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 JORDYN I JACK and
KATIE ROSE GUEST PRYAL

I
 ••
Contents VII

Karla Rankoff, "Dental Anxiety in Children and What to Do About It" 118
Asawin Suebsaeng, Deanna Pan, and Gavin Aronsen, "What Happened in the
Newtown School Shooting: There's No Explaining Such a Horrific Act, but Here's
Important Background Information" 120

E. Strategies for Informative Genres 122

F. Chapter Project: Write an Informative Article 127

7. Inquiries 129
A. Inquiry Mini-Genre: Student Class Notes 129
Josephine Perry, "St. Augustine on Love" 129

B. Blog Entry 133

Brandy, "Disappointment: Rizzoli & Isles" 133
Lucia Gonzalez Hernandez, "Straw-Man Fallacy and the 'Anti-Antiterror Left' " 135

C. Reading Notes 137

Mei Lin, "Aristotle, On Rhetoric" 138
Terrence B., "Notes on Pamela Lewis Reading" 138
Michael M., "Elizabeth Barrett Browning Response: 'The Cry of the Children'" 139

D. Observation Notes 141

Zachary Fitzgerald, "Observations of the Campus Courtyard" 141
Belinda W., "Peer Classroom Observations: Sierra M." 142

E. Strategies for Inquiries 146

F. Chapter Project: Write Observation Notes 148

8. Analyses 149
A. Analysis Mini-Genre: Keyword Analysis 149
B. Literary Analysis 153
Morris Green, "Christopher Boone as an Unreliable Narrator" 154
Ellen Chapman, "Women's Roles in Elizabeth Cary's The Tragedy
ofMariam" 157
Mark Washington, "Household Battles in 1616 as Shown in Anne Clifford's
Diary" 159

C. Scene Analysis 165

Kerri Zuiker, "Brokeback Mountain Reunion Scene" 165
Kevin Mikkelson, "Scene Analysis: Chinatown" 168
Leo Cooper, "Mr. Clean's Death and Use of Sound in
Apocalypse Now" 170

D. Rhetorical Analysis 174

Cody M. Poplin, "Rhetorical Strategies and Effectiveness in the Declaration of
Independence" 174
Kelly Simpson, "Kairos, Violence, and The Hunger Games" 176
Carlos Fernandez-Smith, "Appraising The Help: Ethos and Logos in
Critical Accounts" 177
 •••
VIII Contents

E. Strategies for Analyses 184

Association of Black Women Historians, "An Open Statement to the Fans of
The Help" (excerpt) 185

F. Chapter Project: Write a Rhetorical Analysis 190

9. Reviews 191
A. Review Mini-Genre: Online Product Review 192
B. Film, Art, or Performance Review 195
Jacob Clayton, "Contrast, Art, and Justice" 195
I(atie Fennelly, "Of Montreal's New Album: A Mix of Weird Sounds and Intrigue" 196
Nathan Cook, "Film Review: 'Epic'" 197

C. Book Review 199

Brian Braden, "Top Pick! Brian's 99 Cents: Review of The Quill Pen by
Michelle Isenhoff" 200
Risa Applegarth, "Review of The Changeover by Margaret Mahy" 201
Adriana Lorenzini, "Gertruda's Oath by Ram Oren and Habibi by Noami Shihab Nye:
A Book Review Essay" 201

D. Website Review 208

Megan M., "Forum: Redesign Critiques" 208
Hester Cho, "Healthcare.gov: Website Review" 209
Jonas Webber, "Website Review of Ravelry.com" 211

E. Strategies for Reviews 214

F. Chapter Project: Write a Website Review 217

10. Argumentative Genres 218

A. Argument Mini-Genre: Print Advertisement 219
B. Column, Op-Ed, or Letter to the Editor 223
Nate Rushing, "UF's Meatless Mondays Are Ridiculous" 223
Amelia Jensen, Letter to the Editor 224
Rini Sampath, "Insults against Disabled People Must Be Eradicated" 225

C. Candidate Speech 229

Barack Obama, Speech at Springfield, IL, 2007 229
Madison Peace, "Student Body President Speech" 233
Michael R. Bloomberg, Victory Speech 2009 236

D. Satire 242
Pia DiGiulio, "Uncontrolled Study Orgies Break Out in Gender-Neutral Dorm" 242
Dr. Jonathan Swift, "A Modest Proposal: For preventing the children of poor people in
Ireland, from being a burden on their parents or country, and for making them
beneficial to the publick" 243
The Onion, "Professor Deeply Hurt by Student's Evaluation" 249

E. Strategies for Argumentative Genres 252

F. Chapter Project: Write a Satire 257
 •
Contents IX

11. Academic Research Genres 258

A. Academic Research Mini-Genre: Abstract 258
M Navarrete, G Perea, D Fernandez de Sevilla, M Gomez-Gonzalo,
A Nunez, et al., "Astrocytes Mediate In Vivo Cholinergic-Induced
Synaptic Plasticity" 259
Mike Duncan, "Polemical Ambiguity and the Composite Audience:
Bush's 20 September 2001 Speech to Congress and the Epistle
of 1 John" 260
Jessica Ross, "Closing Guantanamo Bay: The Future
of Detainees" 260

B. Annotated Bibliography 262

Chris Clayman, "Annotated Bibliography" 263
Lisa Garmire, "Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography
of American AIDS Novels, 1982-1992" 264

C. Literature Review 267

Kirby Diamaduros, "Tropical Rainforest Deforestation: Effects, Mitigation,
and Solutions" 268
Marleen H van den Berg, PhD, Johannes W Schoones, BA, and Theodora PM Vliet
Vlieland, MD, PhD, "Internet-Based Physical Activity Interventions:
A Systematic Review of the Literature" 275
Agustin Fuentes, "Get Over It: Men and Women Are from the Same
Planet" 281

D. Research Paper 284

Kristine Thompson, "Wait, You Stormed Franklin Street?
The Social and Psychological Motivations of UNC Sports Fans" 285
Rick Ingram, "Gender Discrimination and the Movement towards Equality
in the Workforce" 295
Penelope Edwards, "Purity and Corruption: Reading Harriet Jacobs through
the Lens of the Bathsheba Tale" 304

E. Strategies for Academic Research Genres 311

F. Chapter Project: Write a Research Paper 314

12. Workplace Genres 315

A. Workplace Mini-Genre: Company Slogan 315
B. Email 318
Joe Smith, "Reference Request" 318
Maria B. Hernandez, "Agenda for Biology Majors Club Meeting" 319
Editorial Staff of Undergraduate Research Journal, "Journal decision declining
to publish your article" 319

C. Business Letter 321

Jessica Wang, Cover Letter 321
Gerry A. Sampson, Acceptance Letter 322
Joe A. Smith, Thank-you Letter 323
x Contents

D. Resume 325
Jaelyn Garcia Johnson, Resume 325
Jonathan Marcus Stone, Resume 326
Phillip T. Beckett, Resume 327

E. Strategies for Resumes 329

F. Chapter Project: Write a Resume 332

13. Proposals 333

A. Proposal Mini-Genre: Elevator Pitch 333
B. TV, Book, or Film Pitch 336
TV Pitch: "Mixed in America" 336
Book Pitch: "Rules of Entanglement" 337
Film Pitch: "Pushover" 337

C. Student Proposal 339

Victor Egbukichi, Student Event Proposal 340
Leticia Garcia-Rodriguez, Student Organization Proposal 341
Tyler Williamson, Independent Study Proposal 342

D. Grant Proposal 344

Vincent Abiona, "Technology Education in Nigerian Hospitals" 344
Janelle Markham, "Closing the Gap in Dental Care: Dental Anxiety
in Children in Bertie County" 346
Grace McDermott, "Nutritional Access and Awareness for the Children of Burmese
Migrant Workers in Mae Sot, Thailand" 350

