Product Description
In college and graduate school, Jewell Parker Rhodes never encountered a single reading assignment or exercise that featured a person of color. Now she has made it her mission to rectify the situation, gathering advice and inspiring tips tailored for African Americans seeking to express their life experiences. Comprehensive and totally energizing, the African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction bursts with supportive topics such as:

· Finding your voice
· Getting to know your literary ancestors
· Overcoming a bruised ego and finding the determination to pursue your dreams
· Gathering material and conducting research
· Tapping sweet, bittersweet, and joyful memories
· Knowing when to keep revising, and when to let go

The guide also features unforgettable excerpts from luminaries such as Maya Angelou, Brent Staples, Houston Baker, and pointers from bestselling African American authors Patrice Gaines, E. Lynn Harris, James McBride, John Hope Franklin, Pearl Cleage, Edwidge Danticat, and many others. It is a uniquely nurturing and informative touchstone for affirming, bearing witness, leaving a legacy, and celebrating the remarkable journey of the self.

Amazon.com Review
Telling life stories is a cultural heritage that African Americans can trace back hundreds of years, to the West African storytellers-musicians-historians called griots. In The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction, Jewell Parker Rhodes encourages African American writers to be modern-day griots, acquainting themselves with the work of earlier writers and committing their own lives and the lives of others to paper. As with Free Within Ourselves, in which Rhodes focused on fiction writing, it would be a shame for non-African Americans to overlook this book. Rhodes's advice on writing (autobiography, memoir, and personal essays), revising, and getting published is solid, clear, and specific. She manages to make cheery affirmations not seem cloying. And she provides copious excerpts from a compelling African American canon, including longer pieces by Nathan McCall, Maya Angelou, Patrice Gaines, and Lorene Cary. The book concludes with advice from more than 30 black writers, including Pearl Cleage. "Tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth," Cleage urges, "especially about the stuff you'd rather lie about." --Jane Steinberg ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Guide Apart
Being a writer myself, I must confess that I have attended various writing workshops, read many books on the subject, own my fair share, and instruct a workshop on creative writing.So when I received The African American guide to Writing and Publishing Non-fiction I sighed."Not another how to book."

I was pleasantly surprised that Jewell Parker Rhodes put a tremendous amount of effort into setting this guide apart from all others.I found reason why an author would want to add this book to a probable growing collection.I am very impressed with the extent of research.She uses excerpts as examples from the works of various African American Authors throughout history, which in itself is enlightening.She also has included an extensive list of resources for the African American author which is an asset because such a list would not be found in the resource section of every book on this subject.

Her tone, throughout the book, gently guides the reader through the complexity of writing.The reader is propelled into self examination on a deeper level.After reading this book you may very well gain a new perspective and view the world around you a little differently.The personal advice she adds at the end of the chapters compliments her tone and drives her point home.She has even gone as far as to add advice from other successful writers.There is a great deal to be gained fro this guide into writing and I urge everyone who has even so much as considered writing whether it be fiction or non-fiction to purchase this book.

Do you want to write non-fiction?
Have you ever dreamed of writing non-fiction?Whether you are
interested in writing a memoir, autobiography or essay this book will
help move you closer to your goal of publishing.Even if you don't
wish to publish your writing, this book provides practical steps to get
you writing.

The actual structure of the book is reminiscent of a basic writing
course.Rhodes provides a mix of instruction, writing exercises,
excerpts and analysis of the works of leading African American authors.
She uses the works of prominent African American authors to demonstrate how particular writing skills can be used effectively.

As for the writing exercises, in the opening chapters Rhodes encourages
the reader to purchase a writing journal.Each of the writing
exercises is to be placed in that journal along with any other
writings.If you complete the exercises as you progress through the
book by the end you will find that you have developed the foundations
for several of your own future writings.

The practical advice Rhodes includes in this book is invaluable.She
discusses ways to find time to write, ways to research topics of
interest and strongly encourages all writers (or aspiring writers) to
become avid readers as well.She demonstrates how reading a variety of
genres with a writer's eye, can give you as a writer new ideas and help you hone your writing skills.In the concluding chapters of the book,
Rhodes incorporates words of encouragement and advice from other
well-known African American authors and a comprehensive list of other useful
resources for aspiring African American writers.

