Tell Me a Story: Using Narratives to Break Down Barriers in Composition Courses

Stories have great power. This book attempts to harness that power to help students grow and develop as writers. It argues that stories and narratives can be utilized in the composition classroom, specifically first-year composition (FYC) to break down barriers. Throughout a given semester, stories and narratives can help students in composition courses to overcome academic, personal, and creative barriers, establishing a space for developing as writers and thinkers. Providing theoretical approaches, practical methods, and implications for using stories in FYC, this book explores the versatility of stories as teaching tools.

Anthony Fulton received his PhD in English from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 2015, specializing in Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC). He teaches composition and argumentation courses at Prince George’s Community College.

Christopher B. Field received his PhD in English from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 2015, his MA in English from the University of Dayton in 2005, his BA in English from the University of Cincinnati in 2003, and his AA from Sinclair Community College in 2001. He has served as an Assistant Professor of English in the Languages, Literature, and Philosophy department at Tennessee State University since 2015.

Michael MacBride received his PhD in English from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 2014, his MA in literature from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and his BS in creative writing from Eastern Michigan University. Since 2005, he has taught a variety of English, literature, and humanities courses at six different institutions.