E. Strategies for Proposals 354

F. Chapter Project: Write a Research or Grant Proposal 357

14. Reports 358

A. Report Mini-Genre: Social Networking Status Update 358
B. News Report 360
Chris Eckard, "Men's Basketball's Stoglin Named Second-Team All-ACC" 360
Daniel Wheaton, "UNL Psychology Study Finds College-Aged Men Struggle
With Image, Objectification" 361
Esteban Cortez, "Grad Student Explores African-American Culture in Art" 362

C. Progress Report 364

Marshall McLaughlin, "Update on my poetry collection" 365
Mary Wu, "Progress on War on Terror research" 366
Lily Pearson, John Chao, Carolyn Wax, Anita Simmons, "Student Health Gets Real:
Student Opinions of Student Health Services Progress Report" 366

D. Recommendation Report 369

National Transportation Safety Board, "Safety Report: Reaching Zero: Actions to
Eliminate Alcohol-Impaired Driving" 369
 •
Contents XI

Bradley J. Kinnison, "The Health Risks and Cost Effectiveness of Chlorine as a Pool
Water Sanitizer" 375
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Prevention and Control of
Meningococcal Disease: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP)" 388

E. Strategies for Reports 393

F. Chapter Project: Write a Report 396

15. Developing a Topic 398

A. Genre Toolkit: What Are You Writing? 398
B. Browse for Topics 399
C. Narrow Topics with Initial Research 400

16. Prewriting 402

A. Freewriting 402
B. Question-Dialogue 404
C. Audio-Brainstorming 405
D. Concept Mapping 406

17. Drafting 410

A. Try Out Different Drafting Strategies 410
B. Digital Composing: Find Tools that Work for You 416
C. Writing Collaboratively 421

18. Generating Arguments 423

A. What Is an Argument? 423
B. Examining the Topic 425
C. Researching Arguments 426
D. Developing a Thesis (or Claim) 427
E. Finding Good Reasons 429
F. Locating Evidence through Research 430
G. Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos 432
H. Addressing Counter-Arguments 434
I. Arguing Ethically: Avoiding Fallacies 435
J. Argument Troubleshooting 439

19. Using Rhetorical Modes 441

A. What Happened? Narration 441
B. What Is It Like? Description 444
C. What Is It? Definition 445
D. What Kind Is It? Classification 447
 ••
XII Contents

E. How Is It Similar/Different? Comparison/Contrast 447

F. What Causes It? What Are Its Effects? Cause/Effect 448

20. Organization 449

A. Discovering Organization through Genre 449
B. Outlining Before Writing 449
C. Using Outlines as You Write 451
D. Paragraphing 457
E. Ordering Sections or Topics 459
F. Introductions 460
G. Conclusions 462

21. Developing Style 464

A. Matching Style to Genre, Audience, and Purpose 464
Maya Schenwar, "The Prison System Welcomes My Newborn Niece to This World" 464
Ann Booker Loper and Elena Hontoria Tuerk, "Improving the Emotional
Adjustment and Communication Patterns of Incarcerated Mothers:
Effectiveness of a Prison Parenting Intervention" 465
Ashley McAlarney, "Access for All: Federal Funding and Regulation of For-Profit
Higher Education" 466

B. Choosing a Persona 467

C. Choosing Tone 468
D. Making Vocabulary Choices 468
E. Choosing a Level of Formality 471
F. Using Rhetorical Figures 472
G. Tips for Developing Style 478

22. Polishing It Up 480

A. Revising 480
B. Self-Editing: Creating Fresh Eyes 481
C. Conducting Peer Review 482

'•

23. Getting Started with Research 488

A. Considering Your Genre 488
B. Finding a Good Research Topic 490
C. Identifying a Gap 491
D. Developing a Research Question 493
E. Developing a Research Plan 494
F. Generating Search Terms 497

24. Conducting Research 499

A. Conducting Empirical Research 499
 •••
Contents XIII

Kristine Thompson, "Study: The Social and Psychological Motivations

of UNC Sports Fans" 504

B. Conducting Database Research 509

C. Managing Database Research 518

25. Evaluating Sources 525

A. Identifying Credible Sources 525
B. Finding Authoritative Sources for Your Field 534
C. Finding Authoritative Sources for Your Genre 536

26. Integrating Sources 539

A. Using Sources Strategically 540
Ray M. Marin and Jiri Vanicek, "Optimal Use of Conservation and Accessibility
Filters in MicroRNA Target Prediction" 541
Shulman, J. L., Gotta, G., & Green, R., "Will Marriage Matter? Effects of Marriage
Anticipated by Same-Sex Couples" 542

B. Integrating Sources into Your Work 542

C. Summarizing 545
D. Paraphrasing 546
E. Quoting 548

27. Avoiding Plagiarism 550

A. What Is Plagiarism? 550
B. Types of Plagiarism 551
C. Keeping Track of Sources 553

28. Citing Sources 557

A. When to Cite 557
B. Discovering Citation Styles: MLA and APA 559
C. Discovering Citation Guides for Other Styles 561
D. MLA Citation Guide 561
E. Formatting a Paper in MLA Style 572
Jay Zhang, "McDonald's Limited Response to Increased Health Consciousness" 574

F. APA Citation Guide 590

G. Formatting a Paper in APA Style 601
Terrence Bogans, "Being Mommy Behind Bars: The Psychological Benefits of Child
Visitation with Incarcerated Mothers" 604

29. Choosing Visual Elements, Layout, and Design 624

A. Matching Design to Genre 624
Centers for Disease Control, "HIV Among Women" 625
 •
XIV Contents

American Public Health Association, "Are You Ready?" 626

B. Matching Design to Audience, Purpose, and Situation 627

University of North Carolina, "20th Century Women at UNC" 628
U.S. Department of Agriculture Report (excerpt) 629

C. Putting Things in Place: Layout 630

D. Types of Visual Elements 633
E. Principles for Visual Elements 644
F. Using Electronic Tools 651

30. Getting It Out There 652

A. Delivering Oral Presentations 652
B. Developing Multimedia Presentations 657
C. Creating a Portfolio 659
D. Submitting Your Work for Publication 662
E. Self-Publishing Your Work 664

Sl How Verbs Work 668

A. What ls a Verb? 668
B. Common Problems 668

S2 How Nouns and Pronouns Work 673

A. What Is a Noun? 673
B. What Is a Pronoun? 673
C. Common Problems 673

S3 How Modifiers Work 677

A. What Is a Modifier? 677
B. Common Problems 678

S4 How Sentences Work 681

A. What ls a Sentence? 681
B. Common Problems 681

SS How Punctuation Works 684

A. What Is Punctuation? 684
B. Common Problems 685

S6 How Usage Conventions Work 690

A. What Are Usage Conventions? 690
B. Common Problems 690
 Contents xv

Rl Reading Personal Essays 696

Juan Garcia. "Spring Broken." [Topic: College Life] 696
Jacque Weber. "Love and Loss." [Topic: Modern Families] 698
Andrea Viejo. "Mexican in New York." [Topic: Immigration] 700
Jane Kramer. "The Food at Our Feet: Why Is Foraging All the Rage?"
(excerpt) [Topic: Sustainable Food] 703
Tamara Winfrey Harris. "Nappy Love ..." [Topic: Gender, Race, and Culture] 706

R2 Reading Profiles 709

Audrey Watters. "A College Student and a CEO: A Profile of 21-Year-Old Entrepreneur
Jay Rodrigues." [Profile Essay. Topic: College Life] 709
Linda Wasmer Andrews. "Adoptive Mothers Share Stories." [Profile Essay. Topic:
Modern Families] 712
WBAL-TVll Baltimore. "Illegal Immigrant Becomes World-Renowned Brain
Surgeon." [Profile Essay. Topic: Immigration] 714
Yale Sustainable Food Project. "History." [Program Profile. Topic:
Sustainable Food] 716
Julie Slaymaker. "Door Opener." [Profile Essay. Topic: Gender, Race, and
Culture] 720

