Parfitt releases second edition of Writing in Response
Professor of Rhetoric Matthew Parfitt recently released the second edition of his book, Writing in Response, published by Bedford/St. Martin’s (Macmillan Higher Ed).
Writing in Response was written in effort to fill the need for a book that treats critical reading as the first stage of the writing process. Parfitt explains, “That is, the writing that students do in the form of marginalia and reading notes, and their reflections on these notes, should form the basis of a first draft. Few other rhetorics treat critical reading very extensively.”
The first edition of Writing in Response, published in 2012, includes five readings that were also used as example-texts throughout the book. For the second edition, rhetoric faculty and students alike can look forward to refreshed content: all but one of the readings have been changed, a few new readings have been added to make a total of eight, and the chapters are reorganized. The new, additional content enables instructors to use the book as the sole text for the course, rather than needing a supplemental reader. The chapters are thoughtfully designed from the teaching perspective, divided into sections that make it easier to organize a syllabus around the book and for a cohesive class experience. Other smaller updates are aligned around the same goal: creating an easier and more effective book to use in the classroom.
Upon the release of the new edition, Parfitt was asked to by North Virginia Community College (NVCC) to hold a faculty development session with its 30 rhetoric instructors. NVCC has been a strong supporter of Writing in Response, and has been using the book since the first edition was released three years ago. Instructors had the opportunity to hear about the specific updates in the second edition, discuss the recommended teaching approach, and ask Parfitt questions so that they could best build out their syllabi for the upcoming academic year.
Parfitt has been pleasantly surprised by the variety of schools that have adopted the book. He originally anticipated that it would be mostly used in selective programs like CGS— mainly, private research institutions that have ambitious goals for their students. But while some adopters fit this description (e.g. Brandeis University), the book has been embraced by a wider audience: state schools (e.g., Rutgers Camden), community colleges (e.g., NVCC), and others. Parfitt relates this back to the teaching and learning approach at CGS. Although curricular goals have remained fairly consistent, the “typical” CGS student profile has grown and shifted over the years, encouraging faculty to adopt a more flexible, encompassing approach.
Interested in using Writing in Response in your classroom? Request a free exam copy.