Responses from 81 alumni of Michigan State University's agricultural college revealed overall satisfaction with the alumni magazine. Most thought advertising would be acceptable to defray costs. Lack of time or interest were reasons for not reading articles. One in three copies was read by someone other than the alumnus. (SK)

States that, although policies and procedure documents play an important role in developing and maintaining a consistent quality of interaction in organizations, research literature is weak in this area. Initiates further discussion by defining and describing policy/procedure documents. Identifies a third kind, work instructions. Uses a genre…

Notes that the youth market is one of the most important in helping to stop newspapers' declining circulation. Explains that some newspapers have taken youth content online because Web sites can be customized based on individual interests of specific age groups. Examines a sample of Web sites for teens and preteens sponsored by daily newspapers.…

Discusses the author's experience as a playwright and teacher of public readings of early drafts of new plays. Explains the Five Step Model for these readings as follows: prepare the playwright before the reading; prepare the audience with a precurtain speech; after the reading, establish discussion ground rules; remember these guidelines during…

Presents names of college and universities unfamiliar to potential students. Finds that one cluster of respondents had a clear preference for geographic or aspirational names while a second cluster had a preference for proper names. Notes that there was an overall preference for proper names. (SG)

Explains that "counter-text" describes the results of a period of independent dramaturgical research and development and the contribution this makes to a theatrical production. Contends that the counter-text presents an alternative site of authority in performance. Describes the uses of research on a production of Iizuka's…

Provides a brief account of some of the philosophical, social, educational, and artistic factors that initially shaped theatre for young audiences (TYA). Examines how the rhetoric of theatre for the young has both reflected the changing nature of childhood as well as helped shape ideas of what childhood is. (PM)

Explores what advanced student writers could be told about audience based on current principles of reading theory. Discusses reasons why teachers may not want to introduce students to these reading-based concepts of audience. (RS)

Discusses the importance of the spoken word and the tradition of nursery verse and other forms of poetry. Encourages teachers and students to never abandon the rhythm, balance, and pleasurable taste of language as it was first learned through oral chants, jingles, and rhymes of early childhood. (MG)

Examines the "ethos" (the perceived trustworthiness of authors by readers) gained for Charles Darwin by means of the interpersonal metadiscourse he used in two chapters of the "Origin of Species." Concludes that Darwin used metadiscourse to create an "ethos" for his readers that informs, impresses, and wins them over…

Proposes that a spirit of cooperation between the adult theatre world and children's theatre would be very helpful to both. (MS)

Presents new measures of musical syntax which allow systematic comparison of normative and distorted syntactic structure and thus investigation of the notion that distortion, both semantic and syntactic, enhance audience attention. Applies the measures in an examination of the social forces that influence the use of normative versus distorted…

Summarizes a comprehensive study isolating long- and short-term recollections of young audiences in regard to characters, themes, scenography, objects, and sound effects of 26 theater productions over a 17-year period. Finds that, in general, young audiences recall more strongly those theatrical elements further removed from reality. (SR)

Suggests alternatives to marginal comments on students' papers as a way to encourage them to think more about the revision process. Recommends that teachers make no marks on the student's paper (only on a separate sheet), and ask leading questions in conference to guide the student to a focus. (RAE)

Examines the relationships between Irna Phillips, the most powerful woman in soap opera production from the 1930s through the 1960s, and the sponsors of her radio soap operas. Explores how Phillips represented women both in her scripts and in her public relations efforts. (MM)