R3 Reading Informative Genres 724

National Institutes of Health. "Fall Semester: A Time for Parents to Revisit
Discussions About College Drinking." [Factsheet. Topic: College Life] 724
National Conference of State Legislatures. "How the Child Support System Affects
Low-Income Fathers." [Factsheet. Topic: Modern Families] 726
Futures Without Violence. "The Facts on Immigrant Women and Domestic Violence."
[Factsheet. Topic: Immigration] 729
Sarah Starkey. "How to Make Your Own Indoor Compost Bin." [Tutorial. Topic:
Sustainable Food.] 731
WikiHow.com. "How to Fight Racism in Your School." [Tutorial. Topic: Gender,
Race, and Culture.] 733

R4 Reading Inquiries 736

Mark Montgomery. "Visiting College Campuses: Observations by a Professional
Tour Taker." [Observation notes. Topic: College Life.] 736
Victoria Simmons. "Dealing with Deployment." [Blog Entry. Topic:
Modern Families.] 739
Ruth Brown. "Diary of an Immigrant." [Blog Entry. Topic: Immigration] 741
Stefanie Hollmichel. "Eating Animals." [Reading notes. Topic: Sustainable Food.] 742
Steve Blank. "Eleven Observations on Workplace Gender Roles." [Observation notes.
Topic: Gender, Race, and Culture.] 745
 •
XVI Contents

RS Reading Analyses 748

Max Abrams. "Immigrants and Galactus: Junot Diaz's World in The Brief Wondrous
Life of Oscar Wao. excerpt) [Literary Analysis. Topic: College Life.] 748
JI (

Christina M. LaVecchia. "Of Peerenting, Trophy Wives, and Effeminate Men:

Modern Family's Surprisingly Conservative Remediation of the Family Sitcom
Genre." (excerpt) [Rhetorical Analysis. Topic: Modern Families.] 751
Debarati Bandyopadhyay. "Negotiating Borders of Culture: Jhumpa Lahiri's Fiction."
(excerpt) [Literary Analysis. Topic: Immigration.] 757
Greg Boone. "Globalizing Korea: A Rhetoric of Food." (excerpt) [Rhetorical Analysis.
Topic: Sustainable Food.] 761
Roy Peter Clark. "Why It Worked: A Rhetorical Analysis of Obama's Speech on Race."
[Rhetorical Analysis. Topic: Gender, Race, and Culture.] 765

R6 Reading Reviews 771

Lauren Honeycutt. ''A Midsummer Night's Dream at Howard Community College's
Theatre Program and Student Arts Collective." [Performance Review. Topic:
College Life.] 771
Chris Benderev. "In Childhood, When 'I Wish' Equals an Action Plan." [Film Review.
Topic: Modern Families.] 774
Andy Webster. "Living Along a Contentious Border." [Film Review. Topic:
Immigration.] 776
Andy Francis, "Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma. [Book Review. Topic:
JI

Sustainable Food.] 777

Susan Yudt. "Smart Girls at the Party." [Website Review. Topic: Gender,
Race, and Culture.] 780

R7 Reading Argumentative Genres 783

Rui Dai. "Americanese: In Between the Gaps." [Op-Ed. Topic: College Life.] 783
Kelly Huston. "Did I Vote on Your Marriage?" [Photograph. Topic: Modern
Families.] 786
Kristian Dougherty. "Aliens, Get Out!" [Satire. Topic: Immigration.] 787
Will Levitt. "Food 101: Why College Students Should Learn to Cook."
[Op-Ed. Topic: Sustainable Food.] 789
Kaitlyn Valor Bourque. "Feminism: How Our Ideas Have Evolved with Us."
[Op-Ed. Topic: Gender, Race, and Culture] 791

RB Reading Academic Research Genres 794

George W. Dowdall and Henry Wechsler. "Studying College Alcohol Use: Widening
the Lens, Sharpening the Focus." [Literature Review. Topic: College Life] 794
Nansook Park. "Military Children and Families." (excerpt) [Literature Review.
Topic: Modern Families.] 799
Kristin Anderson. "Coming to America." [Annotated Bibliography. Topic:
Immigration.] 805
Ryan Babich and Sylvia Smith. "'Cradle to Grave': An Analysis of Sustainable
Food Systems in a University Setting," (excerpt). [Research Paper. Topic:
Sustainable Food.] 809
 ••
Contents XVII

Elaine Chun, "Reading Race beyond Black and White." [Research Paper. Topic:
Gender, Race, and Culture.] 815

R9 Reading Workplace Genres 821

Anonymous. "Open Letter to Interim Dean Brown." [Topic: College Life.] 821
TigerMom. "An Open Letter to the Catholic League from an Adopted Child."
[Business Letter. Topic: Modern Families.] 823
Catholic Bishops of Wisconsin. "Traveling Together in Hope." [Business Letter.
Topic: Immigration.] 825
Ethan Genauer. "Sustainable Food Systems Resume." [Resume. Topic:
Sustainable Food.] 828
Martin Luther King, Jr. "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" (excerpt). [Business Letter.
Topic: Gender, Race, and Culture.] 831

RIO Reading Proposals 836

Vincent Casmirri and Victor Arcelus. "Gender-Neutral Housing Proposal."
[Student Life Proposal. Topic: College Life.] 836
Alka Vaid Menon, "Pauline and Irving Tanner Dean's Scholars Grant Proposal."
[Grant Proposal. Topic: Modern Families.] 839
Jing Wang. "JINGLISH Documentary Proposal." [Film Pitch. Topic: Immigration.] 845
The Muslim Students' Association of Texas A&M University, "A Taste of Culture:
Proposal to Establish Halal Food Program." [Student Life Proposal. Topic:
Sustainable Food.] 848
Alfonso Josia Samm. "Summer Research Proposal: Education Policy Impact:
Perceptions of High School Educators." [Grant Proposal. Topic: Gender,
Race, & Culture.] 851

Rll Reading Reports 858

The College Board. "Progress Report 2011: The College Completion Agenda" (excerpt).
[Progress Report. Topic: College Life.] 858
Scott D. Ryan, Sue Pearlmutter, and Victor Groza. "Coming Out of the Closet:
Opening Agencies to Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Parents" (excerpt).
[Recommendation Report. Topic: Modern Families.] 868
Wendy Cervantes and Yali Lincroft. "The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on
Child Welfare." [Recommendation Report. Topic: Immigration.] 875
Scott M. Stringer. "FoodNYC: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Food System."
[Recommendation Report. Topic: Sustainable Food.] 880
Michaela Krauser. "Segregation Continues in Urban Schools." [News Report.
Topic: Gender, Race, and Culture.] 885

Illustration Credits C-1

Text Credits C-4
Index I-1
This page intentionally left blank
 re ace: ritin

There are hundreds of genres in the world today and the list is growing. No single
writing course, and no single instructor, can prepare students for every genre, situ-
ation, and challenge they will face as writers.
And yet, as the range of genres students are expected to write multiplies (from
traditional print essays to multimedia genres to workplace writing), we have found
that most textbooks have responded by providing lists of more and more genres to
cover in class.
Simply adding to the list of genres does not prepare students for the moment when
they must write a genre that they have never encountered before. Nor does the ''more
genres'' approach help students to recognize the differences between genres when
they are written for different disciplines or different audiences. Yet every year there
are new editions and new textbooks that continue to expand upon what's expected
from students and from our teaching.
The world doesn't need another writing guide; it needs a better writing guide.
While most textbooks teach students how to write, our book teaches students how
writing works by taking a problem-solving approach to writing. Most college writing
guides on the market today are primarily descriptive listing the qualities of ''uni-
versally good'' writing or prescriptive telling students how to write particular
genres. How Writing Works takes a new approach to genre pedagogy. In the pages of
this book, we help students figure out a new genre for themselves, by asking stu-
dents to figure out how the genre works:

• ''What is it?''
• ''Who reads it?''
• ''What's itfor?''

By helping students discover how writing works, our book teaches students how to
engage effectively with any writing situation they may encounter at school, at home,
or at work.
The main purpose of How Writing Works is to prepare students to tackle these chal-
lenges by helping them develop a set of transferable skills and intellectual habits that
can be applied to any new writing situation. Our innovative Genre Toolkit, discussed
in Part 1, provides students with a strategy to use in any writing situation:

First, determine how the genre works, through careful study and analysis; and
Second, make that genre work for you in any specific rhetorical situation.

