Image Grammar, Second Edition: Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process

25 August 2021IMAGE GRAMMARBy Harry R. NodenReviewed by Dr.C.J.Singh.Wallia (Berkeley, California)The subtitle "Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process”states that it’s intended for English teachers. Its lucid expository prose,replete with numerous examples of what to avoid and what to include, makes ita first rate evocative teach-yourself book. On page 3, Noden observes, "Agood author writes with a camera, not with a pen." His engaging writingenticed me to quick-read his 254-page book in a weekend.Later, re-reading his book slowly, , annotating and doing its exercises by myself,i taught myself much more than the expensive workshops I had taken tocomplete my Master of Fine Arts degree program !*Noden’s introduction notes: “Author Ray Bradbury credits his childhood love of comic book images with nurturing his skill as a science-fiction writer. And Hemingway comments that the paintings of Cezanne helped him develophis written descriptions of landscapes. These are not isolated instances but a common theme among many writers. Yet professional authors never explain how to create images with grammatical structures. ‘Image Grammar’ attemptsto do that' (page xv). Noden succeeds brilliantly by authoring this book.*One of the readers of my amazon.com book-reviews asked me, a few days ago,to recommend a teach-yourself book for learning creative-writing craft. Right, Ireadily responded: Noden’s “Image Grammar, second edition.” *Noden's examples include writings by authors such as Mark Twain, Hemingway,and Harper Lee; also, from contemporaries like Joan Didion, AnnieProulx,Michael Chabon, Dave Barry, and Woody Allen. The following two paragraphseach by Dave Barry and by Woody Allen illustrate Noden's coachingtechnique to cite words and sentence structures that evoke memorable images(page 40):1a. Dave Barry's Paragraph with Specific Images Removed:"As I write these words, the Stones are still out there on tour, still rocking androllin' and putting on an electric electrifying act.' "1b. Dave Barry's with Specific Images Included."As I write these words, the remaining nondeceased Stones some of whom wereborn during the Hundred Years War, are still out there on tour, still rockin' androllin' and putting on an electrifying act that reaches its climax, during"Satisfaction," when Charlie Weaver hurls his dentures into the crowd.' " (Barry1994, 472.)*1a. "Woody Allen's with Specific Images Removed: One of the most astoundingcases of clairvoyance is that of the noted Greek psychic, Archille Londos.Londos realized he had 'unusual powers' by age ten. After a neighbor's husbandhad been missing for three weeks, Londos told them where to look. Londoscould concentrate on a person's face and force the image to come out on a rollof ordinary Kodak film."1b. "Woody Allen's with Specific Images Included: One of the most astoundingcases of clairvoyance is that of the noted Greek psychic, Archille Londos.Londos realized he had 'unusual powers' by age ten, ‘when he could lie in bedand, by concentrating make his father’s teeth jump out of his mouth.’ After aneighbor's husband had been missing for three weeks, Londos told them to look‘in the stove, where the man was found knitting.’ Londos could concentrate on aperson's face and force the image to come out on a roll of ordinary Kodak film,‘although he could never seem to get anybody to smile.’ " (Allen, 1972, 12).*Noden’s numerous brief examples from creative-writing craft books widely usedin M.F.A courses include texts such as Janet Burroway’s “Writing Fiction: A Guideto Narrative Craft,” Brooks Landon’s “Building Great Sentences,” and RichardLanham’s “Revising Prose, fifth edition.” (See my detailed reviews of thesebooks on amazon.com.) These books are useful, but Harry Noden's is uniqelyinstructive.*In teaching my Creative-Writing Workshops, I recommend that participants,as a warm-up exercise before resuming their daily work-in-progress, re-readthe next 10-pages in Noden's "IMAGE GRAMMAR." Yes, I do so myself. (Keep in mind a retired Piano teacher's observation: "When I don't practice thebasics for several days, I can tell the difference; when I don't practice for acouple of weeks, my listeners can tell the difference.")*Any flaw in this book? I wish the publisher had engaged a copyeditor.However, I am not going to take away a star from Noden's excellent bookfor the publisher's omission. Even when professional copyeditors draft their ownbook, they need a copyeditor.(For an example, see my review on amazon.com of the book published byUCBerkeley Press: "The Copyeditor's Handbook and Workbook, the CompleteSet." The publisher of University of California Press engaged copyeditors for itsupdated edition.*Five Shining Gold-Stars for Noden's "Image Grammar."

Image Grammar, a non-fiction text, explicates the artist approach to sentence structure and outlines sample “studio” lessons for educators (Noden xv). As a new perspective, convincing recent research and instructions in grammar present lucid and effective methodology for creating powerful writers. Author Harry Noden begins each of the ten chapters with new Concepts and ends with teaching Strategies. Some of these strategies combine several of the concepts from the current or previous chapters. The thorough text equates grammar with artistic techniques in writing and guides teachers to help students imitate accomplished artists.The author first sequences three chapters on the basic grammar “brush strokes” of adding powerful visual details and “musically” composing the rhythms of parallel structures (Noden 56). After this, he clarifies how to learn structural techniques from published authors and provides two chapters for expanding the basic “brush” skills. In the seventh chapter, Noden extends “grammar” beyond sentences by linking images in, within, and around paragraphs and also to different logical organizations of passages. Next follows the practical application of techniques with a type of passage grammar each in two chapters. The last chapter, “Systematic Revision: Form, Style, Content, and Convention,” reviews all grammatical abilities while explaining the realities of the revision process. Besides the concepts, compelling research, and strategies, Image Grammar reverberates with motifs of the “hidden beauty” and “intricacies” of grammar, with it as “the secret muse of all expression” (Noden 254).I feel better prepared now to initiate students in the deeper levels of syntax without overwhelming them with abstract formalities. I agree that educators “need to teach grammar in an artist’s studio” (Noden xv). Noden strives for the development of a student-friendly and eventually self-directed perspective, making adolescents depend less on a teacher’s direct instruction (Hudson). Noden’s excellent research frees students constrained by the five-paragraph essay structure or Jane-Schaffer body paragraphs. Noden’s text ranks high among educator grammar texts, contrasting to conventions manuals with worksheets or correction exercises.To English teachers, I enthusiastically promote Noden’s book as a component of their curriculum. Too many high-school English textbooks still focus more on state standards than on the writing process, so Image Grammar will strengthen any teacher’s current program.

I am a pre-service teacher. And I highly recommend this book because the book has a unique approach to teaching the writing process through imagery and applying grammar as a tool for selecting words by choosing an adjective or noun ( on purpose). I have often seen the writing process being instructed by "just write," then we will edit. This book provides exact instructions on writing by knowing and learning how grammar is used in real-life writing. This allows a teacher to have focused objectives and clear assessment concentration on students writing and order to improve students writing instantly and clearly explain why.

This is not meant for creative writing enthusiasts. It is meant for teachers. If you want to write prose, I recommend sin and syntax, and books by the same author. And books on style as "It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences." Probably got the title wrong.But the person who wrote that one can help you. My background or reason for which I bought this book is that I have trouble with description. So that is why I bought the book. So one recommended I learn poetry, which is a topic in the book. I don't think to imitate people's work and that sounds like a good idea for me. I was recommended this book by someone for creative writing purposes. You need a pre-existing background if that makes sense, For creative writing teachers it provides activities, so don't buy this book for the wrong reasons. Buy it because you are a teacher.

I was referred to this book by a fellow teacher. Filled with wonderful creative writing prompts and grammar skills to take their writing to the next level.