Frenchman Le Clezio Wins Nobel For Literature Oct 11, 2008
Horace Engdahl- secretary, the Nobel Committee for Literature, had triggered a literary controversy last month when in a statement to the Associated Press, he commented that American literature was too insulated, too insular. On top of it, he described American writers as too sensitive to trends in their own mass culture. (The Money Times)
French novelist Le Clezio wins Nobel for literature Oct 10, 2008
Last month, Horace Engdahl, secretary of the Nobel committee for literature, stirred a literary controversy when he told the Associated Press that American literature is "too isolated, too insular," and American writers "too sensitive to trends in their own mass culture.". The last American to win the prize was Toni Morrison in 1993. (USA Today -- Life)
France's Le Clezio Wins Nobel Lit Prize Oct 10, 2008
Asked how he thought the prize would be received in the United States, given Engdahl's recent controversial comments about American literature, he said he had no idea. "I'm not aware that there are today any anti-French sentiments in the U.S. And apart from that, Le Clezio, is a cosmopolitan. He lives part of the year in New Mexico," Engdahl said. (CBS News -- World)
Newsweek: Porn culture goes mainstream Oct 8, 2008
In "The Porning of America" (Beacon), which he has written with colleague Carmine Sarracino, a professor of American literature, the duo argue that, through Bratz dolls and beyond, the influence of porn on mainstream culture is affecting our self perceptions and behaviorin everything from fashion to body image to how we conceptualize our sexuality. It's too early to know exactly how kids who grow up in this hypersexualized environment will be affected in the long term. (MSNBC -- News)
Insular? Us? Oct 8, 2008
A quick scan of the " gives the following posts: U.S. writers robbed by Nobel Committee; most Nobel literature is boring; good to know America isn't the only place with bigots; Nobel nordicentrism; MFAs killed American literature; Europe is finished, anyway ("skinny French women will all be in burkhas"); Danielle Steel. Danielle Steel? By no means is she the only author who has been omitted from the prize-giving, thanks only to the sheer prejudice and anti-American feeling of the committee,... (Slate)
Hey, Sweden, We Don't Want Your Stupid Nobel Prize in Literature Oct 6, 2008
The Nobel Committee has no clue about American literature ... The Swedes have no clue about American literature ... Nobel GasThe Swedes have no clue about American literature. (Slate)
Nobel predications center on rights activists Oct 4, 2008
Engdahl's comments to the AP drew anger in the U.S., where the head of the National Book Foundation offered to send Engdahl a reading list of American literature ... He was speaking in general terms about American literature the academy insists that nationality doesn't matter when it makes its pick. (MSNBC -- International)
Mark Twain to entertain, educate at Durham Fair Discovery Center Oct 3, 2008
"To me, that's classic American literature and it's sad that so many Americans have lost that knowledge," she said. Weather permitting, Pogson, as Twain, will meet the public at 11:30 a.m. today at the Main Gate to the fair for a stroll around the fairgrounds with Tom and Huck. (Middletown Press, CT)
On the state of writing Sep 18, 2008
English professor Margaret Soltan discusses the recent death of writer David Foster Wallace and American literature today. by Ani MamourianHatchet Reporter Issue date: 9/18/08 Section. (GW Hatchet, Washington DC)
Couple share seat on river stewardship council Sep 17, 2008
The stewardship council is tasked with coordinating with the National Park Service to safeguard the so-called outstanding resources that define the Wild and Scenic Rivers System, which are ecology, history, recreation and value to American literature. The rivers are really amazing and are these incredible attributes, said Steppacher, a Concord resident. (Concord Journal, MA)
A brouhaha in the bookery Sep 17, 2008
He said many of the books set for the auction block are "classics of English, French and American literature, in rare and valuable 18th- and-19th-century editions." They are of "extraordinary historical interest.". "Packing this stuff up in boxes to discard it is just madness," he said. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Infinitely Sad Sep 16, 2008
As a journalist, Wallace, who died in a suicide last Friday at the age of 46, left American literature with a body of work as fine as any produced in America in the last two decades. His own self-absorption played no small part in the achievement. (Slate)
