Discusses the distinguishing features of a good biography, the problems of the biographer, and the limitations of biography. The author suggests that the essential duty of a biography is to illustrate what it has meant to be human and to live a life. (AM)

Describes a program to improve the writing skills of graduate students in education at the University of Southern Mississippi. (WD)

The second part of an interview with David Halberstam shows how he mixes discipline, instinct, and delight to uncover and retell stories. Halberstam's comments demonstrate the interest and intensity that are the hallmarks of any serious writer. (RL)

Reports on a survey to determine teachers' attitudes and practices toward the teaching of creative writing in elementary classrooms. Suggests three reasons for writing deficiencies and argues that more time must be spent on reading and that reading instruction needs to be consistent within classes and among schools. (Author/IRT)

The so-called "writing crisis" is a chronic educational problem that can be solved by allotting more time for teachers to concentrate on improving their students' writing and thinking skills. (LH)

Discusses who needs to know grammar, how much and what kind teachers need to know, how much students need to know, and what grammar is good for. (DD)

Describes the conclusions reached in a study of process-related problems encountered in doing academic writing. (DD)

Discusses five steps which constitute a logical procedure, assure avoidance of oversight, and promote the most efficient use of time and resources in writing a research paper. (TA)

Describes an attack on the study of linguistics and on the National Council of Teachers of English by a back-to-basics comic strip. (DD)

Suggests that Judith Nicholls'"Polar Cub" is a good wintery poem to share with students. In it, the poet invites the cub to come out of its cave and explore in the snow, just as teachers invite children to explore words and ideas in poetry. The article explains how to read the poem to students. A poster is included. (SM)

Students will have to develop a presence on the page along with mastering grammar, spelling, and punctuation in order to become accomplished writers. Students should be given opportunities to hear their own written voices and the written voices of the others, their peers, their teachers and the best authors because the voice helps them to develop…

The rhetorical power of punctuation conventions as well as the effect of violating those conventions should be explained to the students. The craft in conventions can be found anywhere and all good writers use it in their work.

This article addresses the issue of basic writing, demonstrating how one university's basic writing program acts as a steward of writing. The assumption that basic writers only consume resources rather than contribute to academic excellence is rejected. What links the author responses to this issue is a publication of student writing entitled…