Tania Rivero Reference 704:98 Subject guide project

1. You can handle the truth: a guide for students on creative nonfiction writing
1. Lehman, D., Mackall, J. (2013). River Teeth : A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative.
Ashland, OH: Ashland University.
River Teeth is a biannual publication focused on the craft of creative nonfiction works.
Students can use this resource to evaluate the current trends in creative nonfiction writing.
Full access to this journal is available via subscribed database. Students must log in with their
network identification and password.
2. Bronson, P., San Francisco Writers' Grotto. (2011). 642 things to write about. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books.
This book offers 642 eccentric writing prompts. Questions range from personal reflection on
topics to humorous scenarios. This source can be used as starting point for students to brainstorm
ideas for writing. Students can use this resource from beginning to end or randomly select
prompts.
3. D'Agata, J. (2009). The lost origins of the essay. Saint Paul, Minn.: Graywolf Press.
This anthology proposes and illustrates nonfiction writing as art form before it was conceived as
such. It contains works written in1500 B.C.E. to 1970s. They are a good number of international
authors. The author includes a narrative of his own within the anthology. Students will be
exposed to a wide range of works.

2. 4. Davidson, M. (2006). Right, wrong, and risky : A dictionary of today's american english
usage. New York: W.W. Norton & Co.
A dictionary that provides detailed explanations on grammar, spelling, and phrases that are
commonly used and misused. The sections are very concise. The book does not contain an index.
Students can search for a word or phrase by its first letter.
5. EBSCO Publishing (Firm), H. W. W. C. (2013). Essay and general literature index
(H.W. wilson). Ipswich, MA: EBSCO Publishing.
A database citing records of essays, anthologies and other works from the United States,
Canada, and Great Britain. This database can be used to find additional information on a
particular topic or writer. Students must log in with their network identification and password
to obtain access to the database. You can search by keyword, title, author, and ISSN.
6. Fish, S. E. (2011). How to write a sentence : And how to read one. New York: Harper.
This book is both an exploration and a practical guide of syntax. It provides examples of
good and bad sentences with analysis. The index is comprised of writers mentioned in the
book. Students who are pressed for time should review chapters 1, 3,4. The following
chapters after that review sentence “types” or “styles”. Chapters 8 and 9 provide examples of
good “first” and “last” sentences.
7. Gutkind, L., Buck,H.F.,. (2008). Keep it real : Everything you need to know about
researching and writing creative nonfiction. New York: W.W. Norton.
This book serves as a good introduction on creative nonfiction as a genre and provides
useful information on researching topics.

3. 8. Kramer, M., Call,W., Harvard University.,Nieman Foundation for Journalism.,. (2007).
Telling true stories : A nonfiction writers' guide from the Nieman foundation at Harvard
university. New York: Plume.
This resource can be viewed as an informal “how to guide” on nonfiction writing. This book
can be read cover to cover or in any order. The book is divided into 8 parts. Each part refers
to an aspect of the writing process such as “finding, researching, and reporting topics” and
“editing.” Each section contains a number of writers sharing their experiences and
recommendations. Though this book focuses on a more traditional journalistic writing
approach, many of the recommendations can be applied to creative nonfiction writing.
9. Purdue Writing Lab. (2013). The OWL at purdue. Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
OWL Purdue is an online resource guide on writing, researching and formatting citations. It
is a great source to consult for quick reference writing questions. On the website homepage,
students should select “site map” in order to see all the resources and information it offers.
10. Yagoda, B. (2013). How to not write bad : The most common writing problems and the
best ways to avoid them. New York: Riverhead.
Students should not be fooled by the title. This source takes on a refreshing and nontraditional approach on improving writing skills. Students should refer to the table of
contents when consulting this book.
Please note that all books are available in the main collection of the library.

4. Bibliographic notes
1. EBSCO Publishing (2013). Book index with reviews.
2. R.R. Bowker Company. (2011). Books in print with reviews.