There are a number of ways to introduce an essay collection.
What are your goals in an introduction?
What is essential to communicate?
In some cases a lengthy discussion of the topic and a definition of the terms in the title (e.g. Literature and Economics, Empathy re-thought via Literature, Literature and Human Rights) is followed by how the essays fit the definitions.
Experienced scholars are welcome to comment on their concerns when they write either a preface or a more lengthy introduction.
Your methods are of interest to the writer and to readers of this discussion.
What other ways than a chronology of experts and their advances can you imagine as that most important element, the opening paragraphs, of an introduction?
The importance of the introduction is that it does show the angle(s) and scope of a text.
I have a lot of experience with this in three books:
(Re)Solving Violence in America
Black Lives Matter: Lifespan Perspectives
Social Psychology and World Peace: A Primer
The second book has an overall introduction, and 5 parts, each with an introduction.
The third book has 13 part overviews, each with an introduction to a set of essays.
My goals are to: (a) set the context for the collection; (b) provide a brief thumbnail sketch of the essays; and (c) ask a probing question. (I'm weakest on the third item).
These books are available at RG. The part overviews may be downloaded individually.
At the current stage in organizing my introduction to a collection of essays giving an overview of Literature and (social) Class, I have studied various models from other texts in the series of literature and
First, my examples usually define their terms. I won't need to define literature in depth, but 'class' is a matter of debate. 'Class' has a long history of attempt to define the concept.
So my first editorial decision is how many paragraphs and historic figures to include in defining 'class.' The corresponding text on Literature and Economics, used about five historic economic theorists and showed their interest in and synergistic relation to, literature. Do I want to follow this pattern and simply use theorists of class? Marx, Bourdieu, C. Wright Mills, et al?
I will upload some openers soon for your comments, which I appreciate!
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Linguistics
- Composition Studies