This problem-solving paradigm has many benefits for both teachers and students.
First, in teaching problem-solving to students, this book is much more student-
centered than other textbooks. Students are taught to discover, on their own, how to
•
XIX
xx Preface

identify, understand, and write unfamiliar genres. This approach makes the book im-
mediately relevant to students' work in future courses and keeps students engaged.
Second, this unique problem-solving approach teaches three habits of mind that
are essential for success beyond the composition classroom: (1) self-reliance (by
teaching students how to solve writing challenges); (2) self-efficacy (by showing stu-
dents their own successes with their writing); and (3) self-confidence (by helping
students build trust in their own judgment of a rhetorical situation).
Third, this problem-solving paradigm helps instructors achieve the ultimate goal
of transfer that is, helping students take what they've learned in composition and
use it in other courses in college. The skills we teach aren't limited at all to any disci-
pline or field. Instead, we offer skills that students can use to understand how writ-
ing works when students enter a new discipline: students learn to discover what
genres are used in the new discipline and how readers and writers use those genres
to generate new information and share ideas.
Depending on the situation, there are thousands of different ways to write effec-
tively. Teachers don't and can't teach students all of these different ways. We don't
have the time, and in the end, it wouldn't serve our students well. There are as many
ways to write as there are writers. There are thousands of different genres and writing
situations. But it is our hope that students will only need this one writing guide.

Part 1, The Genre Toolkit: The Process of Discovery

How Writing Works begins with the Genre Toolkit, a flexible set of strategies that
students can apply to any writing situation. Instead of a descriptive (''good writing
looks like this'') or prescriptive (''use these generic conventions'') approach, we use
a discovery approach. The toolkit helps students identify a genre's structure, pur-
pose, content, style, and audience.
By using the toolkit, students will develop problem-solving habits of mind for fu-
ture writing situations identifying what genre to use, how that genre works, and
how to use that genre to meet their rhetorical goals.
At the core of the toolkit are three simple questions:

• ''What is it?''
• ''Who reads it?''
• ''What's it for?''

These three questions guide students through the project chapters that follow.

Part 2. The Projects: Writing from Classrooms to Careers

and Communities
The second part of How Writing Works, the projects chapters, include traditional ac-
ademic genres that students are likely to encounter in college, such as analyses, es-
says, and research papers. However, these chapters also include genres drawn from
 •
Preface XXI

different professions and community situations, such as factsheets, program pro-

files, and business letters. From these projects, writing instructors can select the
genres that will best fit their classrooms and students.
Each project chapter focuses on a genre ''family," such as analyses, reports, or re-
views. For example, the ''analysis'' genre chapter includes rhetorical analysis, liter-
ary analysis, scene analysis (for a film), and so on. Grouping these analysis genres
together shows students how the individual genres share a fundamental purpose-
analyses break down something complex into its parts or functions even as the
individual genres may differ in content, form, and audience. In doing so, this genre
family approach provides students with techniques they may use to examine other
kinds of analyses in the future.
At the start of each chapter, we explain where students are likely to encounter
these genres, both in college and in future professions. For example, at the begin-
ning of the reviews chapter, we note that a student might write a film review for a
film course in college, or a performance review as a manager for a company. After
this brief introduction, each project chapter offers several examples of genres
within that family, leading students through a series of examples.

Student and Professional Examples

To make the connections between college writing and workplace or community
writing even clearer, we have included examples in every project chapter drawn
from students and from professional writers, placing the examples side by side for
comparison. For example, in the chapter on argument genres, students will read
platform speeches given by a candidate for President of the United States of America
alongside a speech by a candidate for college student body president.

Individual, Team, and Multimedia Projects

In college, students write assignments in a variety of ways as individuals and in
teams, in traditional print format, and in many multimedia formats. By writing in
these different settings, students learn how to problem-solve at different levels-
how to manage a large project in a group, how to tackle a writing project inde-
pendently or collaboratively, and how to address rhetorical challenges of visual,
aural, and oral communication. Therefore, in the project chapters, we have provided
projects to suit all of these writing situations. We designed some projects for the in-
dividual writer, some for groups, some for traditional writing formats, and some for
multimedia formats. This variety of assignments will suit a variety of learning styles
and a variety of teaching styles.

Part 3, Processes: Projects Modeled from Start to Finish

Rather than teaching a single, monolithic writing process, How Writing Works
helps students develop writing processes that work for them. Throughout the book,
we include case studies of writing processes used by different students. We also
use extended student examples in Part 3 and Part 4 to show how two students
worked on major writing projects from start to finish. Students can follow each
 ••
XXII Preface

project and see how elements of a writing process can work for different students
in different situations.
In Part 3, we examine elements of writing processes that students can use flexibly,
providing options rather than prescriptions. To show how different students use dif-
ferent writing processes, we model one student's rhetorical analysis assignment
alongside another student's research article that he published in an undergraduate
journal. From developing a topic to prewriting, to organization and style, Part 3
guides student writers through the myriad ways that a new writer develops a writ-
•
1ng process.

Part 4, Research: Connecting Research to Genre

Part 4 pays special attention to research. In particular, Part 4 connects research to
genres, noting that the kind of research you do for a project depends in part on the
genre you are writing. Connecting genre to research serves two main purposes: (1) we
help students consider how genres provide resources for writers to join a conversation
about a topic, and (2) we stress the importance of using research as invention, not just
as confirmation of already-held opinions.
To illustrate the elements of a research process, from exploring existing research
to integrating and citing sources, we show how one student composed a rhetorical
analysis assignment that involved close analysis of texts and research in articles,
books, and online sources.

Part 5, Getting It Out There:

Presentation, Publication, and Design
Finally, with the rise of digital publishing, service learning, e-portfolios, and sim-
ilar initiatives, student writing is increasingly expected to do something in the
world, not just end up in a pile on a desk. Therefore, with Part 5, we demonstrate
how students can get their work ''out there'' how they can publish and present
their work. Students who work through the process of publishing their work will
be better poised for the assignments they will face in college classes and for the
realities of the ''knowledge economy," which values communication and presen-
tation skills.
Part 5 demonstrates how one student revised his research article into a visual doc-
ument to illustrate the different rhetorical choices involved in visual composing,
and we emphasize how students can proactively get their work out into the world via
conferences, traditional academic publications, and online tools.

Teaching Support
We designed How Writing Works to support how teachers work. We've taught at a
variety of institutions ourselves, so we know how important it is for a textbook to
be flexible enough to suit different courses, programs, and institutional settings.
 •••
Preface XXIII

You can choose assignments that reflect the goals, interests, and needs of your
students. The problem-solving approach in How Writing Works applies equally
well to workplace writing, academic essays, or research genres. While we offer
plenty of examples in the textbook and the optional reader, you can also select ex-
amples from those genres to reflect your students' interests, current issues in your
community, and trends in academic research.

Multiple Teaching Approaches

Composition instructors and programs differ widely in approach. Some prefer a pro-
cess approach, where the emphasis is on developing skills in pre-writing, drafting,
revising, and editing. Others prefer a genre-based approach, where students focus
on examining and writing a range of documents. Still others might focus on aca-
demic writing, on research, or on rhetorical modes. The flexible organization of How
Writing Works means that this book can be adapted to any of these approaches. In
the Instructor's Manual, you will find sample syllabi and course schedules for a
variety of teaching approaches, including those listed here. And with the Anno-
tated Instructor's Edition, newer faculty can immediately teach and easily pre-
pare various lessons directly from the book itself. Additional instructor resources
and online materials for student assessment and self-study are also available
through our Companion Website (http://www.oup.com/us/jack).

Integrated Assignments
It can be difficult for students to compose a major writing project if we don't offer
them milestones along the way. In each project chapter, you will find several assign-
ments that belong to a genre ''family." Each assignment in a chapter builds on the
previous one, so that you can construct a series of small assignments that build to a
major chapter project.
The next-to-last section of each project chapter models how one student ap-
proached the final chapter project, a tool that you can use to demonstrate to your
students the processes and strategies that they can use to complete a major writ-
ing project.

