Taking off from the theme that makes Laurence Yep such a popular and beloved young adult author--the outsider seeking identity and connection in a strange, foreign world--this study of Yep's most important works shows how his experiences as a Chinese American in San Francisco fill his stories with firsthand knowledge of what it is like to be an…

This volume is a serious effort to provide a guide to the range of creative and scholarly work in the four major American ethnic literatures. The burst in creative energy among Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans has made it difficult for teachers to keep up with the primary literature, let alone the…

This book takes a critical view of both the far right and far left positions concerning higher education, arguing that both sides aim to indoctrinate students in specific cultural and political dogmas and are in fact engaging in "politics by other means," whereas the purpose of genuine education should be to foster critical thinking and…

Five leading feminist scholars assess the nature and extent of the contemporary women's movement in this collaborative book that focuses on the dual disciplinary-interdisciplinary character of feminist research. The five collaborators are Ellen Carol DuBois, Gail Paradise Kelly, Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy, Carolyn W. Korsmeyer, and Lillian S.…

Intended for teachers, language arts supervisors, curriculum designers, and others interested in the teaching of English in elementary and middle schools, this book proposes a way of unifying the language arts in a program that makes literature the center of language studies. The first chapter includes a discussion of the central role that…

The essays in this book focus on the role of the reader in textual interpretation. Specifically, they examine "open" and "closed" texts. The three essays in Part I deal with both verbal and nonverbal texts. The first considers musical compositions that leave considerable autonomy to the individual performer and also discusses…

This guide, a revision of a 1966 work by Robert O'Neal, is intended to encourage reading beyond the traditional English and American literature texts by making available a useful resource in an area where few teachers have adequate preparation. The guide contains comparative reviews of the works of 136 authors and of seven works without known…

Written by a 1975 high school graduate and a curriculum specialist, this monograph briefly describes the history of Ramah, New Mexico. Presenting the Navajo point of view, emphasis is on the socioeconomic influence of the Mormons and the Texas (Anglo) ranchers who settled in the Ramah area. Particular attention is given to: (1) land acquisition;…

The problems of teaching German literature survey courses have increased in the 1970's because of the drop in enrollment in language classes in general. Previously German literature courses (at the University of Utah) covered large amounts of material superficially; they were designed to familiarize the student with names of authors, titles of…

This book is an examination of the ideas of black writers in a variety of political, economic, social, and cultural contexts during the depression years, focusing on published writings of the most prominent writers of the era. Chapters include "Aged Race Men," which examines the clash that occurred in the 1930s between older black leaders and the…

Education reform has a long and ignoble history of searching for magic bullets. Charter schools, vouchers, educational management organizations, tuition tax credits, and high-standards movements are all part of the education landscape today. Some reformers are mere opportunists who look at the $700 billion that the United States spends on…

This book challenges current paradigms of literature instruction by making a strong case for teaching critical theory in high school literature classrooms. The book urges teachers to expand their theoretical repertoires. It argues for the importance of multiple perspectives in enabling students to better read and interpret literature, as well as…

"The Merchant of Venice," even in its own time, was considered William Shakespeare's most controversial play. Now, one of the most popular read and performed works, the play raises even more important issues for today, particularly anti-Semitism and the treatment of Jews. The analysis of the play in this casebook helps students interpret…

This book is about the genre of school stories, that is, stories that deal with the education and the educational experiences of boys and girls. The book examines specific authors and specific works from the 1840s to the present, focusing on "crossgendering"--men writing about girls and women writing about boys. The chapters are, as…

With the constant theme of the mysterious process of creativity running through its essays, this book discusses the work of some much admired 20th-century writers--Graham Greene, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Henry Green, Kingsley Amis, Vladimir Nabokov, and Anthony Burgess. The book addresses the situation of the contemporary novelist, both…