Dr. Bruce Ballenger joined the faculty of the Department of English at Boise State University in 1995 with a Ph.D. in Composition and Literature from the University of New Hampshire. His earlier degrees include an M.A. in English with an emphasis in Nonfiction Writing, an M.S. in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Environmental Communication, and a B.S. in Population Dynamics with a minor in Botany. His books include the best-selling textbooks 'The Curious Writer' and 'The Curious Researcher', and his latest title, 'Crafting Truth: Short Studies in Creative Nonfiction', is a study of how the best American creative nonfiction writers tell true stories. His professional scholarship shares his experiences and theories of teaching composition, and much of his creative nonfiction explores our place in time and the natural world. In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Ballenger is a popular conference presenter, speaker, and consultant.
Articles
When Nostalgia is the Scent We Follow, River Teeth: A Journal of Nonfiction Narrative (2011)
Some dogs, apparently, are inexplicably intoxicated by certain landscapes. And so, I thought, am I....
Reconsiderations: Donald Murray and the Pedagogy of Surprise, College English (2008)
Toward the end of his life, Donald Murray felt that his approach to writing instruction...
Methods of Memory: On Native American Storytelling, College English (1997)
Aspects of Native American storytelling are discussed. Tribal people tend to see the land as...
Books
Crafting Truth: Short Stories in Creative Nonfiction, Faculty Authored Books (2011)
Crafting Truthintroduces students to the craft of creative nonfiction by showing them models from the...
The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers, Faculty Authored Books (2009)
Featuring an engaging, direct writing style and inquiry-based approach, this popular research guide stresses that...
Instructor's Manual to Accompany The Curious Writer (with Michelle Payne), Faculty Authored Books (2005)
The Curious Reader: Exploring Personal and Academic Inquiry (with Michelle Payne), Faculty Authored Books (2003)
Contributions to Books
Theories of Intelligence, Stepping on My Brother's Head and Other Secrets Your English Professor Never Told You: A College Reader (2010)
Presentations
Open Lecture - The College Research Paper: A Captivity Narrative, Portland State University (2012)
For a hundred years, the research paper has been a fixture in courses across the...