The Polliwog Journal

AP students are often asked to analyze the diction of a passage. Diction means to some degree the author’s style, such as formal diction, but more technically diction means the author’s choice of words. I sometimes have students highlight words and phrases that have a similar tone or meaning. They may use more than one [...]

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Patricia Cohen’s review of Susan Jacoby’s new book, Dumb and Dumber: Are American’s Hostile to Knowledge appeared in the New York Times, February 14, 2008.
Dumb and Dumber: Are Americans Hostile to Knowledge?
By PATRICIA COHEN
Published: February 14, 2008
Susan Jacoby’s new book bemoans the state of American culture. Not only are citizens ignorant about essential knowledge, she [...]

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Lisa Adams and John Heath have attempted to analyze the needs and habits of American readers in their book Why We Read What We Read. The cover announces “a delightfully opinionated journey through contemporary bestsellers,” and the book reads easily, perhaps a bit too “delightfully.” The authors’ casual style, however, belies their serious intent, which [...]

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