Literature and the Writing Process: Fifth Edition

by Elizabeth McMahan, Robert W. Funk, Susan X. Day

Serving as a springboard for improved critical thinking and writing skills, this all-in-one text combines an introduction to literature with instruction in writing and a concise handbook with on-line documentation. Literature and the Writing Process, Fifth Edition, offers a wealth of diverse literary selections as material for students to read and write about. The authors furnish both responsive and critical writing topics in each chapter. Throughout the text, instruction in analyzing and understanding literature is incorporated with instruction in writing. Beginning with larger questions of devising a sound thesis, selecting content, and organizing material, the explanations proceed to more specific areas such as sentence elements, word choice, and manuscript form.

Genres: Poetry

1188 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1999

About the author

Elizabeth McMahan is professor emerita of English at Illinois State University. She holds a Ph.D. in nineteenth-century literature from the University of Oregon. While still in graduate school, she wrote her first book, A Crash Course in Composition, published by McGraw Hill. She has taught on every level, from freshman composition to graduate seminars, and has published critical articles on works of literature and teaching composition. She served as the director of writing programs for seven years at Illinois State University. During her academic career, she received an NDEA Title IV Fellowship, the Kester Svendson Dissertation Grant, and the 1978 Illinois Arts Council Essay Award. Since taking early retirement, she has devoted her energies to writing and revising textbooks.