Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing

Rereading Americahas remained the most widely adopted book of its kind because of its unique approach to the issue of cultural diversity. Unlike other multicultural composition readers that settle for representing the plurality of American voices and cultures,Rereading Americaencourages students to grapple with the real differences in perspectives that arise in our complex society. With extensive editorial apparatus that puts readings from the mainstream into conversation with readings from the margins,Rereading Americaprovokes students to explore the foundations and contradictions of our dominant cultural myths.

GARY COLOMBO is professor of English at Los Angeles City College. He has published Mind Readings: An Anthology for Writers (2002), and with Bonnie Lisle and Sandra Mano, Frame Work: Culture, Storytelling, and College Writing (1997), both for Bedford/St. Martin's.

ROBERT CULLEN is professor of English at San Jose State University. He served as associate editor of Writing at Century's End: Essays on Computer-Assisted Composition in addition to publishing in American literature.

BONNIE LISLE teaches in the UCLA Writing Programs. With Gary Colombo and Sandra Mano she is the author of Frame Work: Culture, Storytelling, and College Writing (Bedford/St. Martin's, 1997).

Preface for Instructors
  Introduction: Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths
    
  1. Harmony at Home: The Myth of the Model Family
    Norman Rockwell, A Family Tree, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear
    Gary Soto, Looking for Work
    Stephanie Coontz, What We Really Miss About the 1950s
    Melvin Dixon, Aunt Ida Pieces a Quilt
    Roger Jack, An Indian Story
    Judy Root Aulette, from Changing American Families
    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of American Families
    Rick Santorum, It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good
    Evan Wolfson, What Is Marriage?

  2. Learning Power: The Myth of Education and Empowerment
    Horace Mann, from Report of the Massachusetts Board of Education, 1848
    Michael Moore, Idiot Nation
   *John Taylor Gatto, Against School
    Mike Rose, "I Just Wanna Be Average"
    Jean Anyon, from Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work
    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Education and Empowerment
    Richard Rodriguez, The Achievement of Desire
    Inés Hernández-Ávila, Para Teresa
    Malcolm X, Learning to Read
    Deborah Tannen, The Roots of Debate in Education and the Hope of Dialogue
    *Jonathan Kozol, Still Separate, Still Unequal


  3. Money and Success: The Myth of Individual Opportunity
    Horatio Alger, from Ragged Dick
    Toni Cade Bambara, The Lesson
    Harlon L. Dalton, Horatio Alger
    Ken Hamblin, The Black Avenger
    Barbara Ehrenreich, Serving in Florida
    Gregory Mantsios, Class in America – 2003
    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Individual Opportunity
    Dana Gioia, Money (poem)
    Sharon Olds, From Seven Floors Up (poem)
    *Diana Kendall, Framing Class: Vicarious Living, and Conspicuous Consumption
    Studs Terkel, Stephen Cruz
    Anne Witte Garland, Good Noise: Cora Tucker
    
  4. True Women and Real Men: Myths of Gender
    Alexis de Tocqueville, How the Americans Understand the Equality of the Sexes
    Jamaica Kincaid, Girl
    Aaron H. Devor, Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender
    Judith Ortiz Cofer, The Story of My Body
   *Maysan Haydar, Veiled Intentions: Don't Judge a Muslim Girl by Her Covering

    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of Gender
    Jean Kilbourne, "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt": Advertising and Violence
    Joan Morgan, From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos
    Harvey Mansfield, The Manliness of Men
    *Deborah Rudacille, The Hands of God
    Carmen Vázquez, Appearances

  5. Created Equal: The Myth of the Melting Pot
    Thomas Jefferson, From Notes on the State of Virginia
    *Ellis Cose, Discharging a Debt
    *Vincent N. Parrillo, Causes of Prejudice
    Studs Terkel, C.P. Ellis
    Shelby Steele, I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent?
    Paul L. Wachtel, Talking About Racism: How Our Dialogue Gets Short-Circuited
    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of the Melting Pot
    George M. Fredrickson, Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective
    *Ruben Martinez, The Crossing
    Sherman Alexie, Assimilation
    Kenji Yoshino, The Pressure to Cover
    Aurora Levins Morales, Child of the Americas
    
  6. One Nation Under God: American Myths of Church and State
    Anne Lamott, Overture: Lilly Pads
    *David Kupelian, Killer Culture
    Bill McKibben, The Christian Paradox: How a Faithful Nation Gets Jesus Wrong
    Eric Marcus, The Bridge Builder: Kathleen Boatwright
    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of American Myths of Church and State
    Diana L. Eck, Afraid of Ourselves
    Maria Poggi Johnson, Us and Them
    *James Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments
    Noah Feldman, Schools and Morals 
    Sam Harris, Reason in Exile

    
  7. Land of Liberty: The Myth of Freedom in a "New World Order"
     Albert J. Beveridge, The March of the Flag
    Dinesh D'Souza, America the Beautiful: What We're Fighting For
    Mark Hertsgaard, The Oblivious Empire
    Joel Andreas, The War on Terrorism
    Visual Portfolio: Reading Images of America's Meaning in a "New World Order"
    *Eyal Press, In Torture We Trust?
    Todd Gitlin, Under the Sign of Mickey Mouse & Co.
    *Henry David Thoreau, Resistance to Civil Government (Civil Disobedience)    Langston Hughes, Let America Be America Again
    
  Index of Authors and Titles
   

* new to this edition