Launched with the first edition of Real Writing in 1998, the Anker series acknowledges that the writing students do extends beyond the classroom to work and their everyday lives. Real Writing, for the paragraph-to-essay course; Real Essays, for the essay course; and now Real Skills, a new book for the sentence-to-paragraph course, motivate students with their message that writing is an essential and achievable skill: advice, examples, assignments, and interviews with successful former students show the relevance of writing to all aspects of students' lives. Now, the fourth edition of Real Writing gives students more help with every skill they need for college success.
Susan Anker (B.A., M.Ed., Boston University) brings a unique perspective to the teaching of the developmental writing course. She taught English and developmental writing before entering college publishing, where she worked for 18 years: as a sales representative and English/ESL editor at Macmillan Publishing Company; as developmental English/ESL editor, executive editor, and editor in chief at St. Martin’s Press; and as vice president and editor in chief for humanities at Houghton Mifflin Company. In each of these positions, she worked with developmental writing instructors and students, maintaining her early interest in the field.
Since the publication of the first edition of
Real Writing in 1998, Anker has traveled extensively to campuses across the country, continuing her conversations with instructors and students and giving workshops and presentations. She believes that the writing course is, for many students, their first, best opportunity to learn the skills they will need to succeed in college and achieve their goals.