Why I Write


Book Description

George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times




The Power of Writing It Down


Book Description

Discover the power of (finally) getting unstuck, claiming your clarity, and becoming the person whose life you want to live–all through a simple self-care practice you can build into your daily routine. For anyone who's trying to make sense of their life, who wants to get unstuck from the patterns that hold them back, hear this incredible news: everything you need for the freedom you want is entirely within reach. This practice and pathway is free, it's readily available every day of your life, it takes just minutes of your time, and anyone can do it. Author, writing coach, and speaker Allison Fallon's life transformed when she discovered the power of a daily writing practice. As it turns out, using your words is one of the most powerful means you have for unlocking your life. The Power of Writing It Down is your guide to this transformative tool available to us all. In as little as five to twenty minutes a day, scientific research shows this daily practice can help you: Identify your ruts and create new neurological grooves toward better habits Find fresh motivation and take ownership of your life Heal from past pain and trauma Relieve anxiety and depression Contextualize life's setbacks and minor frustrations Live a more confident, balanced, and healthy life …and so much more Drawing from years of coaching hundreds through the writing process–from first-timers to New York Times bestselling authors–Allison shares tried and tested practices for getting started, staying inspired, and using this simple habit to shift how you feel and show up to your life. Pen and paper is simply the method, but the reward is the real magic: new depths of self-discovery, creativity, and intentionality for living.




Power Sales Writing, Revised and Expanded Edition: Using Communication to Turn Prospects into Clients


Book Description

High-impact language for today’s lightning-fast world of sales Filled with practical writing tips, shortcuts, and examples, Power Sales Writing brings you up to date in a world where e-mail, social media, and smart phones dominate sales communication. If you’re not highly skilled with the latest communication platforms, you’re missing sales opportunities. Power Sales Writing will get you there in no time! “Your customers can ignore your correspondence or you can read this book. It’s that simple!” —Larry Winget, television personality and #1 bestselling author of Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life “If you can’t write well, you can’t sell. Power Sales Writing shows you how to be crisp, clear, and communicate at the highest levels.” —Tim Sanders, author of Today We Are Rich “Can’t get enough! It’s so refreshing to find a resource that offers easy-to-use tools to help our sales teams deliver a compelling and engaging message that sets us apart from our competition.” —Robin Farrell, Director of Corporate Sales Training, North America Operations, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts




Power Writing, Power Speaking


Book Description

Explanations of basic techniques used by writers and speakers to create effective expression incorporate quotations from Julius Caesar to Carl Stokes to illustrate two hundred easy-to-use devices




Writing in Rhythm


Book Description

“In this book, Maisha Fisher invites us to pull up a chair and listen in as young people insert their own rhythms into school life. . . . But this book is not a simple celebration of student voice. It is an ethnographic account of the teaching and learning processes through which lived (or longed-for) experience was disciplined into verbal rhythms.” —From the Foreword by Anne Haas Dyson, University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign, author of The Brothers and Sisters Learn to Write “Prepare to rethink the role of popular youth culture in the classroom. This work demonstrates some of the most respected theories of learning put into action through the roles and rules of young people's poetry. We leave this work alive and alert to ways that youth culture can transcend generations, everyday identities, and life disruptions.” —Shirley Brice Heath, Professor at Large, Brown University This dynamic book examines how literacy learning can be expanded and redefined using the medium of spoken word poetry. The author tells the story of a passionate Language Arts teacher and his work with The Power Writers, an after-school writing community of Latino and African-American students. Featuring rich portraits of literacy in action, this book introduces teaching practices for fostering peer support, generating new vocabulary, discussing issues of Standard American English, and using personal experiences as literary inspiration. Drawing from literature in both literacy research and cultural studies, this book: Provides a model for incorporating “open mic” formats and the public sharing of reading and writing in literacy classes with urban youth.Shows how teachers can approach teaching with profound respect for student cultures, languages, and life experiences.Offers a new way of talking about literacy with urban high school students, including new terminology generated by the teachers and students.Explores what it means for Language Arts teachers to be “practitioners of the craft.”




10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know


Book Description

Whether writing a blog entry or a high-stakes test essay, fiction or nonfiction, short story or argumentation, students need to know certain things in order to write effectively. In 10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know, Jeff Anderson focuses on developing the concepts and application of ten essential aspects of good writing—motion, models, focus, detail, form, frames, cohesion, energy, words, and clutter. Throughout the book, Jeff provides dozens of model texts, both fiction and nonfiction, that bring alive the ten things every writer needs to know. By analyzing strong mentor texts, young writers learn what is possible and experiment with the strategies professional writers use. Students explore, discover, and apply what makes good writing work. Jeff dedicates a chapter to each of the ten things every writer needs to know and provides mini-lessons, mentor texts, writing process strategies, and classroom tips that will motivate students to confidently and competently take on any writing task. With standardized tests and Common Core Curriculum influencing classrooms nationwide, educators must stay true to what works in writing instruction. 10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know keeps teachers on track—encouraging, discovering, inspiring, reminding, and improving writing through conversation, inquiry, and the support of good writing behaviors.




