Occasions for Writing: Evidence, Idea, and Essay

Is it possible that a book of readings can help you develop your writing skills and guide you to success in your composition course? It can when the book is OCCASIONS FOR WRITING, an exciting new collection of readings that helps you discover how everything you encounter in life is an occasion or reason to write! In addition to its large selection of untraditional, fascinating readings, this reader contains effective "Occasions for Writing" activities that help you to look closely at written text, photographs, other mediaï'and literally everything in your lifeï'guiding you in developing the fresh ideas that lead to strong, original essays.

Robert DiYanni, who has taught English and Humanities at Harvard, Pace, and the City University of New York, is Director of International Services at the College Board. He received his B.A. from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. from the City University of New York. A professor of English and Humanities at New York University, Dr. DiYanni has lectured and conducted workshops in the United States and abroad, especially in Europe and Asia. He has written and edited numerous textbooks, including OCCASIONS FOR WRITING (with Pat C. Hoy, II), THE MCGRAW-HILL BOOK OF POETRY, THE MCGRAW-HILL BOOK OF FICTION, THE SCRIBNER HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS (with Pat C. Hoy, II), WRITING ABOUT THE HUMANITIES, LITERATURE: AN INTRODUCTION, MODERN AMERICAN PROSE, and, among others MODERN AMERICAN POETS: THEIR VOICES AND VISIONS (a text to accompany the PBS television series). He updated the fourth edition of Strunk and White's classic ELEMENTS OF STYLE, and he has co-authored ARTS AND CULTURE: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE HUMANITIES (Prentice Hall), the basis for their lecture series on art and literature given at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Pat C. Hoy, II, director of the Expository Writing Program and professor of English at New York University, has held appointments at the U.S. Military Academy and Harvard. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Hoy regularly teaches freshman composition and is the author of numerous textbooks and articles, including THE SCRIBNER HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS, Fourth Edition (with Robert DiYanni). His essays have appeared in SEWANEE REVIEW, VIRGINIA QUARTERLY REVIEW, AGNI, TWENTIETH CENTURY LITERATURE, SOUTH ATLANTIC REVIEW, and THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. Eight of his essays have been selected as "Notables" in Best American Essays. INSTINCT FOR SURVIVAL: ESSAYS BY PAT C. HOY II was selected as a "Notable" collection in Best American Essays of the Century. He was awarded the 2003 Cecil Woods, Jr., Prize for Nonfiction from the Fellowship of Southern Writers.