Rhodes does a wonderful job of weaving the history of non-fiction works
by African American writers and in the process will inspire you.Her
practical advice and exercises will motivate you to get you started and
continue to write.The additional resources she provides, will keep you
working even after you have finished the book.I truly enjoyed this
book, my only disappointment was in the fact that I was reading it for
review and therefore could not work through the activities as I read.
I rarely read a book twice, but I have purchased my writing journal and
plan to re-read this book in the near future.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay

Jewell Parker Rhodes Has Done It Again!
Once again, Jewell Parker Rhodes has shared the secrets of her success with aspiring writers. As with her guide for fiction writers, FREE WITHIN OURSELVES, she offers concrete advice to writers while providing encouragement and nurturance. In addition, there is a lengthy appendix which lists resources for writers seeking agents and publishers.All I can say is that I wish this book had been around when I began my career!

Excellent Book..Informative and Useful Advice....
Jewell Parker Rhodes new book is excellent!!! It offers useful and cogent advice to all writers. "The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing NonFiction," is a wonderful addition and follow-up to her equally dynamic book a year or so ago, "Free Within Ourselves." Perhaps the reason why the reader in Alexandria, Va. was unable to understand or appreciate Ms. Parker-Rhodes new book is because the reviewer is simply confused and moronic about all of the elements that are needed in order to create a masterful piece of writing.
Careless errors such as misspellings and unintelligible ramblings as vividly noted in the hapless reviewers jumbled critique of the book, are the sure signs of a bumbling amateur and not a serious author. I commend Ms. Parker-Rhodes for her splendid new book!!!

Not what I was expecting
Jewell Parker Rhodes's new writers guide is a real let down. It doesn't offer any concrete advice. The whole book is excerpts of other non-fiction books and bits of pep talk. I took my copy back and was refunded my money. You'd be better off reading an old copy of Frances Spatz Leighton's guide to non fiction writing. ... Read more

Product Description
What does it take to write a non-fiction book in 60 days?It takes an idea.How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days spells out in detail the process required to move from your idea to a solid first draft of your book - in 60 days.It takes purpose.How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days will help you clearly define your purpose so you can focus on achieving what you set out to do.It takes knowledge of your reader.How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days will help you ascertain what your readers know, and what they need to know, so you can logically present the information required to meet their expectations.It takes time.How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days will show you how to use your time productively to brainstorm all you need to know about your subject matter, to organize your thoughts and to outline your book before you write. And it will show you how to write effectively and efficiently from outline point to outline point, until you complete a solid first draft of your book - in 60 working days.Do you have a book just waiting to come out? Are you procrastinating because you think it will take you years to write it? This book will show you how to write a comprehensive first draft - a draft you can send to an agent orpublisher or one you can edit and self-publish - in 60days (working about 2 to 4hours per day).The book will show you how to create a detailed, chapter-by-chapter outline and how to write each chapter from point to point. In addition, the book includes two bonus chapters: one on self-publishing and one on constructing effective sentences and paragraphs. What readers have said:"You take, what is to most people, a big, hairy, scary project and break it down into a process that seems almost mundane in its simplicity. All of a sudden writing a book is possible." - Angie Gallop, author of The PWAC Guide to Roughing it in the Market"60 Days is encouraging and positive and would allow someone who has good writing skills to believe that they could in fact write a book. It gives a clear and concise listing of the tasks needed to write a book, and then provides the tools needed to complete the tasks." - Johanna Bertin M.S.W., R.S.W., medical social worker and freelance writer/author"I am in the midst of writing my second book and How To Write A Non-Fiction Book In 60 Days gave me a serious energy boost. I have been a bit intimidated by the thought of writing a 75,000-word book and reading your book has given me the tools I need to complete it. Our techniques are similar, but yours have obviously been developed and fine-tuned and they really helped me!" - Heather Cook, author of Rookie Reiner (due out in Fall 2008 from Trafalgar Square Books) and The Green Stable (due out in 2009 from Storey Publishing). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A handy, practical, and methodical guide
Professional writer and communications instructor Paul Lima presents an invaluable writing guide, reference, and aid for authors and aspiring authors of all skill and experience levels. "How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days" outlines how to apply desire, discipline, and dedication to creating a publishable nonfiction reference. "How to Write a Non-fiction Book in 60 Days" describes what to do during the first ten days of the process in-depth, from brainstorming and clustering to assessing the language skill of one's audience to documenting one's research, creating a logical flow, creating the outline, and much more. The rest of the sixty days is divided into focusing on the writing, and editing/polishing. A handy, practical, and methodical guide, invaluable to anyone seeking to organize, present, and publish their personal expertise. Both guides are worthy of the highest recommendation.