Archaeology lectures get In the Dirt Sep 14, 2008
This will include Andrew Jacksons acquisition of the state in 1821, the early pioneer cracker culture, Reconstruction and Eatonville, Americas first incorporated black community and home of Zora Neale Hurston, a pre-eminent writer of 20th century African American literature. The states coming of age and the development of its unique identity will also be explored. (Florida Today)
9/14: Kate Voegele Sep 12, 2008
"But it was pretty much impossible for me to stay at Miami University. It's pretty hard to take classes from the road there, but University of Phoenix makes that entirely possible with their online program. It's so great and I really, really like my classes. I'm going to start an American Literature class soon, which I'm so excited about. Just being a writer, that's totally right up my alley.". Type Size. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
In Jersey City, literary lion was just their Bob Sep 12, 2008
He was the Giroux of Farrar, Straus x, the leading publisher of serious American literature. Share. (NJ.com -- News)
'Ghost Train' Sep 5, 2008
Theroux: Flattered to be called the "Indiana Jones of American literature," but says Indy has had far more adventures ... Q: Do you agree with The Guardian's description of you as "the Indiana Jones of American literature". (USA Today)
The power of 'The Shield' Sep 3, 2008
"As Hemingway said, 'All modern American literature comes from "Huckleberry Finn. " ' " Organized by Jon Clinch, author of "Finn," the benefit will also include readings by Tasha Alexander, Philip Beard, Andrew Carroll, David Gates, Robert Hicks, Phillip Lopate, Amy MacKinnon, Stewart O'Nan, and Arthur Phillips. (Boston Globe)
Bowen's Beat- College lessons dont stop in the classroom Aug 30, 2008
Because going off to college is more than just getting a piece of paper declaring your proficiency in business, chemistry or American Literature. It s where you really meet yourself for the first time, see what kind of person you are, and who you ll become. (Billerica Minuteman, MA)
New associate principal joins VRHS staff Aug 22, 2008
an MA in British American literature and film from the University of Newcastle in Newcastle, England, an MA in teaching, and is working on her thesis for her six-year certification, both from Sacred Heart University. Her thesis is on school climate and leadership. (Pictorial Gazette, CT)
Beijing's homosexuals live in the shadows Aug 22, 2008
He came to Beijing in 2000 to study English and American literature and culture at the Beijing Institute of Technology. He continued his studies for one year in the United Kingdom, which opened his eyes to a wider world. (San Francisco Chronicle)
The Deciders Aug 21, 2008
Elsewhere in Slate this week, Gerry Howard, Ted Solotaroff's editor, the New American Review's role in shaping American literature of the '60s and '70s. Ted Solotaroff (left) and Rust Hills. (Slate)
L. Rust Hills, 83; was Esquire's curmudgeonly fiction editor Aug 18, 2008
NEW YORK - L. Rust Hills, a staunch advocate of contemporary American literature who, as Esquire's curmudgeonly fiction editor in three separate stints from the 1950s through the 1990s, published original works by scores of the country's finest writers, died Aug. 12 in Belfast, Maine. He was 83 and lived in Key West, Fla. (Boston Globe)
Kenneth Warren to serve additional two-year Deputy Provost term Aug 15, 2008
A member of the Chicago faculty since 1991, Warren is interested is American and African-American literature of the late-19th and mid-20th centuries. He is especially focused on the effect of black/white racial differences on American authors criticism of American literature. (Univeristy of Chicago Chronicle, IL)
Pottle appointed Regis College dean Aug 13, 2008
Pottle s scholarship interests, which he plans to continue to pursue, include travel writing and American literature. In May, he presented research on travel writing at the American Literature Association in San Francisco. (Lexington Minuteman, MA)
Student bridges language gap Aug 7, 2008
At the university, he took four classes: U.S.-Brazilian Relations, Basic Computers, American Literature and Portuguese Instrumental. Many of the students and professors spoke and wrote in English, but two of his classes were taught in Portuguese, he said. (The Augusta Chronicle)
Neighbors (Aug. 7) Aug 5, 2008
Burke concentrated in English and American literature and language and graduated with a bachelor s degree. Aidan Leahy, child of William and Kathleen Leahy, earned a bachelor s degree from Sarah Lawrence College on May 23. (Needham Tab, MA)