Integration with WPA Outcomes

How Writing Works reflects the Council of Writing Program Administrators' (WPA)
Outcomes Statement for First-Year Composition.
 •
XXIV Preface
Outcome How Writing Works
Rhetorical How Writing Works builds
Knowledge rhetorical knowledge by
helping students to develop
transferable skills and habits.
Through practice, we stress
the consideration of audience,
purpose, rhetorical situation,
and style. We believe genre
offers a powerful tool with
which to develop rhetorical
knowledge, because genres
epitomize rhetorical
situations. By studying a
genre, you study its purpose,
its audience, the role it creates
for the author, and the way
that it leads to certain kinds of
arguments and appeals.
Critical Thinking, Critical thinking, reading,
Read ing, and and composing form the
Composing
bedrock of How Writing
Works. Our approach guides
students through analysis and
inquiry into written genres,
encouraging students through
a process of critical discovery
of a genre's conventions.
Students then implement
what they have discovered
when they, in turn, compose
the genre themselves.
Examples
Chapters 1-3 develop
awareness of purpose,
audience, and rhetorical
situation.
Chapters 5-14 demonstrate
how specific genres shape
reading and writing and help
students learn to compose
different genres.
Chapter 21 devotes attention
to style, including voice, tone,
and level of formality.
Chapters 7, 8, and 30
emphasize the use of reading
and writing for inquiry,
learning, and
communicating.
Chapters 23-30 teach
students to locate, evaluate,
analyze, and synthesize
research material.
Chapters 17, 24, 29, and 30
address the use of digital
technologies for research,
writing, and presenting
information, including the
use of scholarly databases
and electronic tools for
drafting, reviewing, revising,
editing, and sharing texts.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
 “That’s no good here and you know it’s no good,” said the officer.
“Wainboro! And a year old too. Why didn’t you come and get your
permit when you got to town? You’ve been in this game long enough
to know you’ve got to do that. All these concessions have permits,
except those under carnival management.”
“Some towns—” began McDennison.
“Never mind about some towns. You know you’ve got to get a
permit in this town. Why didn’t you do it?”
The harassed performer began again, “You guys⸺”
“Never mind about that now,” said the officer. “I was sent here to
see your permit and to bring you down to the office if you didn’t have
it. You know all about it; you were at the Elks’ Fair three years ago.
You better come along and get your permit, Charlie. You’ll have to
take care of a fine, too.”
“You don’t mean now?” the diving wonder asked. “Ain’t you going
to leave me do my trick? I go on in about five minutes. You fellers
sure got the knife in us. If I belonged in this here town⸺”
“Come on, McDennison,” said the officer in a way of quiet finality.
“You know the game as well as I do. We’re not interested in your
trick, only your permit. Come on, get your duds on. I guess you’ve
been through all this before. Come on, speed up.”
Diving Denniver cast his cigarette from him, bestowing a look of
unutterable contempt on the officer. In that sneering scorn he
seemed to include the whole of Farrelton and all constituted
authorities the world over. And Hervey joined him in his contempt
and loathing. Diving Denniver had been through all that before. He
knew the permit towns and the non-permit towns and the towns
where a “tip” would save him the expense of a permit. Hervey had
not dreamed that this enchanted creature ever had to do anything
but dive, he did not know that the wonder of two continents had hit
Farrelton penniless.
I will not recount the language used by Diving Denniver as he
pulled on a shabby suit of clothes and threw a funny little derby hat
on the back of his head. How prosaic and odd he looked! But his
language was not prosaic; it was quite as spectacular as his famous
exploit—his trick, as he called it. Poor McDennison, it was all he had
to sell—his trick. And sometimes he had so much trouble about it.
A funny little figure he made trotting excitedly along with the
officer, his derby hat on the back of his head bespeaking haste and
anger. He smoked a cigarette and talked volubly and swore as he
hurried away, leaving Hervey staring aghast.
Such a troublesome and distracting thing it is to be a wonder of
two continents.
 CHAPTER XXIX
THE WHITE LIGHT
Well at all events, Hervey might now inspect freely the sanctum of
the diving wonder. His enthusiasm for the hero was not dimmed.
Even the derby hat had not entirely covered up Diving Denniver.
Here was just another exhibition authority. That a cop should make
so free with Diving Denniver, even calling him Charlie!
Hervey went into the tent, and stood looking about. Muffled by the
distance he could hear the frightful monotonous music of the merry-
go-round playing Little Annie Rooney for the millionth time. On the
red board were strewn the leavings of Diving Denniver’s supper. The
smutty little oil-stove reeked of kerosene. A long, up-ended box did
duty as a washstand and on this, beside a tin basin, was the
photograph of a girl. A couple of candles burned and sputtered. On
the tent pole hung a broken mirror.
Diving Denniver’s bathrobe and his white bathing suit trimmed
with gold braid lay on the converted couch just as he had thrown
them in his hurry and anger. The very bathrobe, half off and half on
the couch, seemed eloquent of his high disgust at the tyrannical
interruption of his work. Hervey surmised that he would speak with
the management of the carnival on his way out; he wondered why
the two had not gone in that direction. But in truth the diving wonder
did not love his public enough to consider it in his sudden dilemma.
He never went up when the wind was strong. And he was not
thinking of the expectant throng now.
Hervey longed to don that gorgeous exhibition suit. Could he slip it
on in a hurry? With him it was but one step from impulse to action
and in a few seconds he had thrown off his suit and was gazing at
himself in the dirty old mirror, clad in the white and gold habiliments
of the international wonder. How tightly it fitted! How thrillingly
professional it made him feel! What a moment in his young life!
Suddenly, something very extraordinary happened. The trodden
grass at his feet shimmered with a pale brightness. Clearly he saw a
couple of cigarette butts in the grass. It was as if some one had
spilled this brightness on the ground. Then it was gone. And there
was only a dim light where the candles sputtered on the makeshift
table. That was a strange occurrence.
He stepped out of the tent and there was the patch of brightness
near the Ford sedan. How plainly he could read the flaunting words
on the spare tire, THREE HUNDRED FOOT DIVE. Then suddenly,
the square tank and the foot of the dizzy ladder were bathed in light.
A long, dusty column was poking around as if it had lost something.
The sedan was again illuminated. The bright patch moved under the
tent and painted an area of the canvas golden. Was it looking for
Diving Denniver, the wonder of two continents, to come forth and
make his three hundred foot dive?
It found the tank and the ladder again and made them glowing
and resplendent. Then there was wafted on the air the robust sound
of the band playing real music. It drowned the tin-pan whining of the
merry-go-round and sent its rousing strains over the fence which
bore the forbidding sign. What a martial tumult! It made the cane
ringers pause, sent the carriers of kewpie dolls to a point of vantage,
and left the five-legged calf forlorn and alone. Louder and louder it
sent forth its rousing melody.
Come take a ride o’er the clouds with me
Up in the air mid the stars.
Hervey Willetts stood petrified. He was in the hands of the gods—
or the devils. I have sometimes wondered if he ever, ever thought.
Behind every act, good or bad, there is some kind of intention. And I
have told you about boys whose intentions were not of the best. But
what of this boy? There was just never anything behind his acts. No
boy could catch him. Yet the band and the waiting light caught him.
And what did they do to him? The light seemed to be waiting for him,
there at the foot of the ladder. All else was darkness. Only the area
of brightness bathing the ladder and the big tank with its metal
corners. It seemed to say, “Come, I am going up with you.” And, God
help him, he went to it as a moth flies to a flame.
When he had ascended a few feet, he remembered that Diving
Denniver went up very slowly seeming to test each rung. He knew
now that this had been for effect and to make the climb seem long.
For the rungs were sound and strong. Also the performer had
