Handout 9: The Review Essay
Part II -- Writing the Review

Composing a review gives you good practice in writing for an audience with very specific needs and desires. It also gives you practice in "genre
knowledge"-that is, in leaning on already established conventions to shape your piece. In this case the conventions are looser than they are for the
resume or cover letter, and you have more freedom to pick and choose what you'll say and to establish a "voice" or persona. Even so, you attend
very closely to reader expectations.

Rhetorical Situation:

Audience. We will assume two target audiences: 1) other students in PW programs here and elsewhere, and 2) future employers. Each has a different
purpose, yes? Audience 1 wants to know what the article is about, where to get it (print and paper), and whether it's worth reading.
You have many tools at hand to address these needs. Audience 2 will want to know what?

Your purpose (aside from attending to reader needs) ?

Context.Your essays will be read on line. Editors and designers will work with you to assure maximum reader comfort.

Review readers expect the following:

Bibliographic information:
Good reviews make readily visible essential publication information for the work under scrutiny. The reviewer's name is probably less important
than the name of the author under review. Your editorial team and the designer team should standardize the form for presenting both
bibliographic information and reviewer information.

Standard moves:
Begin by creating or invoking a shared context with your readers. Gambits: talk about issues/interest/needs common to students in PW programs; place
the article in relation to some current event or known student concern. What you do here depends on your vision of audience.

Next provide a solid overview of the article. You have two tools at your disposal: the one liner (what's the article about in general) and the more
extended summary (what does the article cover).

Continue by writing about points of particular interest that you think are worth talking about. There are lots of things worth talking about:
particularly interesting information; author style or organization or other rhetorical features; unique approach to common topic; timeliness. Here
you may find yourself paraphrasing, which is very tricky, or quoting VERY selectively.

Evaluation, as we'll see in our examples, is accomplished in subtle ways and occurs throughout your treatment. Toward the end of the piece
(usually but not necessarily), you may wish to discuss more overtly just who might be interested in reading your article and who might not.
Remember that reviewers need to provide enough nonjudgmental information so that readers can come to some conclusions on their own. Yet the genre
authorizes you to come to judgment as well--to recommend or not.

Finally, remember that you are limited by your unfamiliarity (as yet) with the field, so hyperbolic condemnation or exaltation are not in
order as you have not yet acquired an appropriate comparison base. Do position yourself as a serious student and take it from there. Do let
readers know what you find accessible and interesting and what blocks your access to information you seek..