This collection of essays deals with world literature. The essays are focused on four primary goals: to map the conceptual and cultural problems inherent in common educational approaches to the subject which sometimes see world literature as a metanarrative of Western culture; to suggest new genres and perspectives; to consider specific curricular…

Although American Indian literatures are the oldest literatures on this continent, they have not generally been included in American literature courses. This volume is designed to assist teachers and students in beginning their study of the literatures of peoples native to the United States. Part 1--"Introduction to American Indian…

Provides a semester syllabus for a course in twentieth-century world literature and suggests selections to add to a world literature survey based on works of Nobel Prize winners. Includes an annotated bibliography of background information on both the literature and the philosophies of the twentieth century. (MKM)

Questions assumptions of the New Historicism, a recent development in literary criticism. Suggests some problems that such an essentially political approach engenders. Includes lack of a common bond between author and reader, a universal model of historical change based upon the ideas of Marx and others, and contextualism. Argues that historians…

This volume, the fourth in a series, brings together the conversations of the profession that were explored during the 1993 and 1994 Summer Institute for Teachers of Literature. This anthology of essays considers what "American literature" is and how definitions of this category affect teaching practices. The essays argue for the…

Differentiates modernism and postmodernism to show that despite the differences in form in twentieth century American literature--differences that high school students must be made aware of--there are patterns in the American experience that are of recurrent, urgent, and ultimate concern for the American artist. (Author/RL)

In explorations of American literature in high school, the tradition of sailormen and the sea is generally not considered independently or distinctly because the sea is not viewed as a separate region of thought. Songs of the whalers and sailors of the sea and the inland waterways are frequently related to the historical and spatial context of…

Emphasizes that a Native American literature course is best taught as a criticism of the literature, not as ethnography. Outlines a literature course covering: (1) principles of the oral tradition; (2) tribal experiences in the oral tradition; (3) Native American biography/autobiography; and (4) contemporary American Indian writers. (JHZ)

Because students often come to a literary text without the prerequisite knowledge to understand or explicate it fully, they can be thought of as outsiders, needing the help of insiders, or experts in literature, to "learn the text's secrets." Moreover, students often do not fully comprehend how much of literature rests on symbolism that demands…

Studies literature produced from 1920 to 1940 appropriate for children between 9 and 12 years of age. Critiques the values that are transmitted during this period. Maintains that, although children's literature should be integrated into the social studies curriculum, this should be done in a critical way. Includes a bibliography of books reviewed.…

This annotated bibliography lists publications which explore the various aspects of women's relation to literature. The items are grouped under the following headings: (1) articles (published in a journal); (2) books (single-author texts); and (3) collections (essays and documents, generally reprinted from other sources). (BZ)

Discusses fu, a flowery form of rhetorical writing developed in China during the Han Dynasty. Provides historical background and criticisms of the genre. Emphasizes the feminine principle of fu rhetoric with its resort to pleasure, ornamentation, and flattery. Argues that what is considered love poetry was actually political allegory. (DK)

Traces the development of an American Indian literature course where students learn how traditional American Indians, contemporary American Indians, and people of other cultures view the first Americans in literature and gain the ability to separate the stereotypic "Indians" from the authentic ones. (JHZ)