Writing and Power

Candace Mitchell is an assistant professor in the Graduate Program in Applied Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Former editor of the Journal of Education at Boston University, she also edited (with Kathleen Weiler) the book Rewriting Literacy.

• Introduction; Chapter 1 The Traditional Approach; Chapter 2 The Cognitive Approach; Chapter 3 The Expressive Approach; Chapter 4 The Social/Cultural Approach; Chapter 5 The Social Construction of a Writing Instructor: Sarah’s Ideology; Chapter 6 From Ideology to Practice: Sarah Teaching; Chapter 7 Proficient Student Writers in Context: Alan’s and Zola’s Stories; Chapter 8 Less-Proficient Student Writers in Context: Tan’s and Araya’s Stories; Chapter 9 The Dialogical Construction of Success: Alan in Conference; Chapter 10 Student and Instructor Spar for Control: Zola in Conference; Chapter 11 Oral Competence Supersedes Written Competence: Tan in Conference; Chapter 12 Discourse Without Dialogue: Araya in Conference; Chapter 13 The Writing Course Overall and After All; Chapter 14 Speaking Bitterness, Offering Hope: Concluding Comments;

Candace Mitchell has written one of the most important and powerful books on composition studies yet published in North America. Theoretical rigor, poetic prose, intellectual courage, and pedagogical inventiveness are easily woven together so as to produce both a work of art and an outstanding book. It is filled with beauty, brilliance, and insight. This book does not merely make a contribution to composition and literacy studies, it is a landmark example of what a powerful mind and a masterful teacher can produce. Bravo! Henry Giroux