Portfolio in stock
Thanks to new demand, Portfolio: Essays for Critical Thinking and Writing is again available. This companion to essay writing courses fits into our A/P English, Critical Analysis and, especially, Freshman Composition categories. More information on Portfolio is available on the Publications page, and yes, preview copies are available.
New book on practical writing skills
We are pleased to announce that work is progressing well on a new book that will be available summer 2013.
The goal of this new text is to enable students to master the skills that are essential for success in both academic and business writing. Pre-writing, audience, and tone are just a few of the basics covered. Next, paragraph structure and strategies and research essays are explored.
From there, the text illustrates a wide range of common business applications, such as emails, cover letters, resumes, and shows how the basic skills and writing strategies apply to each one. This introductory text has even more to offer, though. The last section of the book includes data sheets, proposals, and technical writing.
With all of this, students will be completely prepared as they move from school to work. If you are interested in previewing an early copy, please contact us and we will add your name to the list.
Success of recent mailings
In late November, we sent out marketing mailings for Sequel to educators across the country. The response has been very positive. All preview copies are sent from our office rather than the warehouse and it has been difficult to maintain our normal standards for prompt shipments. We expect to be all caught up by the end of the week, but then we are still seeing requests coming in.
We very much enjoyed announcing Sequel through email and a striking postcard featuring the cover. What was so wonderful about the preview requests we received, since the process is email-based, was that we could start a dialogue with instructors who are looking for a new literature text, particularly one that addresses the needs of AP/Honors students as well as Common Core Standards.
We would like to thank everyone who responded for their interest and patience and we look forward to continuing the dialogue.
Meet our new writer
It is our pleasure to announce Alice Holbrook has joined us to work on a new book, scheduled for fall 2013. Alice is a 2011 graduate of the MFA program in Creative Writing at Syracuse University. While at Syracuse, she taught classes in composition and literature. She also served as co-editor-in-chief of Salt Hill Journal, the program’s nationally distributed literary magazine, and trained as a writing consultant at Syracuse’s Writing Center, working with students at all stages of the writing process.
Alice hopes to combine her experiences as a teacher, writer, and editor to bring both creativity and precision to her work with T.H. Peek. We will have more details of this new book in the coming months.
Update on Elizabeth Schmuhl
Since completing Sequel, Elizabeth has been working toward obtaining her Masters of Fine Arts in writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts. This unique and rewarding program not only focuses on the craft and practice of writing fiction, but requires all students to read a variety of literature each semester. The literature is selected by each student and his or her professor and aims to tackle and strengthen the individual’s literary and craft needs. Elizabeth says “the literature I read and write critical essays about also exposes me to writing across time periods and cultures, which ultimately strengthens my creative writing and analytical skills. I feel so fortunate to be a part of VCFA’s program, as it is helping me to become a better writer, reader, and critical thinker.”
Sequel ships
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked on Sequel with us. The people who helped us included contemporary writers who graciously allowed us to include their works alongside classics and young editors who brought fresh ideas. Feedback from instructors who had used the previous edition was invaluable. Early reviews of the new edition have been more than enthusiastic and we are excited to hear of its use in the classroom.
Sequel, 5th Edition heads to the printer
Today has been an exciting day. After over a year’s work by the authors and editors, not to mention proofreaders and designers, we have delivered the files for the cover and text of Sequel, 5th Edition to the printer. Many wonderful and creative people worked together on Sequel, and several poems were able to be included through sheer generosity. Special thanks to Alison Baker for “Formal Application” and Keith Taylor for “Two Days”.
First previews of Sequel, 5th Edition
Today we sent out the first preview copy of Sequel, 5th Edition. We wanted to create a book that was both enjoyable to read and designed to promote thoughtful analysis. This melding of creative works and critical thinking is what made this such a compelling project for us. We hope you like it as much as we do.
Announcing Sequel 5th Edition
We are very pleased to announce the publication of our new, 5th edition of Sequel, A Handbook for the Critical Analysis of Literature. This 5th edition keeps the best of the 4th, reorders units and adds many improvements including new poems and short stories and a more fluid, comprehensive text. We’re already hearing “It’s wonderful!” from a long-time Sequel instructor. Preview copies will be available shortly. Meet our new editor
We’re happy to have the editing services of Meredith Mayberry, a recent graduate of Central Michigan University. Meredith double majored in English and Journalism at CMU and acquired editing skills at all levels, from copyediting to developmental editing. With a background in literature and a polished writing style, she is making a much appreciated contribution in revising our English texts.
While at CMU, Meredith completed coursework to work as a Writing Consultant at the university’s Writing Center. There she assisted students in all stages of the writing process, focusing on essay-writing skills. We are looking forward to working with her to add more basic-skills texts to our publications.