Text Book: Writing Through Literature

This book takes some getting used to. I tried it once with mixed success, and didn't try it again for awhile. But I kept thinking about what it offered, its "mystory" approach in which authors immerse themselves in their subjects and write work that is not necessarily objective, but more illuminating for its passionate commitment. So eventually I started teaching the method again, and it elicited absolutely the best writing from college freshmen and sophomores that I have ever had in my classes. Once the teacher understands both the method and the elasticity of the method, it is, well . . . a beautiful thing. I would recommend this book wholeheartedly, though I might want to caution the teacher to live with the book for a few months or even a year before they begin using it in classes. It's an exciting leap.