Recounts a conversation with author Ken Kesey. Describes a year-long graduate writing course in which Kesey and his students collaborated on a novel. Explains how the novel was written and how characters and plot were developed. Suggests that, if available to the class, computers would have simplified the writing. (SG)

Describes a study that examined patterns of collaborative authorship and professional affiliation of authors in major anthropology journals. The discussion covers parallels between these findings and the results of a citation analysis of the anthropology literature in terms of subdisciplinary and disciplinary interactions with other disciplines.…

Reports on an informal survey of writers from various contexts (including a textbook author, a novelist, and a cookbook author), describing their ideal writing environments. Discusses how computer technology can address some of the needs expressed by these writers. (MM)

Discovering that women are more heavily represented as journal authors than as members of graduate-program departments, questions whether funding might account for these patterns. Examines acknowledgment of support in published articles, finding no significant relationships among author gender, article topic, and notation of internal funding.…

Presents an interview with author Sharon Creech, winner of the 1995 Newbery Medal for her book called "Walk Two Moons." Talks with her about her experiences as an author and as a teacher. (SR)

Discusses the life and writings of George MacDonald (1824-1905). Suggests that the most striking feature of MacDonald's children's books is his sensitivity toward spiritual values and the power of change within the lives of his characters. Appends a list of questions to stimulate student response to MacDonald's writings. (RS)

Gives a brief biography of Will Weaver, author of young adult fiction, and a detailed review of Weaver's "Striking Out" and its sequel "Farm Team." Explains that the two novels focus on a young adult's family life and his aspiration to excel as a baseball player on the middle school team. (TB)

Compares responses of readers (both children and adults) of Maurice Sendak's "trilogy" ("Where the Wild Things Are,""In the Night Kitchen," and "Outside over There") to Sendak's own explanation of his intent. Suggests that Sendak offers an original, fresh, and magical expression that immediately reaches many…

Discusses why a visiting authors' program is important. Offers suggestions on how to organize a visiting authors' program. Notes also the political realities of such programs. (SR)

Describes a survey sent to editors to ascertain opportunities and criteria for publishing in professional journals. Knowing the journal and its readership is vital. Results reveal that the most frequent reason for article rejection is poor research design or lack of empirical support. (Author/CK)

Explores Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" books as a series of seven books of increasing complexity, to cast light on the processes of reading development. Examines ways Wilder used to help her reader develop. (SR)

Describes lessons learned about writers and writing from living with a fiction writer. Discusses implications for teachers of writing. (SR)

Examines the unpopularity of social studies among students. Suggests that the source of the problem may be found in textbooks. Discusses textbooks written by Samuel Griswold Goodrich, a.k.a. "Peter Parley," a nineteenth-century U.S. social studies textbook writer. Underscores his belief in using literature to connect social studies to…

Investigates the nature of published literature about public libraries based on a search of the ERIC database on CD-ROM. Findings show that authorship is dispersed, recently published journals and books are most often cited, and the specific subject matter is diverse. (EA)

Reports on the work of three nominees for the 1992 Andersen medal, awarded to recognize a body of work that has made a lasting contribution to children's literature. Discusses the work of Finnish author Hannu Makela; Argentinian writer, poet, and singer Maria Elena Walsh; and the Iranian author Hooshang Moradi Kermani. (RS)