More variety of selections, with 12 rich new readings -- including several shorter pieces -- by leading writers and intellectuals. New pieces include
- Judith Butler, “Beside Oneself: On the Limits of Sexual Autonomy”: This rich philosophical text addresses the regulation of sexual and gender identity in contemporary society.
- Richard E. Miller, “The Dark Night of the Soul”: Ranging from the Columbine massacre to Into the Wild, Miller questions the purpose and utility of writing at “the end of the world.”
- Anne Carson, “Short Talks”: Carson's prose poems offer fragments of stories linked as meditations on absence.
Innovative pedagogy includes new student papers and new assignment sequences. The unique pedagogy that makes Ways of Reading so powerful and successful has been updated. Two student papers have been added, providing responses to the selection by Richard E. Miller. There are three new sequences, including two sequences on teaching groups of new short pieces. A newly annotated table of contents allows for a quick preview of each selection.
Bold design. A fresh new design brings a contemporary look to the book that changed composition.
More help for teaching Ways of Reading. The Bedford/St. Martin's Web site Bits: Ideas for Teaching Composition at bedfordstmartins.com/bits includes posts by faculty at the University of Pittsburgh that discuss teaching composition with the book. The manual now includes three new essays to add additional perspectives on teaching with Ways of Reading.