Polyphony: Reader and Explorations for First-Year Writing

Reviewed by Thomas Kneeland, Assistant Professor of English (Tenure-Track), Anderson University on 10/13/25

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

I would add this reader to any English class that I teach because the selected readings are more than just words on a page. This book also provides an opportunity for students to cross-reference the selected readings with secondary sources/companion texts/podcast recordings that are in conversation with the primary text; this encourages students to rely on multiple readings for proper research and synthesis. I cannot stress enough how important it is for our generation of collegiate learners to have such a diverse scope of wisdom at their fingertips with this reader. The purpose of this reader is to offer a multifaceted approach to language by exposing readers to a wide range of perspectives. And it did not disappoint.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

There were no issues with the content of this book. Because it is a reader, many of the texts are excerpts to larger primary texts or reliable articles on the web. The selected readings, have been edited and vetted to ensure an unbiased and truth-driven approach.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

I am thoroughly impressed by this book's wide range of authors, from former U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Límon to radical education pioneer, Audre Lorde. What I think most students lack in their classes in our current educational system is exposure to a variety of voices that can all teach us something about how to be more human, and treat each other with a respect that blurs the lines that those with assumed social power tend to draw. I highly recommend this text to any professor teaching First-Year Writing, but I also believe that it finds its place among select creative writing courses, such as Intro to Creative Writing and similarly titled courses.

Clarity rating: 5

This book is written with an undeniable clarity, and offers a seamless, multi-modal learning experience to assist with the understanding and breaking down of proposed concepts and topics.

Consistency rating: 5

Yes, I would agree that the framework for this book is consistent throughout. We get a thoroughly planned out map for how we should approach the text and that mapping is present with each selected reading.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is designed so that we can clearly identify each reading. Heading and other stylistic choices are visible and allow readers to know where they are at any given time.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

From a book-level organization, I appreciate having a Reader and Exploration structure which gives us the opportunity to have a multi-modal reading/learning environment and a section for corresponding activities that pair well with readings from the "Reader" section.

Interface rating: 5

As is the case with most Open Education textbooks, this one passes the interface test. Each section was easy to navigate and could be effortlessly navigated by readers.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not detect any issues in grammar when reading this book.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Mirroring the sentiments of my earlier comment regarding relevance, this book encourages a cultural awareness and humility that our students should embody as they navigate a world threaded with innumerable walks of life.

Reviewed by Anna Erwert, Professor of English, Portland Community College on 9/12/25

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

There are many good readings; however you have to navigate to each to see what theme or idea the readings might work with. There's no index, and I think if there were, maybe with the overarching ideas in the texts presented (i.e. identity or linguistic justice), that would be helpful. Similarly, the readings include links at the bottom to actual assignment descriptions, which are very cool. But an index of these assignments would be really helpful. These lists come up as hashtags, but the hashtags are atop each chapter, so again I don't see how you would find them without deeply studying the entire book and making notes of which topics go well with which writings.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The material really works hard to present a non-Standard English view of what writing is. I also appreciate a balance of philosophical ideas and practical ones: there is direct support for reading, the how and why of grammar, different types of writing, etc.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

This book is on trend in terms of decentralizing Standard English, and the readings represent a very lovely mix of diverse voices, many very current. There is also a small smattering of different genres: a poem as well as the many essays, and different narrative styles. My 4 instead of 5 relates to the fact that there is no index, so some teachers might give up trying to figure out which reading goes with which activity. But overall, there is a lot of strong material and this book would work well in tandem with a Comp or Reading class. I also really like the assignment ideas-- everything from using YouTube comments to close reading for bias to personal narrative. I would like the word "genre" to show up more than it does, in keeping with first year CCOGs. The genres are here, but the concept of genre is not as overt as it could be.

Clarity rating: 5

This is a clearly written, well organized book from the student perspective. Plenty of context is here for the idea of a class that asks us to consider the politics of writing and language

Consistency rating: 5

The book is well organized, following a consistent format and scope. In addition, all the links I can find go back to these writers' own works and contributions, which makes for seamless tone and less possibility for links to disappear/be broken later.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is very modular in that the texts offered could be used for any number of activities/purposes. There are also several inventive assignment prompts that could be small scale or signature assignments for a course design.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

It flows well. I do not think there is a true hierarchy at all, as the ideas are all around the theme, as opposed to a progression in student ability. Teachers would have to figure out which reading would work first and why. Again, an index would really help.

Interface rating: 5

Extremely accessible. Seems the best example of the best practices we know about now. The internal links that link only to other works the authors have created is a true blessing too.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I don't see any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

As the title infers, this is book all about the diversity of language and the way we use reading and writing to form identity and navigate the world. For any teacher interested in culturally sensitive, responsive teaching--especially someone struggling with creating assignments around these texts and their concepts-- I would recommend this book at least as a companion to the other materials in class.

Just me, but I was looking for some free modern, diverse fiction resources. This book has a poem, but that's it for fiction. The search continues.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Pedersen, Seminar and Writing Instructor, Southern Oregon University on 12/19/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text offers enough readings, links to multi-modal materials, and activities to engage a first-year writing class; however, this is a reader, with a focus on multilingualism, language, power, and identity, not a guide or handbook. Instructors looking for an all-in-one reader, handbook, and introduction to college writing would need to supplement this text with other resources. The text includes a table of contents, as well as hashtags that function similar to an index or glossary.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content seems accurate. In some places, the authors intentionally question the accuracy of the ideas from readings or other materials to help students with information literacy. For example, in the “Against-the-Grain” module, the authors link a TEDx talk about grammar and identity to an activity with audience responses critical of the talk and discussion questions about these critiques.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The readings, texts, and activities explore both contemporary events (language policy in Hawai’i and Haiti, for example) and historical ones (Haitian revolution), often finding ways to contextualize current topics through activities and discussion questions. Many of the activities include work with poetry that might appeal more to users interested in literature. That said, the topics covered in the material (including the poems) are relevant to most students’ lives, especially to multilingual and under-represented students.

Clarity rating: 5

The tone and writing are both clear and accessible. At the same time, the authors introduce challenging concepts.

Consistency rating: 5

I didn’t notice any issues in consistency.

Modularity rating: 5

Effective modularity: an instructor can easily incorporate a single activity or writing project into their class. Each module includes an introduction, providing background and context about the materials and topic for both the student and instructor.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The table of contents organizes the material into two categories “Readings” (texts) and “Explorations” (activities and other related texts). This structure allows users—both teacher and student—flexibility in how and how much to use the text. The authors also organize by hashtags, including both conventional categories, such as grammar, and more conceptual categories, such as colonialism and personal-is-political.

Interface rating: 5

All the links I accessed functioned, and the interface is easy to use. Reading the introduction on how to use the book helps.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I didn’t notice any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I appreciate the critical perspective on language and identity that permeates all the materials gathered in the text and the focus on multilingualism and inclusivity.

This multi-modal text is a useful addition to available OERs for first-year writing, offering innovative ways to connect and use different types of materials on challenging but important and relevant topics.