Contains the first chapter of a new biography of an influential writing teacher, Mina Shaughnessy, who was a founder of the "Journal of Basic Writing". (PA)

Critiques the metaphors out of which basic writing has emerged and looks jocularly at new possibilities. Suggests that with the new technologies of writing, all are at a novice level and need to rethink what is meant by composition in an age when writing is the manipulation of images in hyperspace. (PA)

Examines two debates within the basic writing community (the reaction against Min Zhan Lu's early theoretical work and the recent acrimonious debate regarding Ira Shor's defense of mainstreaming) showing how they reflect conflicting models of the basic writing field, with "critical" discourse challenging the conventions and authority of…

Discusses the increase in attacks on collegiate basic writing. Questions what the future holds for basic writing. Suggests that despite wrenching changes in basic writing instruction, moral obligation insists that basic-writing teachers continue their work to surmount the now commonplace challenges and assaults. (PA)

Argues that narrative is an important aim of discourse for basic writers. Examines the use of narrative by leaders in the field of basic writing, then focuses on the significance of narrative for students: the use of narrative yields legitimacy, allows for metacognition, and provides a vehicle for numinous expression. (RS)

Presents a response to Joseph Harris's article in this issue. Acknowledges that differences in opinion were less in principle and more in what they emphasized in their respective essays. Suggests that communities have possibilities for opening different sorts of spaces on university campuses. (SG)

This study examined student perspectives about writing by interviewing both typically developing and struggling writers in Grades 2 through 8. The findings revealed a progressive developmental pattern of writing knowledge in which novice writers place more emphasis on the physical product and local meaning, while more experienced writers focus on…

Considers the consequences of expelling California State University students who do not complete remediation within one year. Proposes that the lack of educational choices is analogous to the institutionalized absence of alternatives for basic writing programs. Analyzes the contradictory rhetoric of official policy, linking the elitist return to…

Claims that there is general agreement of a need to rethink the basic writing course. Posits that there is also a need to rethink the view of literacy on which the course is often based. Questions aspects of academic literacy and suggests ways to reform writing instruction at all levels by looking at literate practices outside the academy. (PA)

Considers basic writing as a way of naming (and producing) a curriculum, an area of study, a type of writing, and writing practice. Discusses the history of the term "basic writing" and the role of the intellectual, the culture, and its institutions in its production. (SR)

Considers the circumstances under which "basic writing" emerged both as a college course and as a field of study. Aims to map the "strange context" of discourses that have composed basic writing and to determine the strategic function of each of these discourses, including David Bartholomae's recent call for undoing basic…

Course designs for Basic English Writing classes vary from one course to another. The objective of this study was to investigate the semantic misinterpretation of English words found in the English compositions written by native-Chinese-speaking undergraduate students and to overcome if such a barrier occurred in the process of writing. First,…

It has long been established that self-assessment and goal-setting are regular features of the writing process of experienced writers. It has also been demonstrated that students develop more power and control over their writing when they are encouraged to become their own evaluators. Therefore, to help beginning writers think and act more like…

Gray-Rosendale continues a project begun with "Investigating Our Discursive History: "JBW" and the Construction of the "Basic Writer's" Identity" ("JBW" 1999) in which she employed a Foucauldian archaeological perspective to trace the dominance of as well as the disruptions within the three major metaphoric allegiances of basic writing studies:…

We examined the effects of in-class writing instruction, practice, peer review, and feedback on writing skills of undergraduates enrolled in a general psychology course. We rated writing for grammar, writing style, mechanics, and American Psychological Association referencing style. Significant differences emerged on the 4 writing skill domains (p…