Presents a discourse-based interview with John McPhee focusing attention on particular choices McPhee makes. Notes that probes (statements about McPhee texts by other readers) led to a more general discussion of the writer-reader relationship. Discusses how these two methods together afford an illuminating glimpse of McPhee at work. (MG)

Argues that interaction between reader and writer in academic texts can draw on both interactive and interactional resources: interactive resources help guide the reader through the text, while the interactional resources involve the reader collaboratively in the development of the text. (Author/VWL)