Relying on key characteristics of teaching excellence documented by research in higher education, a college professor details how personal undergraduate stage-acting experience helped to develop his teaching. The following comparisons are illuminating: (1) students distinguish professors' interest and enthusiasm toward their subjects as an…

In the past decade, contest persuasive speaking has become a product that student competitors produce and perform. A perversion of the contest formula has removed the element of persuasion from the formula. Competition rules suggest that a student's purposes in participating in forensics events should include inspiring, reinforcing, or changing…

People involved in debate often encounter apocalyptic appeals but seldom look at how these arguments affect debate beyond their ability to influence winning. Debaters use nuclear war apocalyptism, for example, by capitalizing on the human desire to sustain its own story, by appealing to the universal drive for control and power inside all humans,…

The 1988 presidential race was predicted to be one in which women voters would determine the winner. In most polls taken prior to the nominating conventions, George Bush trailed Michael Dukakis and much of the difference was attributable to women voters. At the Republican convention in August, Republicans began a well-orchestrated effort to create…

Stephen Duncombe has written one of the only book-length studies examining the phenomenon of "zines.""Note from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture" traces the historical rise in zine popularity beginning with fanzines of the 1930s, fueled in the 1970s by the punk movement, and reaching a height in the 1990s. In his…

When a class of lethargic college students showed no enthusiasm for their reading assignments in English class, one instructor turned to drama. She assigned a collaborative script, and the students' enthusiasm and motivation relegated her to a "pleasant oblivion." She thought that the novelty of the play genre might enliven the class,…

Reviews briefly accounting writing skill research, discusses the subject bias prevalent in that research, and relates this weakness to a potential bias toward grammar and syntax in curriculum development. Argues that the user of accounting information is an important but neglected party in the communication process, whose input should be…

Examines the dichotomy posited by David Bartholmae and Peter Elbow between institutional or contextual writing and personal writing; or more generally, between social constructivism and expressivism. Attempts to propose a means of mediation between the two positions that goes beyond previous attempts, particularly that of "externalism."…

Finds differences between African Americans and Non Hispanic Whites in recall of verbal and visual themes of televised AIDS public service announcements (PSAs). Notes that differences anchored in a complex relationship among emotions, attitudes, and opinions about science and society. Suggests effective healthcare communication campaigns require…

Explains how the author's father taught her about theatre in their everyday life. Discusses artistic sensibilities such as the use of voice, body, mind, and values. Explains the following theatre specifics: pacing; language; telling the story; relaxation and humor; participation; the audience's job; inflation of titles; history; subtext; and…

Interviews Roald Dahl at his home near London to ask him about his early stories and discuss his ability to write for both adults and children. (MG)

Discusses three perspectives on audience awareness as used in the classroom; rhetorical, informational, and social. Finds that the social perspective, with its emphasis on the transactional nature of writing, is the most productive way of dealing with audience in the composition classroom. (RS)

Notes that hypermedia may place additional cognitive loads on audiences and may change the way information is processed. Argues that those who write for hypermedia applications may need to change the way they look at the writing process, and those who teach writing may need to reconsider what they teach and what they choose to emphasize. (SR)

Argues that an anthology of professional essays (because of its intellectual demands) can impede rather than facilitate mastery of basic writing skills. Suggests that the main criterion in selecting readings should be a good match between the audience assumed by the chosen texts and the actual audience in the classroom. (SR)

Considers how the book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"'s achievement of the status of a modern classic provides evidence that children's collective voices can sometimes cause the walls erected by the field's adult gatekeepers to come tumbling down. Discusses reasons for the popularity and controversy surrounding the book. (SC)