The Art of the Audio Essay
PWR 2 Fall Quarter 2007
Jonah G. Willihnganz
Stanford University

Peer Review Letter for the Research Essay
2 copies due in class, Nov 15.

Each of you will write you read and respond to one research essay written by a classmate/classmates. The purpose of the letter is to help your your classmate(s) see what is working or not working in their effort to persuade an audience of a particular claim. This is an informal letter but should be substantive and specific. Each of you already know what kinds of comments help you improve your own writing and what kind of comments don't, so keep this in mind as you write.

Your Task

Your letter should be about 1 page, single spaced and open with "Dear. . ." Begin first by reflecting back to the author(s) what you think the argument of the essay is, what seems to be the most important evidence, and what kind of strategies they are using to be persuasive in audio (think of the principles we have recently discussed). Commend the author(s) on what is effective. This might be 1 paragraph. Next, address what areas of the essay could use improvement. Be as specific as possible, using page numbers and pointing to particular passages when appropriate. Use the questions below to help guide your comments.

To write this letter, you might look again at the Criteria and Strategies lists that you generated in class. You might also consider these questions:

Thesis and Evidence

• Is the claim of the essay sufficiently sophisticated, unusual, and clear? What could be done to make it more so?
• Is the evidence sufficiently compelling? What additional evidence would help convince you of the essay's position? 

Organization

• Is the opening of the piece effective?  Does it capture the audience's attention and establish the stakes of the piece? Why or why not? What strategies would you suggest the author do to make the opening better?
• Is the development of the essay's argument easy or difficult to follow? How could reorganizing material make the essay more effective? How could work on transitions and signposting make the essay more effective?
• Is the conclusion of the essay effective? Why or why not? What would you suggest to improve it?

Rhetorical Strategies

• Does the narrator solicit trust and sympathy—do we want want to believe the argument because of who the narrator seems to be?  Could appeals to ethos be added or improved?
• Does the essay display what seem to be sound, logical deductions? Does the conclusion drawn from the evidence presented seem unavoidable?  Are likely objections addressed?  Could appeals to logos be added or improved?
• Does the essay exploit your emotional reactions and ideological assumptions to help persuade you of its point of view? Does its narrative work to persuade you?  Could appeals to pathos be added or improved?