Extremely basic
For the first-time writer, this could provide some basic help.For a veteran of the writing trenches, very little of value would be derived from reading/following it. It has all been said numerous times.

A great book by a fellow Canadian!
I read Paul's book after writing my own book about a similar topic and have to say I enjoyed it thoroughly. Although Paul's methods differ from mine in places they are every bit as valid and present readers with a very clear pathway from concept to finished manuscript. An excellent book - and I'll be over to buy you a cup of coffee next time I'm in Toronto! ... Read more

Product Description
How to Teach Non-Fiction Writing at Key Stage 3 is a practical manual to help teachers of 11-14 year-olds to focus on key aspects of developing their pupil's non-fiction writing. The book presents a clear teaching sequence that emphasizes the link between reading and writing, and can raise pupil's attainment levels in both areas. Practical writing workshops focus on the six main types of non-fiction as defined in the NLS Framework for Year 7: information, recount, explanation, instruction, persuasion and discussion texts.

Each workshop includes photocopiable sample texts, instructions for teachers, and tasks for pupils to complete.

With advice on how to make best use of a writing journal, and how to progress in sentence construction - how to make sentences more flexible and better adapted to purpose - the book is a practical and immediately useful resource for KS3 teachers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

horrible
HORRIBLE. Never sent the book. Wish I could've given ZEROO stars. Doesnt answers emails. Terrible

THOUGHT PROVOKINGTEACHING TOOL
THE AUTHOR HAS CHOSEN WONDERFUL ESSAYS WHICH ARE FUN TO READ AND THOUGHT PROVOKING. THE EXERCISES ARE TERRIFIC TEACHING TOOLS FOR THE BEGINNING WRITER AND THE ESSAYS FUNCTION AS A TERRIFIC WAY TO TEACH ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. BRAVO!!! ... Read more

Product Description

Developing children's writing abilities boosts their confidence, creates enjoyment and relevance in the task and cultivates a range of decision-making and problem-solving skills that can then be applied across the curriculum. The Countdown series provides all the support you need in helping children to improve their prose, poetry and non-fiction writing.

Countdown to Non-Fiction Writing is a comprehensive and flexible resource which you can use in different ways. It includes:

• 37 stand-alone modules which cover all aspects of writing and understanding non-fiction texts, including the nature of language, logical thinking, recognising ‘facts’ and planning;
• A countdown flowchart provides an overview, showing how modules are linked and allowing teachers and pupils to track their progress;
• Photocopiable activity sheets for each module that show how to make decisions and solve problems which writers face on the journey to a finished piece of work;
• Teachers’ notes for each module with tips and guidance, including how modules can be used in the classroom, links to other modules and curriculum links, and advice on helping and guiding pupils in their writing;
• A self-study component so pupils can make their own progress through the material. This option gives young writers a sense of independence in thinking about their work and through offering a scaffolding of tasks, encourages confident and effective writing;
• 'Headers' for each module showing where along the 'countdown path' you are at that point;
• Contents page for quick access to particular modules and relevant aspects of writing.

In short, Countdown to Non-Fiction Writing saves valuable planning time and gives you all the flexibility you need in helping pupils to prepare for, understand, and write non-fiction. The structure of the book allows teachers to utilise the modules for ‘self-study’, as a longer programme following the ‘countdown’ structure, or to dip into the book for individual lesson activities and ideas to fit in with wider programmes of study.

Product Description
One of the most problematic areas in the teaching and development of literacy appears to concern children's interactions with non-fiction books. Many surveys and reports have commented on the tendency for children to do little more than copy out sections of non-fiction texts. The Exeter Extending Literacy (EXEL) project was set up to explorehow non-fiction might be used in more effective and profitable ways. Wray and Lewis outline the project theories and describe the many useful teaching strategies and approachesdeveloped in collaboration with primary teachers. ... Read more

Product Description
Writing is one of the hardest jobs in the world - and this book will give you the help you need to crack the market. Everything you wanted to know about the writing business and how to write with exercises included is all for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Selected pieces of the student literary magazine, Forum, have been assembled into this compilation - timeless stories ranging from such topics as racism to multiculturalism; from living with AIDS to dying from AIDS; from quantum physics to existentialism; from Esperanto to terrorism; from the respect for history to the fears of growing up; and from living with obsessive-compulsive disorder to dying from cancer. Readers will be hard-pressed to determine whether a story was written in 1986 or 2006. Therein lies the beauty of Lavender & Old Ladies: its content has a degree of timelessness. ... Read more

