Using simple, direct language and clear examples lifted from the pages of an action-adventure novel accessible to young adults and mature readers alike, I Get It Now! teaches readers to understand and explain good literature. It lays out the fundamentals of literature in general and novels in particular, and then applies the words and concepts in a scene by scene, chapter by chapter analysis of the companion novel CENTERLINE. What makes this guide absolutely unique is that both the guide and the novel it addresses were written by the same author, a former English Literature and Composition instructor at West Point, and a 25 year veteran of graduate and undergraduate classrooms. He wrote the novel with teaching in mind, and wrote the guide with an understanding of how authors weave the parts of a novel together to achieve its effect. Additionally, he explains these concepts in a way that will help students improve grades in essays and classroom discussions. The worst four words a literature teacher or home-school parent can hear are these: "I don't get it." This means the reader/student does not understand how authors use form, structure, terms, tools and techniques to shape and deliver their ideas. When readers "don't get it," they cannot do well in school, prepare for advanced education, or enjoy the rich life that quality writing provides. Alone among all the many teaching aids available today, this one uses the skills of a professional teacher and the insights of an award winning author to turn "I don't get it" into I Get It Now!
About the Author: Dr. Dave McIntyre, author of CENTERLINE and this guide to reading/ teaching/ understanding novels (using CENTERLINE as an example), has taught for more than a quarter of a century at the high school, undergraduate, graduate, and PhD/DBA levels. Dr. McIntyre graduated from the United States Military Academy, and spent thirty years in the United States Army, retiring as a Colonel. He taught English composition, as well as English and American literature, in the Department of English at West Point. He retired as the Dean of Faculty and Academics at the National War College. His other military time was divided between duty with airborne and armored reconnaissance units, and writing and teaching strategy at the national level. For two years after 9/11 he was deputy director of a national think tank on homeland security, and for four years he directed a graduate program in homeland security at Texas A&M University. He has also taught national and homeland security at George Washington University, the University of Texas, and the National Graduate School. Dr. McIntyre is presently a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute, in Falls Church, VA, and a lecturer at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, at Texas A&M. His educational background includes: a BS in Engineering from the United States Military Academy; an MA in English and American Literature from Auburn University; a PhD in Political Science from the University of Maryland. Other recent publications include: -Business Continuity and Homeland Security, Vol 1, by Edward Elgar publishers, 2011 (co-edited with William Hancock). -A white paper in Risk Management for the Department of Homeland Security; -A national report card on security against Bio-Terrorism for the Bipartisan WMD Center. In his career, Dr. McIntyre has taught more than 50 graduate and undergraduate courses, participated in more than 1000 media interviews on security issues, and conducted more than 900 interviews as co-host of his own radio program. But his first academic love remains reading, writing and teaching literature.