I am thrilled to be working with my former professor and original author of Read, Reason, Write: An Argument Text and Reader, Dorothy U. Seyler, Professor Emerita of English at Northern Virginia Community College, as the textbook moves into its 13th edition. The 13th edition is now available for order on the McGraw-Hill website. Select this link to read the flip book, which contains the author information, table of contents, preface, and a sample chapter.

Read, Reason, Write shows students how reading, argument, research, and analysis are interrelated and how these skills combine to develop each student's critical-thinking ability.

A rich collection of readings provides practice for these skills, and new ideas and insights for readers. In the 13th edition, we have given greater attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion in text and illustrations, and when choosing the authors and subject matter of readings. Half of the professional readings in the text are written by Black or Indigenous writers or people of color. Decades of classroom experience join composition and rhetoric research and theory to guide the text's content and presentation. This combination has made the text a best-seller for now 13 editions. Read, Reason, Write 13e is completely aligned with MLA 9e and APA 7e.

New to the 13th Edition

In the 13th edition, we have given greater attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion in text and illustrations, and when choosing the authors and subject matter of readings to better reflect the lives of our diverse students. Half the professional readings in the text are written by Black or Indigenous writers or people of color. 

All content has been updated to match current MLA and APA guidelines. Additionally, Learning Outcomes have been added to the start of each chapter to focus students and provide clarity for writing assessment.

About the Authors

Dorothy Seyler is Professor Emerita of English at Northern Virginia Community College. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of William and Mary, Dr. Seyler holds advanced degrees from Columbia University and the State University of New York at Albany. She taught at Ohio State University, the University of Kentucky, and Nassau Community College before moving with her family to Northern Virginia.

In addition to articles published in both scholarly journals and popular magazines, Dr. Seyler is the author of 10 college textbooks, including Introduction to Literature, Doing Research, Steps to College Reading, and Patterns of Reflection.  Read, Reason, Write was first published in 1984. In 2007 she was elected to membership in the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, for “excellence in education.”

Professor Seyler is also the author of The Obelisk and the Englishman: The Pioneering Discoveries of Egyptologist William Bankes (2015), a “fascinating story,” according to Kirkus Reviews, “of a figure who deserves to be much better known.”  She enjoys tennis, golf, and travel—and writing about both sports and travel.

Allen Brizee is Associate Professor of English and Director of Writing Across the Curriculum at Saint Louis University (SLU). At SLU, Professor Brizee teaches courses in writing, writing center theory and practice, writing for the gaming industry, and dark academia. Allen began his journey as a student of Dorothy’s at Northern Virginia Community College. After graduating, he transferred to Virginia Tech, where he earned a BA in English (Phi Beta Kappa) and a Master’s in English.

Professor Brizee taught part time at Northern Virginia Community College, The George Washington University, and the University of Maryland while working as a technical writer. He then completed his PhD at Purdue and, while there, also worked on the widely used Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Professor Brizee’s research interests include rhetoric, writing pedagogy public digital humanities, and he has published articles in a number of academic journals. He co-authored Partners in Literacy: A Writing Center Model for Civic Engagement and co-edited Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education, 3rd edition. He enjoys collaborating with community groups in Baltimore and St. Louis and gaming of all forms.