ONEBOOK ESSAY CONTEST PROMPT
FALL 2010
FINAL DRAFT AUGUST 23, 2010
OVERVIEW
For this essay, you will select an issue raised in A Journal for Jordan that interests you and write
an essay that compares Canedy’s representation of the issue in A Journal for Jordan with at least
one other text on the same topic. Possible topics could include these: the effects of war in Iraq on
military families; representations of masculine and/or feminine beauty; the idea of patriotism as
it relates to the war in Iraq; societal attitudes about pregnant women and/or mothers;
representations of social class, etc. It is important to note that the text(s) you choose to analyze
alongside A Journal for Jordan don’t have to be books or essays. They could also be songs,
commercials, cartoons/graphic novels, speeches, billboards, magazine articles, YouTube videos,
etc.
Here’s an example: if you plan to focus on the effects of the Iraq war on military families, you
could pair Canedy’s arguments in A Journal for Jordan with the New York Times Magazine
photo essay that depicts the bedrooms of soldiers killed in Iraq. Using those texts as primary
sources for analysis, you could develop an argument about how those texts represent for readers
the effects of war on military families. You would also need to examine the implications of those
two representations of the effects of war.
As you develop your essay, you’ll supplement your topic knowledge, construct an original thesis,
and develop a well-supported argument. You’ll locate outside sources and synthesize them
responsibly and effectively and in a way that fully supports your thesis. And you’ll appeal to the
values and emotions of the OneBook Essay Contest Committee.
WRITING PROCESSES
Invention (i.e., discovering the available means of persuasion)
1. Develop a clear central claim that addresses how A Journal for Jordan and the other text(s)
you’ve selected represent the issue being addressed. Make sure you talk about how your selected
text and A Journal for Jordan advance our understanding of your topic.
2. Once you’ve drafted your central claim, attach at least three reasons that justify your position.
Make sure these are good reasons, meaning that, if you support them successfully, the OneBook
Essay Contest Committee will be inclined to grant your central claim.
3. Provide sufficient evidence to convince the OneBook Essay Contest Committee that your
reasons are true statements. As always, your personal experiences, observations, and reasoning
count as evidence. Your main sources of evidence, however, should be A Journal for Jordan and
the other text(s) you’ve selected to analyze in support of your argument.
4. Plant at least one naysayer in your text. Naysayers can be hypothetical opponents or authors of
the sources you cite in your essay. Remember always to identify naysayers, represent their views
fairly and accurately, make any necessary concessions, and offer your own rebuttal.
2
5. Make sure you come across to the OneBook Essay Contest Committee as a person of good
sense, good character, and good will. In order to accomplish this:
 know what you’re talking about. You should know your texts inside and out and have a
deep, thorough understanding of any sources you use. Cite all sources fairly and
accurately, and provide ample evidence for your claims.

show respect for your readers and come across as approachable and thoughtful, not
arrogant or insensitive.

consider alternate viewpoints and treat opponents with respect—don’t ignore or demean
the opinions of others.

be careful and meticulous in your writing, not sloppy and disorganized.
6. Your audience is the OneBook Essay Contest Committee, which is made up of instructors of
ENGL 1301. These people have read A Journal for Jordan closely and are interested in new
ways of understanding the issues in the book. Appeal to these readers by:
 presenting a clear, well-organized, well-supported argument that shows you’ve thought in
depth about the issues presented in your texts. This audience also needs to be convinced
that your argument makes a significant contribution to their understanding, so it’s crucial
that you provide good answers to the “so what” and “who cares” questions.

evoking emotions (sympathy, outrage, anger, delight, pride, awe, shame, horror, etc.) in
your audience that are likely to help make your argument more convincing.

evoking sensations (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling) that make your writing
vivid and cause your audience to experience things imaginatively.

appealing to values (freedom, justice, tolerance, fairness, equality, etc.) that you and your
audience share.
Arrangement (i.e., organizing the parts)
Once you’ve completed your invention stage, you should arrange the parts of your argument in
the order that will prove most effective with your audience.
Your introduction should begin with what others are saying. This will allow you to set up your
thesis statement as a response to a preexisting conversation. This conversation can be one
initiated by A Journal for Jordan itself, the campus-wide discussion of A Journal for Jordan,
something you heard at a OneBook event, our class discussion of the book, an issue addressed in
one of your outside sources, or even your own views. Your thesis statement should also preview
for your audience the course of your argument.
Don’t assume that the OneBook Committee will be interested in your argument. Early in your
argument, make sure you answer the “so what” and “who cares” questions by demonstrating
what is at stake in your argument—why it is important and to whom.
3
Style (i.e., using appropriate language)
You are writing for an audience of college English instructors, so you should adopt a formal
style, although this does not mean you must set aside your own voice.
The OneBook Essay Contest Committee will certainly notice sloppy paragraphs, so make sure
each of your paragraphs begins with a topic sentence that clearly states the main idea. Your
supporting sentences should cluster around that main idea without detours.
Again, your audience consists of English instructors, so you must proofread carefully and avoid
errors in grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and mechanics. Consult your handbook if you’re
unsure about rules and conventions.
Any time you cite an outside source, document it properly according to MLA format. Consult the
“MLA” chapter in your handbook for information on MLA guidelines.
Your essay should be 4-6 pages long, double-spaced, typed in Times New Roman font, with 12
point character size and one inch margins all the way around.
Contest Entry Procedures
 Contest entries must be accompanied by the OneBook Essay Contest Entry Form available on
the website.
 Hardcopies of contest entries must be submitted by 5:00 pm CST to University College at the
First Floor Reception Desk in Ransom Hall by Tuesday, December 21, 2010.