Explores the relationship between literary criticism and ethics by analyzing two shifts regarding ethics in literary criticism: (1) a taboo against engaging in ethical criticism, encouraged during the 1930s to 1950s; and (2) the undermining of that taboo, caused by the eruption of social problems concerning race, sex, and class. (MM)

Suggests ways to give literary theory its rightful place in literary study by teaching psychoanalytic, literary, and philosophical texts in a comparative perspective. (DD)

Advocates a more clearly defined place for literary reading in interdisciplinary studies. Defines "interdisciplinary" as implying dialogues across borders. States that literary study has in the past distinguished itself from the social sciences by allowing more space for the language of texts to "talk back." Discusses a 1925 historical essay, "The…

Discusses the problem of criticizing students' interpretations of poetry. Argues that faulty interpretations should only be ignored for artistic reasons, but should be called mistakes for factual and experiential reasons. (MM)

Urges teachers of literature to respect and honor the simplicity of the common reader, marginalized among the experts. Advocates a kind of reading that includes them and does not undermine their confidence in themselves as readers and in the text as readable. Urges teachers to render simplicity more complex and to rejoin the common reader. (SR)

Discusses the idea of national literature, contemporary problems with its definition, and its history. Discusses various models of national literature. (PRA)

Argues that the individual literary work should be the first and last concern in the study of literature at the graduate level. (RB)

Argues that when a body of theory ceases to be in crisis and no longer has to struggle to define its enterprise, it is no longer theory. Discusses the status of theory in the field of English. (SRT)

Argues that literary theory is a fact of professional life in English departments and that differences of intellectual concern will always remain. Discusses what should be the object of critical analysis, and questions whether answering such a question is even possible. (HB)

Outlines three ways that literary theory has been brought into the English classroom over the past decade. Describes in detail the innovative model for curricular change used by the English department at Carnegie Mellon University in the 1980s. (HB)

Describes the experiences of a dramaturge (who researchers a play's history and themes and presents that information in educational contexts) who worked at a professional theatre. Notes that the job offered her the opportunity to do research, teach, and even publish. Suggests that her experiences as a dramaturge enhanced her skills as a teacher,…

Suggests that the English profession should take another look at children's literature as an important area for further study. (RB)

Discusses three strands in the general area of the "crisis in English studies": the notion of generic "man" and the study of humanities, the idea of literature as a tradition, and the sacredness of text. (AEA)

Argues that literary history and estimations of literary value are inseparable and that their connection has import for debate on the contents of the literary canon. Suggests possible requirements for developing a feminist theory and practice of evaluation. (SR)

Discusses the exclusion of studies in children's literature from the college English curriculum and suggests benefits to English departments of offering courses on children's literature. (GW)