Reflective Writing in Counselling and Psychotherapy


Book Description

Have you been asked to keep a personal development portfolio or reflective journal? Are you struggling to know where to start, how to write or what to include? If the answer is ′yes′, this book will provide you with a straightforward route in, telling you all you need to know about writing reflectively for your own personal and professional development. Offering staged exercises, case-studies, examples and ideas for self-directed learning, this book will lead the reader along an exciting journey of written self-awareness, covering: - the background - what exactly is reflective writing and why is it important - the decisions - when and how to start - the practicalities - the essentials of writing reflectively - the stumbling blocks - dealing with obstacles and difficulties - the long haul - maintaining reflective enquiry as a lifelong habit This book is an essential how-to guide appropriate for all undergraduate and postgraduate trainees, whether they are approaching the topic from a psychodynamic, person-centred or CBT perspective. It will give trainees all the tools they need to become mature reflective practitioners. Jeannie Wright Director of Counselling and Psychotherapy Programmes at Warwick University. Gillie Bolton is a Freelance consultant in therapeutic & reflective practice writing and author of the bestselling Reflective Writing, 3rd Edition, SAGE 2010.




Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, Grades 6-12


Book Description

It could happen at 10:10 a.m. in the midst of analyzing a text, at 2:00, when listening to a students’ debate, or even after class, when planning a lesson. The question arises: How do I influence students’ learning–what’s going to generate that light bulb Aha-moment of understanding? In this sequel to their megawatt best seller Visible Learning for Literacy, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie help you answer that question by sharing structures and tools that have high-impact on learning, and insights on which stage of learning they have that high impact. With their expert lessons, video clips, and online resources, you can design reading and writing experiences that foster in your students deeper and more sophisticated expressions of literacy: Mobilizing Visible Learning: Use lesson design strategies based on research that included 500 million plus students to develop self-regulating learners able to "see" the purpose of what they are learning—and their own progress. Teacher Clarity: Articulate daily learning intentions, success criteria, and other goals; understand what your learners understand, and design high-potency experiences for all students. Direct Instruction: Embrace modeling and scaffolding as a critical pathway for students to learn new skills and concepts. Teacher-Led Dialogic Instruction: Guide reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking by using strategic questioning and other teacher-led discussion techniques to help learners to clarify thinking, discuss, debate, and goal-set. Student-Led Dialogic Learning: Promote intellectual, social, and creative growth with peer-mediated learning experiences that transfer to other subject areas, including history, science, math, and the visual and performing arts. Independent Learning: Ensure that students deepen learning by designing relevant tasks that enable them to think metacognitively, set goals, and develop self-regulatory skills. Tools to Use to Determine Literacy Impact: Know what your impact truly is with these research-based formative assessments for 6-12 learners. With Teaching Literacy in the Visible Learning Classroom, take your students from surface to deep to transfer learning. It’s all about using the most effective practices—and knowing WHEN those practices are best leveraged to maximize student learning.




Writing That Matters


Book Description

Writing that Matters is a handbook on the craft of research and writing in the fields of Chicanx and Latinx studies. Geared toward students, Heidenreich and Urquijo-Ruiz walk scholars through the critical roots of these fields. They provide step-by-step instructions and examples of how to produce quality Chicanx and Latinx history and literature papers, while centering feminist and queer writings to create scholarship that matters.




A Companion to African Literatures


Book Description

Rediscover the diversity of modern African literatures with this authoritative resource edited by a leader in the field How have African literatures unfolded in their rich diversity in our modern era of decolonization, nationalisms, and extensive transnational movement of peoples? How have African writers engaged urgent questions regarding race, nation, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality? And how do African literary genres interrelate with traditional oral forms or audio-visual and digital media? A Companion to African Literatures addresses these issues and many more. Consisting of essays by distinguished scholars and emerging leaders in the field, this book offers rigorous, deeply engaging discussions of African literatures on the continent and in diaspora. It covers the four main geographical regions (East and Central Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa), presenting ample material to learn from and think with. A Companion To African Literatures is divided into five parts. The first four cover different regions of the continent, while the fifth part considers conceptual issues and newer directions of inquiry. Chapters focus on literatures in European languages officially used in Africa -- English, French, and Portuguese -- as well as homegrown African languages: Afrikaans, Amharic, Arabic, Swahili, and Yoruba. With its lineup of lucid and authoritative analyses, readers will find in A Companion to African Literatures a distinctive, rewarding academic resource. Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in literary studies programs with an African focus, A Companion to African Literatures will also earn a place in the libraries of teachers, researchers, and professors who wish to strengthen their background in the study of African literatures.