Present Tense

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PRESENT TENSE includes both a rhetorical apparatus that clearly explains analysis and argumentation and an up-to-date reader that includes compelling, funny, and current readings that offer a range of perspectives on important public issues. With its easy-to-follow introduction to basic elements of rhetorical theory and issues-oriented readings, PRESENT TENSE gives readers the strategies they need for figuring out what they want to write and the best way to write it. Part I: A BRIEF RHETORIC 1. Arguing America. “From On the Peace”, Isocrates. “Is Persuasion Dead”? Matt Miller. “My Struggle to Share the Light”, Shirien Elamawy. Student Response: “Opening My Eyes to Argument”, Greg Meuli. 2. Reading for a Reason. Defining “Rhetoric”.Excerpt from Aristotle’s Rhetoric. Reading and Argument. “Ugly, the American”, James Poniewozik. Argument in Action: “Encomium of Helen”, Gorgias. 3. Writing Arguments. Summary and Response. “A Desired Epidemic: Obesity and the Food Industry”, Deborah Cohen. Analyzing an Argument. “A Christian View of War”, Oliver “Buzz” Thomas. Sample Rhetorical Analysis: “What Would Jesus Do? Use Rhetoric Wisely”. Classical Rhetoric and Writing Arguments. From “On the Murder of Eratosthenes”, Lysias. Using Stasis Theory. Excerpts from “Human Growth Hormone Explained”, Tom Fordyce. 4. Genres of Argument. Definitional Argument in Action. “What One Fewer Planet Means to Our Worldview”, Shankar Vedantam. “Real Archaeologists Don’t Wear Fedoras”, Neil Asher Silberman. Evaluative Argument in Action. “Heavy Suit, Light Touches”, A.O. Scott. “Are We Really So Fearful”? Ariel Dorfman. Causal Argument in Action. “The Chicken Soup Chronicles”, Nora Ephron. “A Bargain at 77 Cents to a Dollar”, Carrie Lukas. Policy Argument in Action. “Bigotry that Hurts Our Military”, Alan K. Simpson. Part II: READINGS FOR WRITING. 5. Reading and Writing. “Writing Off Reading”, Michael Skube. “Aggressive Reading Won’t Kill You. (No Matter What Mark Twain Says)”, Todd Hagstette. “The End of Literacy? Don’t Stop Reading”, Howard Gardner. “Why Write”? Louise DeSalvo. “Nothing but the Facts”? Eme Crawford. “Shitty First Drafts”, Anne Lamott. “Seeking Balance in an Either-Or World”, Kathleen Parker. 6. Defining a Generation. “Debate? Dissent? Discussion? Oh, Don’t Go There”! Michiko Kakutani. “Realistic Idealists”, Alex Williams. “Gen Y’s Ego Trip Takes a Bad Turn”, Larry Gordon and Louis Sahagun. “LOOK@ME: Generation Next is Living Out Loud and Online”, Melissa Ludwig. “Generation Me Does Plenty for Others”, Daniel T. Swann. “Isn’t That Special”? Jonah Goldberg. “Matters of Faith Find a New Prominence on Campus”, Alan Finder. “Schools of Thought: the Liberal-Conservative Divide on College Campuses”, Richard Just. 7. The Heat Is On. “The War of the Words”, Jerry Adler. “Yelling ‘Fire’ on a Hot Planet”, Andrew C. Revkin. “What Now”? Jeffrey Kluger. “Global Warming: Who Loses–and Who Wins”? Gregg Easterbrook. “Be It Ever So Homespun, There’s Nothing Like Spin”, Kim Severson. “Life in the Green Lane”, Jamie Lincoln Kitman. “Going Nuclear: A Green Makes the Case”, Patrick Moore.’ 8. Body Images. “Heavy Habits”, Shari Roan. “Why America Has to Be Fat”, Michael S. Rosenwald. “Eating Disorders: Not Just for Women”, Sandra G. Boodman. “Walking a Thin Line”, Rebecca Johnson. “Heavy Burden”, Rosemary L. Bray. “From ‘fat’ to ‘Fat'”, Wendy Shanker. “Why We Hate Fat People”, J. Eric Oliver. 9. Modern Love — and Other Social Studies. “The Lonely American Just Got a Bit Lonelier”, Henry Fountain. “Friends Indeed”, Joel Garreau. “Love in the Digital Age”, Alice Mathias. “The Secret Love Lives of Teenage Boys”, Lev Grossman. “Do Smart Girls Finish Last in Love”? Laura Vanderkam. “A Prince Charming for the Prom (Not Ever After, Though)”, Frank Paiva. “What’s Wrong with This Picture”? Justin Britt-Gibson. 10. Air Waves. “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”, Steven Johnson. “The Case for Reality TV: What the Snobs Don’t Understand”, Michael Hirschorn. “My Plan to Save Network Television”, By Charlie Hauck. “Rachael Ray, My Dinner Hooker”, Mary Elizabeth Williams. “Which Came First: The Lyrics or Libidos”? Mark Morford. “The Rap against Rockism”, Kelefa Sanneh. “Hip-Hop is No Longer Cooler than Me”, Paul Kix. “Why I Gave Up On Hip-Hop”, Lonnae O’Neal Parker. 11. The Arguing I. “Making a Killing”, Mike White. “Chicken in the Henhouse”, David Sedaris. “My Amendment”, George Saunders. “Fade to Blonde”, Belen Aranda Alvarado. “Race Wasn’t an Issue to Him, Which Was an Issue to Me”, Kim McLarin. “Dropping the F-Bomb”, Joel Achenbach. “Back Off! I’m Not Dead Yet”, Charlotte F. Allen. APPENDIX: A RHETORICAL APPROACH TO RESEARCH.

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