Annotated Bibliography

Ball, Aretha. "Expository Writing Patterns of African American Students." The English Journal 85(1996): 27-36.

Aretha Ball reports on a case study in this article of four African American students from their 11^th to 12^th grade years.  Her study revealed the link between oral and written expression.  I will use Ball’s journal to display the richness that AAVE can bring to composition studies.

Bruch, Patrick, and Richard Marback. "Race, Literacy and the Value of Rights Rhetoric in Composition Studies." College Composition and Communication 53(2002): 651-674.

Patrick Bruch and Richard Marback discuss the CCCC’s SRTOL with regard to composition and public policy.  Comparing the two they talk about historical events such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s.  I will use this article in my paper to show that although the field of composition studies is ready to accept AAVE, the public may not be.

Canagarajah, A. Suresh. "Safe Houses in the Contact Zone: Coping Strategies of African-American Students in the Academy." College Composition and Communication 48(1997): 173-196.

In this journal, Canagarajah incorporates the idea of a “safe house” into the writing of AAVE speakers.  He analyzes a class of mostly African Americans and shows how their written language changes as they become more comfortable around he and the other students.  I will use this in my paper to show that the field recognizes AAVE as an acceptable way to write.

Olson, Gary . "Critical Pedagogy and Composition Scholarship." College Composition and Communication 48(1997): 297-303.

Gary Olson’s article looks at the history of AAVE in composition studies.  Talking about how in the past composition studies was generally a conservative discipline, it is also progressivist.  I plan to use this article to talk about the past of AAVE in composition studies.