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Peter Parker

Professor Anderson

English 100-ZEH

3 September 2021

Staples Essay Pre-Writing Template—Replace this Title with One of Your Own!

The first sentence here must introduce the subject and theme of your essay: Although you

were taught in high school to begin your paper with “hooks” (interesting anecdotal “stories” that

“draw your reader” into your discussion), you should avoid doing this kind of thing in a college-

level essay, instead allowing the facts along with solid analysis and discussion to make the case

for you. The second sentence elaborates on the topic and theme. The third sentence points out the

problem at hand and the factors that have caused that problem. The fourth sentence introduces

Brent Staples, the main source, and the title of his article “Black Men and Public Space” in the

correct MLA format. The fifth sentence provides some context and background on the main

issues in Staples’ articles and the consequences relating to the problem at hand. The sixth

sentence continues providing context and includes an integrated quote from Staples’ article—a

“power phrase” of sorts in Staples’ own words, the aim of which is to make an impression on the

reader (avoid choosing quotes that simply state the obvious or what we already know). The

seventh sentence provides more context on the issues Staples raises and serves as the context for

your own thesis statement—something which will serve as a lead in to the thesis statement. The

eighth, ninth, and tenth sentences will be the thesis statement which addresses what YOU

specifically want to add to the conversation begun in Staples’ article (remember the purpose of

this essay is NOT for your to simply “re-argue” Staples—you need to add your own “original”

thinking here) and why the reader should care about what you have to say on the matter—in
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other words, address what is at stake here NOT just for the Brent Stapleses of the world, BUT

ALSO for all of us (do NOT use source quotes in your thesis statement).

Because you have introduced your main source (Brent Staples) in your introductory

paragraph, this first body paragraph needs to be the “Staples” paragraph. Begin this paragraph

with a proper topic sentence that represents in one emphatic statement what you have

concluded about the implications of what Staples discusses in his article (the “bottom line up

front,” so to speak). Your topic sentences should NEVER be source quotes, nor should a topic

sentence EVER introduce a source, but instead topic sentences should address the subject and

theme of the paragraph as well as represent what you want to “add to” the conversation Staples

has begun in his article. This is where you “analyze” and “discuss” the problems and issues

Staples raises as well as the implications as you have come to understand them in your reading

and contemplation of Staples. Include integrated quotes (reasonable length phrase quotes—NOT

lengthy sentences or paragraphs) from Staples’ article to help you make NOT his case but your

own case—the one you are discussing in this paper. This paragraph sets the tone and direction

for the remainder of your essay as you think about how each of the remaining required five

sources will “fit” within your discussion—the case you are building. End this paragraph with a

sentence in your own words that “wraps up” your discussion/analysis in the paragraph and in

addition addresses why the reader should care. Your reader should be able to read your essay

pre-writing here and get a pretty good idea of the direction you will go in your essay.