Product Description
This is nonfiction commentary. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Blowing up Russia: Terror From Within, the Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia, Honor Thy Father, Gomorrah, the Last Mafioso, Excellent Cadavers, Lords of the Levee, the French Connection, the Way of the Wiseguy, the Untouchables, the Shame of the Cities, Underboss, the Valachi Papers. Source: Wikipedia. Free updates online. Not illustrated. Excerpt: Blowing Up Russia: Terror from Within (Russian: ) is a book written by Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky. The authors alleged that the Russian apartment bombings and other September 1999 terrorist acts were committed by the Federal Security Service. Litvinenko and Felshtinsky wrote that the bombings were a false flag operation intended to justify Second Chechen War and bring Vladimir Putin to power. The book was sponsored by Boris Berezovsky after his flight from Russia. The original Russian language book was published in 2002. According to an interview with Yuri Felshtinsky, he started collecting materials about the Russian apartment bombings in 2001 and did not think that FSB has anything to do with the terrorism acts . He was deeply disturbed after discovering that the bombings were in fact committed by the FSB. He consulted with Viktor Suvorov, a writer and former GRU officer. When asked: "Would you personally blow out the building with innocent people after receiving the order?", Suvorov replied: "Of course I would. That is our job. We always follow the order". Then Felshtinsky contacted Litvinenko who he knew from 1998 and who became a coauthor of the book. On December 29, 2003, Russian Interior Ministry and FSB units seized 4,376 copies of the book intended for Alexander Podrabinek's Prima news agency. FSB lieutenant Alexander Soima said that the book was confiscated as a material evide...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=9637342 ... Read more

Product Description
Focus Non-Fiction is a collection of stimulating non-fiction texts that has been put together to meet the non-fiction requirements of the National Curriculum and of the Framework for Teaching English. Texts have been carefully chosen to interest and to challenge Key Stage 3 students, and have been arranged into sections that match the National Curriculum writing triplets to: imagine, explore, entertain; inform, explain, describe; persuade, argue, advise; analyse, review, comment. Each section contains a range of different texts, including autobiography, magazine articles, reviews, advertisements and reports. Also provided are routes through the sections to allow students to compare and contrast features of texts written for different purposes. Activities at the end of each section help students to understand the stylistic conventions of non-fiction text types and to use the texts in this collection as models for their own writing. ... Read more

Product Description
How to develop writing skills for fiction and non-fiction work. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Miracle of Forgiveness, the Story of the Latter-Day Saints, the Joseph Smith Papers, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, the History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, Mormon Doctrine, Selected Manifestations, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, Massacre at Mountain Meadows, Journal of Discourses, Brigham Young: American Moses, Presidents and Prophets, David O. Mckay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism, Mormon Scientist: the Life and Faith of Henry Eyring, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Forty Years Among the Indians, a Storyteller in Zion, Evil Among Us: the Texas Mormon Missionary Murders. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 79. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: The Miracle of Forgiveness is a book written by Spencer W. Kimball, who was a member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). (He later became the President of The Church). Originally published in 1969, the book discusses the issues of repentance and forgiveness through Jesus Christ in LDS theology. It is primarily written for an LDS audience. It is notable for its unusual bluntness about a range of activities that it brands as sinful, including: Murder, adultery, theft, cursing, unholiness in masters, disobedience in servants, unfaithfulness, improvidence, hatred of God, disobedience to husbands, lack of natural affection, high-mindedness, flattery, lustfulness, infidelity, indiscretion, backbiting, whispering, lack of truth, striking, brawling, quarrelsomeness, unthankfulness, inhospitality, deceitfulness, irreverence, boasting, arrogance, pride, double-tongued talk, profanity, slander, corruptness, thievery, embezzlement, despoiling, covenant-breaking, incontinence, filthiness, ignobleness, filthy communications, impurity, foolishness, slothfulness, impatience, lack...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=9807738 ... Read more

Product Description
Research not only adds authority and credibility to your writing, it often sparks ideas for new plots or a more interesting angle to your articles and features. With this help of this illuminating book you'll discover valuable techniques that ensure you visit the right places, ask the right questions and interview the right people. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more