This article presents an interview with the noted Nepali American fiction writer Samrat Upadhyay. Samrat Upadhyay's fiction is mostly about his native country of Nepal, but he writes mainly for an Anglo-American audience. In the interview, Upadhyay not only discusses his own work, but he also examines samples of prose by other Asian or Asian…

This essay explains the relevance of fiction to the practice of rural education research, in so doing engaging questions about the nature and purposes of research and, therefore, of science itself. Although many may assume science and fiction (in this account, novels) harbor contrary purposes and devices, this essay argues that, to the contrary,…

During the eighteenth century, amateurs as well as philosophers ventured critical commentary on the arts. Talk concerning taste or beauty or the sublime was so much a part of general discourse that even novelists of that era incorporated such subjects in their work. So it would not be surprising to find that perspectives on aesthetics are…

Traditionally, we English faculty have warned our students against simply identifying with a literary work's characters. For us, such attachments constitute "reading badly." But we engage in identifications, too, including ones with the work's author. A consideration of critical responses to "Benito Cereno" and "Uncle Tom's Cabin" enables us to…

Raises issues involved in the study and teaching of narrative, with reference to both literature and film. Considers the function of realism in narrative fiction and the teaching of theory and practice of those writers and filmmakers who have challenged the realist text by alternative strategies. (JMF)

The author discusses the following question: "How can fiction, which consists primarily of particular statements about human nature, be said to give us universal truths?" (Author/SJL)

Shows how English teachers can use film to upgrade the literary consciousness of theatre goer and reader alike. (RL)

Examines three works of fantasy that have been awarded the Newbery or Carnegie Medal during the last 15 years ("The High King,""The Owl Service," and "The Grey King") and that have used Wales as their setting. (HOD)

Examines the issues in adjudicating disputes between critics and experts over quality in children's literature. Finds that critics look for the best work, and popularity is irrelevant to them, while the "expert" looks for books that define the time that the expert lives in. Explores one critic/expert debate over Katharine Tozer's…

Examines the reasons why so many people have preconceptions about how much "truth" is in fiction. Notes the effects of believing that authors base their fiction primarily on personal, "true-to-life" experiences. (RL)

Claims that Quebec writers in the 1960s-80s, buoyed by nationalist and separatist aims, created alternative "Marias" who write out of their language, dreams, and bodies, and who are trying to effect a further liberation. Asks where future trajectories invented by Quebec writers will propel their readers next. (RAE)

Provides a comparative analysis between the work of Kenneth Grahame and Enid Blyton. Finds that a truly unbiased comparison is impossible. States that Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" is most often seen as a "classic," and that Blyton's work is seen as "popular trash." Cautions that definitions of…

Argues that the works of G.A. Henty are a phenomenon worthy of study for the literary historian and examines some of the main reactions to his work at and since his time. (HOD)

Although often represented in movies and on television, West Point's most frequent and influential appearance in popular culture has been in children's literature, most notably in juvenile series books. (HOD)

Literature offers an unusually rich store of fictional characters from which all educators can learn much. Sherlock Holmes constitutes a model whose personal characteristics, love of truth, concern for his fellow man, and teaching ability exemplify the best in pedagogy. (Author)