occasionally extended his arm. The substitute realized that there had
been good reason for that, for the breeze was more brisk as he
ascended and he knew that the diver had thus held out his hand by
way of keeping tabs on the breeze.
The small tank permitted no divergence from the straight descent.
To land outside it⸺
He went up slowly, but did not pause at each rung. He could be
reckless, but not theatrical. But he did hold out his hand every few
feet and the gay breeze cooled his sweaty palm. Was the wind too
strong? What would Diving Denniver do? Go back? But in any case
Hervey could not do that. He never turned back.
He continued ascending, up, up, up. He could feel the ladder
sway a little. When he was about half-way up, the breeze made a
little murmur where it was cut by one of the wires extending off
slantingways, far off down to the earth somewhere. It was funny how
he could see these wires in the circle of light that had accompanied
him in his long climb, but could not follow them with his eyes to their
distant anchorages. Each wire disappeared in the darkness, and he
had an odd fear that they did not go anywhere. He saw the lights of
the carnival, but no human beings. Were they gazing at him—
hundreds of upturned faces?
Up, up, up he went. Was there no end to it? Now he did really feel
the force of the breeze. Was it too strong? How could he decide
that? He could hear the band, but he knew it would cease playing
when he reached the top. In that one brief moment of suspense it
would cease playing. His companion light moved with him like a
good pal. And beyond and below all was darkness except for the
lights of the carnival.
Up, up, up he climbed. And he came at last to the little platform at
the top, as big as the top of a stepladder. It was just a little shelf fixed
to the fifth or sixth rung from the top. But the part of the ladder above
that would serve as a back and he could lean against it. By fancying
the ground was right below him, by eliminating the distance from his
mind, he was able to squirm around and get onto this tiny shelf. He
did not know how Diving Denniver did this, but he managed it.
Standing on the little shelf and leaning back, he could feel the
ladder shake under him. Of course, there were several ladders
clamped together and the extending wires could not hold the
towering structure absolutely taut. But it was steady at the top.
Far below him was a square frame of lights marking the sides of
the tank which had been illuminated during his ascent. Within it the
water shimmered. His senses swam and he closed his eyes, then
opened them and got control of himself. A straight down dive would
do it. Would it? Yes, he was sure. He let go the ladder and laid his
two hands palm to palm above his head.
There was no music now.
HERVEY MADE THE GREAT DIVE.
 CHAPTER XXX
STUNT OR SERVICE
The next thing he knew he was lying propped up against a tree
and people were crowding about him. He knew this was not in tribute
to him for he heard a voice say, “Some crazy little fool, all right.”
“Did you ’phone?” he heard some one ask.
“Yes, he’ll be here soon.”
“He isn’t the regular one, is he?” another asked.
“Don’t ask me,” another answered; “I just followed the crowd.”
All the while a boy in a scout suit was moving his hand around
near Hervey’s foot. Emerging from his stunned condition, Hervey
had an odd impression that this boy was stirring something in a bowl.
Far off was the monotonous, incessant music of the merry-go-round.
Then, as Hervey blinked his eyes and brushed his soaking hair back
with a wet hand it seemed as if this boy were playing the music, for
his hand moved in time with that muffled clamor. Hervey lapsed off
into unconcern again and closed his eyes. It was only giddiness.
When he opened them again, he watched the boy with a kind of
detached curiosity. He felt a tightening sensation in his leg. Then he
realized that the boy had been drawing a bandage tighter and tighter
around his calf by revolving a stick. Still Hervey was only vaguely
interested.
“Stopped?” some one asked.
“Yep,” said the boy. He sat at Hervey’s feet with hands clasped
around his drawn-up knees. Soon he arose and stood looking as if to
ascertain on his own account if some one were coming.
“Who are you looking for?” Hervey asked weakly.
“The doctor,” answered the boy. He was a tall boy. As he stood
looking, he kicked something with his foot.
“What’s that?” Hervey asked.
 The boy picked it up and dangled it in front of him, laughing. It was
just about recognizable as the body of a kewpie doll, and it was a
ghastly sight, for the head hung loose and the body was mangled
and out of shape. “Glad you’re not as bad off as that, hey?” said the
scout. “I won that blamed thing ringing canes and I got—I bet I got
three yards of cloth off it; there goes.” And twirling it cruelly by one
leg, he hurled it gayly over the heads of the throng.
“You people get away from here, go on,” said the robust voice of a
policeman. “Go on, all of yer, get away from here; he ain’t hurt much.
Go on, chase yourselves, you kids.”
“He can’t chase me anyway,” said Hervey.
“That’s a good one,” laughed the boy. “Nor me either; I’m the
surgeon general or whatever you call it.”
“You can’t chase me,” said Hervey to the policeman. “That’s
where I’ve got the laugh on you.”
“If I was your father, I’d chase you to the padded cell,” the
policeman commented, then busied himself clearing away the
loiterers.
The scout examined his twisted bandage and gave it one more
twist. Then he sat down on the ground beside Hervey. Two or three
men and the policeman lingered about, but did not bother these two.
“That was some crazy stunt all right,” said the scout.
“Did I—where did I fall?” Hervey asked.
“You went in the tank, but only just, I guess. Your foot must have
knocked the edge; four of the electric bulbs were broken. I don’t think
there’s any glass in your foot; anyway, I stopped it bleeding. Gee,
boy, I did murder that kewpie doll! How the dickens did you happen
to do that, anyway?” Hervey told him briefly.
“Good night, some daredevil! I dived to-day, but I had the whole
river to dive in. Me for that tank stuff—not.”
“Are you a scout in this town?” Hervey asked. “Yep, South
Farrelton. I was here last night and I had my fortune told and the old
woman told me I’d be lucky. I was all right. And believe me, so were
you.”
“How were you lucky?” Hervey asked.
 “Oh, things came my way. I’m here with my patrol to-night; I guess
the cop chased them—good thing. They’d have trampled all over
you.”
“They’re always chasing people,” Hervey said. “They came and
got that diving wonder even, they’re so blamed fresh. And he’s a
wonder of two continents. Anyway, I’m always lucky.”
“I’ll say you are!”
“I’m going out to Montana, maybe to South America. I bet you can
do what you want down there. They weave Panama hats under the
water; gee, I bet I could do that. I always land right side up, that’s
one thing about me.”
“It’s a darned good thing,” said the scout.
Hervey did not bother to ask him his name, but the boy told him; it
was Wyne Corson. “That’s a good first name, hey?” he said. “Wyne?
It’s better than lose. There’s a scout in our troop named Luze—they
call us Win and Lose. He’s a Hungarian on his great granddaughter’s
side, I guess. Here comes the crowd back; I guess the doctor’s
coming.”
The doctor came and kneeled down, brisk, smiling and efficient.
He seemed not to take any interest in the spectacular exploit, only in
the injured foot. “Well, I guess you’re all right,” he said after treating
and bandaging the foot. “You won’t be able to run any marathon
races to-morrow.”
“Can I the next day?” Hervey asked.
“No, you can’t the next day,” the doctor laughed. “Who’s going to
take you home?”
Then he offered to do it himself and Wyne Corson got the hero’s
brown shirt and knickerbockers from the tent and maneuvered him
into them. He even placed the treasured hat on his head at an
unconventional angle. He seemed to have an inspired appreciation
of Hervey’s bizarre character. Then they helped him to the waiting
car. Gaping stragglers watched the self-appointed understudy of the
diving wonder as he limped between the doctor and the scout, past
the enclosure of the five-legged calf, and around the festooned
platform where the merry dance was on. Whirling couples paused to
stare at him and one girl ran out and boldly inspected the celebrity
from head to foot. “Oh, he has the brightest eyes,” she confided to
her waiting partner, “and the funniest little hat with all sorts of buttons
on it. Do you know who he reminds me of? Peter Pan.”
At the doctor’s car half a dozen scouts stood about gazing at
Hervey. They hardly knew what to make of him, but they had a kind
of instinctive respect for him and showed it. I am not sure that this
was just on account of his daredevil exploit. There was something
about him and that’s all there is to it. Good or bad, he was different.
“Did I do the right thing?” Wyne Corson ventured to ask the
doctor. He had hoped he might be asked to accompany Hervey, but
apparently this was not to be.
“Oh yes indeed—the only thing,” said the doctor. “You were on the
job and efficient and clever. That’s the kind of thing I like to see.”
“You ought to have seen what he did,” Wyne ventured. Was he
falling for this cracked-brained youngster too?
“I don’t believe I’d care to see that,” said the doctor with brisk
good-humor.
And there stood Wyne Corson with his scout comrades about him.
They did not comment upon his efficiency nor the doctor’s ready
compliment.
“Did he talk to you? What did he say?” asked one.
“Where does he live?” asked another.
“Is he friendly, sort of?” asked a third.
“For the love of Christopher, why didn’t you talk to him
yourselves?” laughed Wyne. “He wouldn’t eat you up. Come on, I’m
going to treat to ice cream again, then let’s go home.”
 CHAPTER XXXI
HOPELESS
He sat in a big old-fashioned chair in the living room with his
injured foot upon a stool, in deference to the powers that be. There
was a knock on the front door and presently young Mr. Ebin Talbot,
scoutmaster, poked his head around the casing of the living room in
a way of mock temerity.
“May I come in and have a look at the wonder of wonders?” he
asked. “How are we; getting better?”
“It hurts a little when I stand on it.”
“Then the best thing is not to stand on it, hey? Like the advice to a
young man about to stand on his head on a steeple—Don’t. Good
advice, huh? Well Herve, old boy, I’ve got you where I want you at
last; your foot’s hurt and you can’t get away from me. Did you ever
hear the story about the donkey that kicked the lion? Only the lion
was dead. Well, I’m the donkey and you’re the lion; I’ve got you
where you can’t jump down my neck. Do you know that was a crazy
thing you did, Herve? You just put yourself in my power. Maybe you
did it so you wouldn’t have to go to school, huh? Where’s your dad?”
“He’s at the store.”
“Have you heard about this conspiracy to send you to military
school?” Poor man, he was trying to reach Hervey by the good pal
method. He drew his chair close and spoke most confidentially. “I
think we can beat it,” he said.
“Leave it to me,” said Hervey.
“You’re not worrying?”
“I’d be there about three days,” said Hervey.
“I think you’d be there about three years, my boy.”
“What do you bet? Everybody’s calling me a crazy daredevil. Do
you think I wouldn’t be enough of a daredevil to get away from a
military school? Bimbo, that’s a cinch.”
It seemed to be something that Hervey was quite looking forward
to; a lure to new adventure. Mr. Talbot went on another tack.
“Well, I thought if we could slip you into the Scouts in time, we
could beat your dad to it.”
“I’ll beat them all to it, all right,” said Hervey vaguely. “They
arrested that wonder—even of two continents he’s a wonder—but I
gave them a good run. I nearly bit that feller’s hand off when he
grabbed me. Do you dare me that I won’t get away from military
school?”
“Oh goodness no, but listen, Herve.” He became soft and serious.
“You can listen, can’t you? You haven’t got anything else to do—now.
You know that boy who put the jigamerig around your leg?”
“Carter—something like that?”
“You don’t remember his name, Herve? Wyne Corson. That fellow
is in the troop they’ve got down in the south end; they’ve got quite an
outfit. One of them—he’s just a kid—wants to have a hat like yours.
When you jumped, you jumped right into the hearts of the Raccoon
Patrol; you didn’t hit the tank at all. Well, that fellow was—now listen,
here’s a knockout for you. Do you know how those fellows happened
to be at the carnival last night?”
“Do you think I bother ringing canes?” said Hervey.
“Well, it’s good he won a kewpie doll, now isn’t it? But that’s not
the knockout. He won a prize yesterday and he was giving his patrol
a kind of a blowout last night at the carnival. I think there’s going to
be a shortage of pop-corn for the next forty-’leven years.”
“Well, yesterday morning he was up the river with that scout—that
little stocky fellow; did you notice him?”
“No.”
“Well, he noticed you. They were up on Blackberry Cliff; as near
as I can make out they’re always out for eats. There was a girl in a
canoe down below; she belongs in that white house right across
from the cliff. What I’m telling you is in this afternoon’s paper—you
can see it. Well sir, the canoe upset, and this Wyne, he dived from
the Cliff—that’s pretty high, you know, Herve, and he got her and
swam to shore with her—now wait. Here’s the punch. He gets the
Ellen C. Bentley reward for this year. You remember nobody got it
last year. He goes on a trip to California next summer—six weeks.
Naturally he was feeling pretty good last night. And he never told you
a word about it! Think of those two things that scout did yesterday!
Dived from a cliff and saved a life, won a trip across the continent,
then put a what-d’ye-call-it around your leg when you might have
bled to death after making a crazy dive that didn’t get you anything—
not one blessed thing.”
“Do you think I didn’t have any fun?”
“Hervey, boy, why did you do it? Why—why did you do it? A crazy
fool thing like that!” Hervey was silent, a trifle abashed by the
seriousness and vehemence of his visitor.
“Why did you do it?”
“I—I couldn’t help it.”
Young Ebin Talbot just looked at him as a wrestler might look,
trying to decide where to take his adversary. “I guess so,” he said
low and resignedly.
But he was not to be beaten so easily. “Hervey, there are only two
boys in this town who could do what Wyne Corson did, and he is one
of them and you’re the other one. Why are you never in the right
place at the right time?”
Hervey flared up, “Do you mean to tell me I don’t know any one
who could do that—what Wyne Corson did? Do you bet me I don’t?”
“Oh, for goodness’ sakes, Hervey! You did a hair-brained thing, a
big stunt if you will; and Corson did a heroic act. And here you are
making bets with me about something of no importance. What’s the
matter with you? Why I was paying you a compliment!”
“You said I don’t know anybody who could swim out like that. Do
you say I can’t—do you dare me⸺”
Young Mr. Talbot held up his hand impatiently. Hervey not only
never did the right thing, but he even couldn’t talk about the right
thing. Like many men who are genial in hope, he was impatient in
failure. He had not Mr. Walton’s tolerant squint.
“Please don’t dare me, Hervey. Dares and stunts never get a boy
anywhere.”
 “How do you know how many fellers can do a thing?” Hervey
demanded.
“Well, all right then, Hervey, I don’t,” said Mr. Talbot rising. “But let
me just say this to you. I know you could do what Corson did
yesterday and it was a glorious thing, and brings him high reward.
Also, if it’s any satisfaction for you to know it, I believe you could find
a way of escaping from a military school. You see, I give you full
credit. I think there is hardly a single thing that you could not do—
except to do something with a fine purpose. Just to stand on your
head isn’t enough; do you see? The first time you do a brave,
reckless thing for service you’ll be the finest scout that ever lived.
None of them can touch you on action, but action means nothing
without motive. It’s just like a car jacked up and the wheels going
round; it never gets anywhere.”
“Didn’t I do a service to Diving Denniver?” Hervey demanded.
“Well, did you? Honor bright; did you? Did you want to help him?
Was that the idea? Come on now, Hervey. Fair and square, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“You did it because⸺”
“Didn’t I tell you it was because I couldn’t help it?” said Hervey
angrily.
 CHAPTER XXXII
UPS AND DOWNS
Young Mr. Talbot gave Hervey up. I think he lost patience too
readily. As for Mr. Walton, he was past the stage of quiet argument
with his stepson. He was as firm in resolve as he was patient in
discussion. And never was Hervey more bent on action that was his
harassed guardian from the moment he was apprised of the carnival
escapade. Even gentle Mrs. Walton, who had pled after the satchel
episode, thought now that it was better for Hervey to go to military
school than to break his neck.
“Well, he won’t even break rules there,” said Mrs. Walton.
As for Hervey, he was not worrying about military school. He
never thought or worried about anything. He would meet every
situation as it came. He was not staggered by Wyne Corson’s
opportunity to go west. To give him credit, he was not selfish or
envious. He forgot all about Wyne Corson.
One matter he did bear in mind and it was the very essence of
absurdity. With his own narrow escape to ponder on, and Wyne
Corson’s splendid deed to thrill him (if he was capable of a thrill) he
must set off as soon as he was able to prove his all-important claim
that there was another individual capable of doing what Mr. Talbot
had said that only he and Corson could do. He accepted the young
scoutmaster’s declaration not as a compliment, but as a kind of dare.
That is how his mind worked and I am giving you just the plain facts.
I told you in the beginning that no one understood him.
But now he was to receive something as near to a shock as he
had ever received. He sought out Diving Denniver in his sanctum
and approached him rather sheepishly (for him) for he knew not how
his feat had impressed the wonder of two continents. It was the last
day of the carnival, the matter of the permit had been adjusted, and
Diving Denniver was that evening to dive for the last time in
Farrelton. On this occasion he wore his regular clothes and his little
derby hat was on the back of his head as he packed his trunk in
anticipation of departure.
“Hello,” said Hervey.
“Hello, yer gol blamed little fool.”
“Well, I did it, didn’t I?” said Hervey defensively.
“Sure you did it, but you were just lucky. You’re just a crazy kid,
that’s all. That there kid that’s got his name in the papers fer savin’ a
girl’s life, now he’s a regular guy, he is. If you want to jump why don’t
you get in the big parade, kid?” He folded some clothing and did not
pay much attention to Hervey as he talked. “If yer want ter pull the
big stuff why don’t yer get in with them guys. This here ain’t narthin’.”
“Do you know what a scoutmaster told me?” demanded Hervey,
somewhat aroused. “He said that only two fellers—me and that other
feller—could dive off that cliff and swim to shore with a girl. So as
long as you’re a friend of mine will you come and show him that you
can do it? Just to show him he’s not so smart. Then he’ll see you’re
a friend of mine, and he’ll see you can do it. Hey? So I can put it all
over him. Hey?”
“Naah, cut that stuff, kid. Why wuz yer thinkin’ I can swim and
save lives? I ain’t much on swimmin’, kid.” He reached over to where
Hervey sat dangling his legs from the makeshift table and good-
naturedly ruffled his hair. “Yer got me wrong, kid. What’s bitin’ yer
anyways? This here is a trick, that’s all it is. I know me little trick.
Why wouldn’ I? I been doin’ it fer seven years. There ain’t narthin’ to
it when yer once get it right. Did yer think this here wuz a kind of an
adventure like? Hand me them two saucers, will yer. Listen here, kid.
Here’s how it is. When yer know how ter do it there’ ain’t narthin’ to
it; see? An’ if yer try it when yer don’t know how, yer a blame fool. I
bet yer kin swim better’n what I can, at that. I jus’ do me turn, kid.
See?”
Hervey was staggered. “Ain’t you the wonder of two continents?”
he asked. “Don’t you say it yourself?”
“Sure thing, and I’m sorry I didn’t make it five continents when I
wuz printin’ it. What’s a couple of continents more or less? Pull that
there broken glass down and let’s have it, will yer? Yer don’t think yer
done narthin’ big do yer?” He paused and faced Hervey for just a
moment. “Dis here is just a trick, kid. Go on and join them kids
what’s doin’ the divin’. Come out o’ yer trance, little brother. You’ze
got the makin’s of a regular hop, skip and jumper, yer has. Wuz yer
old man sore at yer?”
Hervey felt as if the bottom had fallen out of the earth. Not that he
wanted praise and recognition; he never craved those. But what he
had done was just nothing at all. He was no more a hero than a man
who tried to commit suicide is a hero. And the wonder of two
continents was just a good-humored, tough little young man who
knew a trick! How brave and splendid seemed the exploit of Wyne
Corson now! That was not a trick.
“You beat it home now,” said McDennison, “and don’t go inter no
business what yer ain’t got the dope on. A kid like you oughter had
that trip ter the coast. Look at me, I ain’t got the carfare ter open up
in Bridgeburgh Fair.”
Hervey went away, not exactly heavy-hearted, for he was never
that. And not exactly thoughtful, for he certainly was never that. But
disgruntled. And even that was unusual with him. He might have had
that trip to the coast. Or at least on a dozen different occasions, he
might have won such a reward. But for all his fine bizarre deeds he
got just nothing; not even honor. And the pity of it was he could not
figure this out. He never remembered what anybody told him; he
never pondered. Yet I think that poor Diving Denniver did some
good; I think he almost reached him.
On the way home, he was saved from any of the perils of thought
by the allurements of action. Near the entrance to the carnival was a
basket full of booklets about Farrelton the Home Town. There was a
sign above this basket which read. Free—Take One. Hervey did not
take a booklet, but he took the sign. It was an oblong wooden sign
and had a hole in it to hang it up by. By inserting a stick in this hole,
he could twirl the sign around as he ambled homeward. He became
greatly preoccupied with this pastime and his concentration
continued till he reached the Aunt Maria Sweet Shoppe. Here were
bottles of honey and tempting jars of preserves standing on a display
shelf outside, and he coyly set the Free—Take One sign on these,
proceeding homeward with that air of innocence that he knew how to
affect.
Crossing the deserted Madden farm, he discovered a garter
snake. It was a harmless little snake, but it filled its destiny in
Hervey’s life. It was necessary for him to lift it on the end of his stick
and, before it wriggled off, send it flying through the broken window
of the Madden barn. This was not easy to do, because the snake
would not hold still. With each cast, however, it seemed to become
more drowsy, until finally it hung over the stick long enough for
Hervey to get a good aim and send the elongated missile flying
through the broken, cobweb-filled window.
The shot was so successful that Hervey could not refrain from
giving an encore. One good sling deserved another. So up he
vaulted to the sill of the old window, brushing ancient cobwebs out of
his eyes and hair, and down he went inside. But he went down
further than he had expected to, for the flooring was quite gone from
the old barn and he alighted all in a heap on a pile of dank straw in
the cellar.
Four unbroken walls of heavy masonry arose to a height of ten or
twelve feet. Far above him, through the shrunken, rotted shingles,
little glints of sunlight penetrated. A few punky boards strewn in this
stenchy dungeon gave evidence that the flooring above had rotted
away before being entirely removed. Perhaps there had been an
intention to lay a new flooring. But it was many years since the
Maddens had gone away and now there were rumors that the
extensive farm land was to become a bungalow colony.
As Hervey lifted one of the punky boards it broke in the middle
and fell almost in shreds at his feet. A number of little flat bugs,
uncovered in their damp abode, went scooting this way and that after
similar shelter. The snake too, recovered from the shock of being a
missile, wriggled off to some agreeable refuge amid the rotting litter
of that dank prison.
 CHAPTER XXXIII
STORM AND CALM
Hervey’s fortunes were never at a lower ebb than when he stood
in that damp cellar as the night came on and tried to reconcile
himself to sleeping on the straw. Even the morrow held only the hope
that by chance some one would discover him in his dreadful
dungeon. It was not until a rotten board, laid diagonally against the
foundation, had collapsed with him that he gave up and threw
himself down with a feeling as near to despair as his buoyant nature
had ever experienced.
Through the cracks and crevices of the shingles high overhead,
he watched the light die away. A ray from the declining sun streamed
through the window from which he had fallen, lingered for a few
moments, then withdrew leaving the place almost in darkness. Such
a price to pay for a merry little game with a snake!
Meanwhile, events occurred which were destined to have a
bearing on Hervey’s life. At about half past nine that night, young Mr.
Talbot emerged from the Walton house and encountered Wyne
Corson coming in through the gateway. They both laughed at the
encounter.
“Missionary work?” Mr. Talbot inquired.
“You beat me to it?” laughed Wyne.
“No, I’m through,” Mr. Talbot said. “He isn’t even home; nobody
knows where he is. No, I’m through working on that prospect, and I
wouldn’t waste my time if I were you, Corson. He’s going to military
school and I guess that’s the best place for him.”
“The fellows in my troop are crazy about him,” said Wyne.
“They might better be crazy about you,” Mr. Talbot answered. “If
they’re as crazy as all that, they’re better off without another crazy
fellow in their troop. Come on, walk along with me; there’s no one