Julian of Norwich (1342-1416), was a Christian mystic whose writings, "Revelation of Love" and "A Book of Showings," are the earliest surviving texts in the English language written by a woman. The question that has puzzled scholars for centuries follows: How could a woman of her time express her vision in such innovative and…

Among the harshest critiques ever received during my doctoral coursework came from a professor who was noticeably perturbed that I had researched and written a paper on an artwork without considering the title in the interpretation and analysis of the work. The professor insisted that the title is necessary to understand the piece. As a diligent…

The purposes of this book are to introduce film as an art and to show how close, both in form and content, literature and the narrative film are to one another. To accomplish these purposes, the basic components of literature and film are compared, including language (the novel uses words, while the film uses images), point of view, and figurative…

Describes the gradual breakthroughs and the classroom procedures in one teacher's efforts to find a pedagogy for poetry that would side-step or eliminate the need for a direct assault on meaning. Discusses the complex first response to poems. Uses visual art to encourage looking and seeing over judging, and reporting over interpretation. (PA)

Calls for writing instruction that leads students to realize that meaning depends upon context and perspective. Describes a course in which students "problematize" and write about issues within literary works. Explains that students observe visual artworks which serve as companion pieces to the literary works and to students' own compositions…

If the best criticism of art is another work of art, studying the act of translation (the movement of ideas from one area or method of expression to another, such as between languages, between ancient and modern, between literature and life) can be of value to the English teacher. Bad translations, as exemplified in the condensation and…

Selected resources of the New York State Library that document the achievements of African Americans in the arts, as well as the historical and cultural contexts of these achievement, are listed. In addition to primary sources and significant historical and critical works, the bibliography contains references to other bibliographies and research…

The major thesis of this paper is that the teaching of English should be interdisciplinary. The paper shows that the works of George Bernard Shaw and William Shakespeare are interdisciplinary and observes that the greatest current educational need is for breadth of education and interdisciplinary linkages rather than for transmission of facts. It…