Writing

Amy Tan has touched millions of readers with haunting and sympathetic novels of cultural complexity and profound empathy. With the same spirit and humor that characterize her acclaimed novels, she now shares her insight into her own life and how she escaped the curses of her past to make a future of her own. She takes us on a journey from her childhood of tragedy and comedy to the present day and her arrival as one of the world's best-loved novelists. Whether recalling arguments with her mother in suburban California or introducing us to the ghosts that inhabit her computer, The Opposite of Fate offers vivid portraits of choices, attitudes, charms, and luck in action--a refreshing antidote to the world-weariness and uncertainties we all face today.

The Poetry Reader's Toolkit was written to be just that: a toolkit to help students read and understand poetry. Students will learn how relevant and accessible poetry can be by walking through a wide variety of poems in a straightforward, conversational tone. This easy to read guide shows students how poetry conveys emotion, introduces them to different imagery, explores sound, covers metaphors and similes, and explains verse forms, line breaks, and numerous other poetic devices.