808. Books on rhetoric and collections of literature

Further reading

Marni Freedman Permission to Roar: For Female Thought Leaders Ready to Write Their Book, 2018.

Sometimes women fail to find their own voice because they doubt their knowledge. Don’t let that happen to you. Marni Freedman gives you the encouragement you need to boldly express your own ideas.

Sonya Huber The “Backwards” Research Guide for Writers: Using Your Life for Reflection, Connection, and Inspiration, 2011.

While this book is aimed primarily at college-level students, it would be a useful guide for anyone who would like to write nonfiction. Many students feel research leads to dry experiences of tracking down facts and regurgitating them.  But Huber shows you how to approach them as quests filled with personal meaning and excitement.

Jacqueline Kolosov and Marcela Sulak, eds. Family Resemblance: An Anthology and Exploration of 8 Hybrid Literary Genres, 2015.

As any librarian can tell you, not all books fit neatly into one genre. This book explores eight hybrid literary genres: the lyric essay, epistolary, poetic memoir, prose poetry, performative, short-form nonfiction, flash fiction, and pictures made of words. The works of forty-three authors demonstrating each type are included.

Dalya F. Massachi Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact, 2010.

If you’ve ever had to write for a social cause, you know how hard it can be to get your message across. This book promises to help you come up with snappy, engaging, and compelling copy for marketing and fund-raising documents.

William Shrunk and E.B. White The Elements of Style, 1918.

This classic style manual with which everyone is familiar is updated regularly. First published in 1918, it was the combined effort of acclaimed writer E.B. White and his former writing professor at Cornell, William Strunk Jr. While the book has come under fire for being out of date, and just plain wrong in some sections, it’s still a pithy and concise guide that will help you quickly get the gist of writing clearly and why it matters.

For more recommended books on rhetoric and collections of literature, see Part 1.

For more information about the Further Reading series, see Further Reading: Start Here.