Book Buzz: 'Rules' gives Silva his best debut Jul 31, 2008
"It's one of the masterpieces of American literature," he says of So Long. The Library of America is marking the centenary of Maxwell's birth (1908-2000) with two new volumes of his work. William Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories ($35), to be published in September, includes So Long.. (USA Today -- Life)
Festival set to bring Asian folktales to life Jul 31, 2008
Among the storytellers are Wajuppa Tossa, an associate professor of English and American literature from Mahasarakham University in Thailand, and Carla Pacis, a lecturer at De La Salle University in the Philippines. Other storytellers include Chin Yahan of Cambodia, Kongdeuane Nettavong of Laos, Genevieve Asenjo of the Philippines, Hasniah Husain and Yusof Gajah of Malaysia, Pawi Tajuddin Kifli bin H. Mohd. (Jakarta Post, Indonesia)
A Serious Meditation Jul 30, 2008
While the Berlin backdrop to DJ Darky's story is fresh, Beatty revisits certain classic themes that have come up in African American literature since Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright. "Moving to Berlin reduced the fear of being mistaken for someone else to almost nothing," DJ Darky reflects. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Dark prophet Jul 28, 2008
Publishing these novels by Dick, though, is a real service to American literature. Mark Feeney is a member of the Globe staff. (Boston Globe)
More of this story Jul 27, 2008
An educator with 36 years of experience, Orenstein has master s degrees in literature and education from New York University and Hofstra University, and a doctorate in American literature from NYU. She said she took the job at the cooperative because she thought it would allow her to teach in a way she had never experienced. What she found, she said, was a system in which teachers were expected to give students passing grades regardless of their performance. (Pine Bluff Commercial, AR)
A long hop from Lord's Jul 19, 2008
" O'Neill's achievement, which has been greeted as the most accomplished of post- September 11 fiction, may be measured in other ways than by comparison with one of the greats of American literature. Try the fact that he has somehow crafted a novel with cricket at its core that has found its way onto The New York Times bestseller list. For most who read the unpublished manuscript it was, predictably enough, too alien. "Everyone turned this book down except for one editor and then also foreign... (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Tobias Wolff Jul 19, 2008
But the "rock" on which Wolff has landed with deserved good fortune can also be taken as contemporary American literature. No writer ever suffered from being tied to a fashionable movement, and he has been associated from the beginning of his career with Raymond Carver, who provided an endorsement for his first book, the short-story collection In the Garden of the North American Martyrs (1981). (Guardian Unlimited)
Yates named Carl Albert Academic Dean Jul 15, 2008
After a stint teaching English at Rich Mountain Community College in Mena in the late 1980s, Yates joined the faculty of NWOSU where he taught American literature, film, mythology, and creative writing. He was selected by the student government association as the John Sheffield Teacher of the Year, the highest faculty honor at NWOSU and was president of the faculty senate for two years. (Alva Review Courier, OK)
'JAZZ & BLUES MUSICIANS OF SOUTH CAROLINA': From Tommy Benford to Chris Potter, musicians recall love affair with jazz and blues Jul 14, 2008
Franklin has published numerous books, articles and reviews about American literature, including "The Other John Adams, 1705-1740.". For more information, visit. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
Thank you, Senator Helms Jul 13, 2008
When USIA solicited for officers to take leaves of absence, my application - I had an offer to study American literature at Stanford - was denied. I took the hint and the scholarship and quit USIA. I won my battle of El Salvador but Helms won the war, driving out a diplomat whose views differed from his own and eventually abolishing USIA.. (Asia Times Online)
Senate Page: Reed Phillips was selected by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Al) to be part of the U.S. Senate Page Program. Jul 2, 2008
During his time in D.C. Phillips took American Literature, Advanced English Composition, U.S. History and Political Science. Phillips said classes during the program were a lot more intense than classes he was used to. (Alexander City Outlook, AL)
