Cross-Talk in Comp Theory: A Reader

by Victor Villanueva (Editor)

Cross-Talk in Comp Theory is a collection of pivotal texts that mark the rebirth of a field, composition studies, beginning with the rise of the process movement. It has been thrice revised to account for shortfalls and changing conversations. The second edition paid increased attention to the significance of gender, the rise in voices of people of color, and the move toward technology. The third edition deepened the conversation on technology and multimodal composing, while keeping most of what had been successful in prior editions of the collection.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Writing, Theory, Nonfiction, Textbooks, School

883 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1997

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third edition of Villanueva’s anthology contains six sections, the last of which is a section on technology and composition curated by Arola. The first focuses on comp theory’s “given” focus on process, beginning with Donald Murray and Janet Emig, moving through considerations of audience (Ong, Ede and Lunsford), and ending with Lee-Ann M. Kastman Breuch’s 2002 article on post-process pedagogy. Breuch claims post-process pedagogy does not reject process-based approaches or pedagogy itself, but the notion that writing is a set of fixed, masterable procedures. It repositions “our methods of teaching as indeterminate activities rather than exercises in mastery” (99). The collection’s second section is focused on the nature and teaching of discourse with a particular eye to rhetoric, while the third collects cognitive approaches and critiques thereof—critiques extended in the collection’s fourth section on non-positivist methodologies drawn from anthropology, continental philosophy, and Stanley Fish’s anti-foundationalism (393). John Trimbur, for instance, “propose[s] to extend the left critique [of Kenneth Bruffee], not to abandon the notion of consensus but to revise it, as a step toward developing a critical practice of collaborative learning” (442). The fifth section addresses issues of “voice” broadly conceived, including David Bartholomae’s argument that incoming students must “invent” the university in their academic writings: “The student has to appropriate (or be appropriated by) a specialized discourse” (520), which is a difficult task as “it is the discourse with its projects and agendas that determines what writers can and will do” (528). Jacqueline Jones Royster, meanwhile, uses “subject position as a terministic screen in cross-boundary discourse” (555). The final section, “Virtual Talk,” includes an Anne-Francis Wysocki and Johndan Johnson-Eilola article questioning the bundled baggage that comes with applying the concept of “literacy” in non-linear, non-alphabetic arenas.

[Lisajean · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a relative newcomer to the field of composition theory, I found this collection to be accessible, scholarly, and generally helpful. It seemed to be as comprehensive as possible for a one-volume collection, although I wouldn’t be the best judge of that. Some of the essays were just hot air dressed up in academic jargon or a lot of words and research to belabor a fairly obvious point, but the majority were thought-provoking and a number were quite useful. As is too often the case with books about education, I wish more people could marry theory with practice; most of the essays left me without concrete strategies to implement in the classroom. Still, they helped to clarify my thinking and, best of all, to introduce me to new educators/scholars that I want to read more of. A dense 900-page book is quite the time investment - and, as a first year teacher, time is an especially scarce commodity - but it proved to be worth the read.

[J.I.]

If you want to talk about Comp studies, you need to read this book. It is massive and full of some fluff and some boring and skips almost entirely the field of New Media/Digital Media/whateveritsbeingcalledbywhoever, but it is thorough and packed full of interesting essays that show the progression of dialogue in the discipline. Don't try to read it straight through, it may kill you, but do read it.

[Robert Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm returning to this text after a number of years. I was initially assigned this text for a composition pedagogy course, and got very little from it. I was still learning the basics of teaching, and most of the conversation was of little help to me. However, after years of teaching, I got a great deal more out of it, particularly the more practical, first half of the book. The book is intended to be, and is, a survey of the various debates that have occurred within the field of writing studies over the year. It is broken up into six sections, covering the writing process, discourse, cognition, social context, and identity. As the text moves on, it increasingly focuses on the internal debates that occur in the discipline, a set of conversations still not as interesting to me, but overall, it provides many useful incites to those teaching composition.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I remain somewhat disappointed in Strategies for Teaching First-Year Writing, I am thoroughly impressed with this anthology as it provides key relevant texts to Comp Theory that emphasize the relative plurality of approaches in the field. Every text in this collection feels as if it has something to say, either in conversation to other essays in this anthology, or in regards to larger social issues that relate to the classroom. Nothing here feels outdated. And considering some of the key texts in comp theory are anthologized here, like Ong’s “The Writer’s Audience is Always Fiction” and Bartholomea’s “Inventing the University,” the book is well worth the value.

[Antoinette Van Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the things I least expected in this life of mine is that I would so enjoy reading theory articles on the ways by which we communicate. I read about half of the articles in this anthology (450ish pgs), which were assigned to me, but I plan to go back to reread and finish the rest of the anthology. All the ideas contained in this volume were beautiful and the ideas in this book created a new platform on which I find myself considering my decisions when it comes to communication and writing. I anticipate referring to this collection for years to come.

[Lief · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to important essays and research into the study and teaching of composition, this book is dense, but accessible. It is broken down into sections, which does make it a little easier to find some of the subjects and items you might be looking for. While the book obviously can't contain everything, it contains enough articles and essays to act as a springboard for future research and otherwise acts as a good foundation for understanding the process of teaching composition.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anthology of readings about composition theory.

Update Nov. 2013. Used this anthology for my papers this semester.
Mainly used Min Zhan Lu's article.

Lu (1994/2011) sees English courses as "informed by a view of language as a site of struggle among conflicting discourses with unequal socio-political power" (p. 469).

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used the third edition in English 688, Seminar in Teaching Composition. The essays offer a offer a nice sense of the questions and issues driving work in the field.

My one complain might be that there's actually not a whole lot of "cross-talk" among the essays, or promptings about how to put the pieces in conversation.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

From what I understand, this is one of the better guides to comp theory. Most of the major comp theorists are included and it is comprehensive in dealing with both day-to-day writing tasks, and heady theorizing on the (seemingly unlimited) potential of the comp classroom.

[Carmen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review is purely based on my personal repulsion towards reading theory, but for those of you who do enjoy it, this book will provide hours of rhetorical fun and philosophy of education hijinks! It is a comprehensive collection, providing a thorough overview of the field...

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great compilation of the critical papers that have formed the field of Composition and Rhetoric over the last century or so. But guess what? Almost all of them are available on J-STOR. So why buy it if you are a poor grad student?

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an invaluable resource for composition instructors and investigates a broad range of theories and pedagogy.

[Mikel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An obvious and focused survey of the field, compiling the critical conversations that have led Composition to the present day.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't read all of this, but thoroughly enjoyed the composition movements is defines.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good survey--of course it can't be comprehensive, but some excellent debates are presented: bruffee trimbul, lunsford ong etc.

[Lizzie Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read the majority of the essays in here for a class. Some were remarkable and talked about educational and pedagogical approaches. Some were super boring and pointless.

[Nanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy tome of collected essays on the subject of English Composition Theory. Interesting. Well selected. Not so great in a daily backpack.