5.50" l, .69 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children's Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books

The Encyclopedia of Writing and Illustrating Children's Books: From creating characters to developing stories, a step-by-step guide to making magical picture books
Desdemona McCannon (Author), Sue Thornton (Author), Yadzia Williams (Author)
(10)

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In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction
Lee Gutkind (Author), Annie Dillard (Author)
(13)

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Twenty-five arresting selections from the groundbreaking journal that defined a genre.

Creative nonfiction, also known as narrative nonfiction, liberated journalism by inviting writers to dramatize, interpret, speculate, and even re-create their subjects. Lee Gutkind collects twenty-five essays that flourished on this new ground, all originally published in the journal he founded, Creative Nonfiction, now celebrating its tenth anniversary. Lauren Slater is a therapist in the institution where she was once a patient. John Edgar Wideman reacts passionately to the unjust murder of Emmett Till. Charles Simic tells of wild nights with Uncle Boris. John McPhee creates a rare, personal, album quilt. Terry Tempest Williams speaks on the decline of the prairie dog. Madison Smartt Bell invades Haiti. Many of the writers are crossing genres—from poetry and fiction to nonfiction—symbolic of Creative Nonfiction's scope and popularity. A cross section of the famous and those bound to become so, this collection is a riveting experience highlighting the expanding importance of this dramatic and exciting new genre.

• Rank: #18692 in Books
• Published on: 2004-11-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 8.31" h x 1.18" w x 5.63" l, .85 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop

In the Palm of Your Hand: The Poet's Portable Workshop
by Steve Kowit
(28)

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Literature

An illuminating and invaluable guide for beginners wary of modern poetry, as well as for more advanced students who want to sharpen their craft and write poems that expand their technical skills, excite their imaginations, and engage their deepest memories and concerns. Ideal for teachers who have been searching for a way to inspire students with a love for writing--and reading--contemporary poetry.

• Rank: #12475 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 9.06" h x .98" w x 5.98" l, .80 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages