Elements of Alternate Style: Essays on Writing and Revision

by Wendy Bishop

Elements of Alternate Style contributes to a better understanding of the writing process in general and the stylistic options available to every serious writer. It demonstrates how by teaching alternate and traditional styles in tandem, by focusing on revision as invention, we can help students become newly engaged with their texts-even "school writing." In this edited collection, successful classroom instructors explore and apply these ideas, drawing from composition pedagogy, creative writing technique, and critical theory. The six essays in Part I delineate an initial classroom sequence. . The authors ask writers to try writing exercises and to reconsider how they have constructed essays in the past-how they might reconstruct them today by looking and looking again, by fracturing and creating double voices, by reconsidering the place of research. Part II pushes these explorations further in five essays that contend that writing is about taking risks, trying (sometimes failing), learning from exploration, from play, from radical twists and turns. Part III engages even broader issues of identity, technology, correctness, and editing. Elements of Alternate Style is a powerful, liberating resource that validates innovative writing instruction and offers a rich array of voices and techniques.

Genres: Writing

184 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 1997

Reviews

[Peaches · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book on composition theory I've read, but keep in mind that I'm reading it well over the publication date. Some of the ideas are very forward thinking for the 90s and even today, asking instructors to question in what ways teaching writing is not like standardized testing, or is based on how you teach, how to break up monotony in writing classes, etc. I do think more examples of successes could have enhanced the book. As with most of my criticism in texts meant for educators, just saying "here are some vague ideas, you figure it out" doesn't typically work.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting compilation of essays that modeled some of the ways that teachers could use alternative writing assignments to cultivate a process-based approach to writing amongst their students. I liked how many of the selections attempted to practice what the book preached by modeling the "alternative styles" they counseled. Likewise, I appreciated the specific assignments that the book offered as examples, and hope to use a few in my own teaching. That being said, I'd like a similar book that is more updated for the breadth of alternative styles online writing might bring to the classroom environment, especially for college composition instructors.

[Lief · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to Alt Dis, this book presents a variety of essays dealing with alternatives to the academic essay. What I like about this set of essays is that they are usually written in the format they discuss. For instance, sections dealing with double-voice narratives are written as double-voice narratives. A fascinating read, and I plan to incorporate at least some of the ideas into my own teaching.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about multi-genre writing. One of the best books I read in the master's program.