Texas Trends in Art Education, Volume 3, Number 1, Fall 1985 Page: 43
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Publications
of Interest
Lisa Cramer
Fensch, T. (1984). The hardest parts. Austin, TX: Lander
Moore Books, 178 pp. ISBN 0-930751-9.
Concise and clearly written, Thomas Fensch's The Hardest Parts, is a
practical guide that examines the nitty-gritty of writing. It takes the
reader through the step-by-step process of conceiving an idea, re-
searching it, outlining, selling the article, writing it and submitting it
for publication. Fensch's guidelines coupled with his "three R's" are a
boon to free-lancer's everywhere who know that the definition of a
free-lance writer is one who submits articles and photographs to
publications without the benefit of a staff salary.
The first step in producing an article is coming up with a subject
or idea. Fensch suggests ways of conceiving article ideas through
curiosity, compulsive reading, contacts, and commitment. Article
ideas are a conglomeration of things a free-lancer reads, sees, and
hears about. Once a concise idea for an article is established, the
research can begin.
According to Fensch, there are three types of research: inter-
views, observation and the library. Interviewing takes time and work
and more time. Fensch offers more than twenty-five common-sense
tips for smoother more effective interviewing such as writing per-
sonal letters with postage enclosed, and telling people who you are
and what you're doing.
In order to get at resources readily, the writer must know and
cultivate the local librarian before braving the library. Discussion of
how much research is enough guides the writer away from wasting
valuable time in covering bases already touched. Fensch stresses
sources that are overlooked like yearbooks, newspapers and
dictionaries.
Fensch defines a writer's responsibility as the visualization for
the reader of what is taking place and why., Observation on the
writer's part before writing tells the reader what they want to know.
Fensch gives some very interesting examples of how free-lance writ-
ers have successfully used observation.
Fensch's progression of an article both externally and internally
help the article writer conceptualize the feature and outline it men-
tally as well as physically. Outlines insure logical development of
thought and help set the style and tone of the article as well as aid in
spontaneous writing. Suggestions for outlining are included to guide
the writer.
The lead paragraphs of an article are the writer's chance to grab
the reader and make him read on. This is perhaps the point where
the writer sits at the typewriter until he sweats blood. Fensch out-
lines twenty-six leads and includes illustrations to guide the writer.
Fensch's main thrust is that the writer's material should determine
the form the lead should take and the story should follow.
Fensch defines style as the sum of past experience coupled with
research, the magazine for which the article is being written and the
readers of that magazine. A checklist for analyzing writing styles is
provided. Fensch says that style need be only simple declarative
sentence structure and good grammar. Other useful hints on style
are offered on the use of non-sexist language, quotations, and com-
mon editing symbols.Enumerated are a dozen types of conclusions coupled with leads
to show the writer how to tie the feature together. Conclusions
should offer a climax with the writer's keenest thinking and best
prose presented to the reader.
Once the article is written, the writer's job is not over. If he has
not already sold his article, he must convince someone to buy it.
Fensch places great emphasis on the query letter and states that it
"demands as much practice and attention as the article." The query
letter is what sells the article to the editor. Rules outlined include
telling what the feature is about and why it is a good story. The
query letter should convince the editor that you're the one to write
it. The free-lancer must know the publication and its audience.
"Keep it short", "spell the editor's name correctly", and other sug-
gestions for selling articles are expounded on. For further illustra-
tion, some excellent examples of query letters are offered to give
the writer an idea of the power and importance of querying
correctly.
After having followed Fensch's steps from idea to submission,
the writer can then practice Fensch's three R's- recycle, rejuvenate
and revamp-in order to continue prospering as a free-lancer.
Fensch suggests reviewing files every two months and applying the
three R's to each one. Recycle articles that can be adapted to a
different audience. Revamp articles that have fallen behind the times.
Rejuvenate articles with a new angle or slant. He also suggests
reselling articles to other media including television and radio and
offers ways to adapt articles for resale.
The Hardest Parts by Thomas Fensch is aimed at free-lancers
who would like to refresh their writing skills. Didactic examples,
helpful suggestions and informative insights with rules for perform-
ing interviews, writing leads, and performing all other phases of
magazine article writing make this handbook invaluable for the
writer. Straightforward and manageable, the methods can be used
for articles of any type. Techniques and skills given enable the Writer
to reach not only for the regional or special interest market but for
the major national magazine market as well.
Charles, C. M. (1981). Building classroom discipline. New
York: Longman, 242 pp. ISBN 0-582-28146-6.
National opinion polls show that discipline is perceived as the number
one problem in American public schools. Most teachers have had
little training in classroom management and discipline. Intimidation
and corporal punishment have failed as disciplinary agents. Teachers
need alternative techniques to efficiently discipline students. C. M.
Charles' Bulding Classroom Discipline offers alternatives and por-
trays discipline as a positive and necessary factor that can bring
learning, sanity and joy into the classroom.
While Charles' text deals with sources of discipline and building
personal systems of discipline, the meat of the book revolves around
explanation of seven discipline models as well as supplementary ap-
proaches that aid in effective classroom management. The seven
models come from authors most commonly mentioned in discipline
literature: Redl and Wattenberg, Kounin, Skinner, Ginott, Classer,
Dreikurs, Canter.
For each of these models, Charles describes key ideas, assump-
tions and techniques. The overviews are concise and readable. Sup-
plementary suggestions deal with issues of rules and expectations,
modeling success, self-concept and cooperative involvement of
parents.
Building Classroom Discipline deals with sources of discipline.
It explores the concern about school discipline and examines human
behavior, needs, motives and controls. It shows that school learning
without discipline is joyless, without direction and next to impossible.
Charles adds information and suggestions not stressed in the modelsTRENDS / fall 1985
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Texas Art Education Association. Texas Trends in Art Education, Volume 3, Number 1, Fall 1985, periodical, Autumn 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth279681/m1/45/?q=architectural+drawings: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Art Education Association.