Combining the broadest selection of readings available with time-proven, class-tested instruction, Compact Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing AP(R), 9e is a groundbreaking Introduction to Literature text. The ninth edition features new stories, new poems, and new plays, along with a comprehensive guide to writing about literature and full coverage of critical thinking and argument. Authors Kirszner and Mandell take students through each step of the research and writing process, helping them to craft literary analyses and arguments and demonstrating that writing about literature is a process of discovery, examination, and debate. Sample chapters on fiction, poetry, and drama involve students in the variety and diversity of literature through brief, accessible works that showcase representative selections from four popular contemporary literary subgenres.