Eva Hindus, 94, librarian and faculty wife at Brandeis Jul 1, 2008
One of them was Michael T. Gilmore, who arrived in Waltham in 1976 as a young assistant professor and who still teaches American literature there. He recalled Mrs. Hindus as "warm and welcoming.". (Boston Globe)
"AMERICA, AMERICA" Jun 29, 2008
In an age of conspicuously small American literature, Canin should be commended for the ambition of "America, America" (an ambition that announces itself even in the title. But he fails to weave the numerous threads he takes up into a solid tapestry, and the largeness of the subject makes the thinness of this book all the more of a pity. (New York Post -- Opinions)
Filmmakers page through graphic novels Jun 29, 2008
With "Watchmen"- named by Time magazine as one of the top 100 works of 20th-century American literature - Snyder follows in inauspicious footsteps. The filmmaker would seem like the best fit so far for capturing the mad genius of Moore, who divorced himself from the botched big-screen version of his "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," as well as critical successes "V for Vendetta" and "From Hell." Win or lose at the box office or in reviewers' star ratings, filmmakers keep going back to the... (The Trentonian, NJ)
'On the Road' revisited Jun 24, 2008
That s how Jack Kerouac, an unknown 25-year-old writer from the East, described his entry into Cheyenne in July 1947 in his book called On the Road, which was first published 10 years later and became an icon of American literature. Kerouac was on his way to Denver to meet some rowdy, non-mainstream friends who were having a big post-war time in the Colorado capital, including a Columbia classmate named Allen Ginsberg. (Casper Star-Tribune, WY)
At U.S. championships, women ponder next moves Jun 9, 2008
No longer distracted by pesky subjects like French 2 or Modern American Literature, she came to the United States gymnastics championships with extra focus. On Saturday, she won the all-around title and finished first in the floor exercise. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
Five honored at HAIL awards Jun 7, 2008
Since its publication by the University of Arizona Press in 2006, Hayes's memoir has earned recognition as an honest and welcome addition to Native American literature. Called a "rewarding, evocative, ultimately uplifting view of Native life" by Booklist and "one of the most important books to come out of Alaska" by the Anchorage Press, "Blonde Indian" received a 2007 American Book Award, was chosen as a 2006 Book of the Month by Native America Calling and was named a Kiriyama Prize nonfiction... (Juneau Empire)
Summer Reading - 11th Grade Jun 7, 2008
Because of the great rebellion, the sexual content and the profanity, Catcher in the Rye consistently makes the most banned books list each year; however, with eash passing year, more and more schools are including it in their curriculum, seeing it's importance as a piece of American literature. The Great Gatsby. (Suite101.com)
* Lin Shu-yu hits a home run Jun 4, 2008
Lin Shu-yu: I spent my elementary school years in Twin Cities, Minnesota, where my dad went for his doctoral study in American literature. When we came back to Hsinchu, I could neither read nor write Mandarin. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Ubiquitous Upside May 30, 2008
He grew up in Hyderabad, India, the second son of a mother who taught American literature and a father who ran a plastics company. Though he ran Adobe's sales for a year, he is an engineer at heart, not a pitchman. (Forbes -- Technology)
Bluffs' Johnson creates unique art May 30, 2008
"At the college, I first taught literature and American literature," he said. "The last 10 years or so, I was able to teach a Christian fiction class on the writings of C.S. Lewis, 'Intro to Linguistics' and 'Literature of the Bible.'". (Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, IA)
A solar salute for San Francisco's Carnaval May 27, 2008
Michael Szalay, an English professor at UC Irvine, flew up from Orange County to deliver a paper on Herman Melville's "Moby Dick" to the American Literature Association meeting in San Francisco, but on Sunday he deserted academia for a morning at Carnaval. "I just love watching this," he said. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Sports)
Book World: 'Bright Shiny Morning' May 21, 2008
True or not, it was a great piece of American literature. Thank you. (Washington Post)
Poet laureate brings poets, poetry lovers together May 16, 2008
One of the collections from which Sassi will read, "Rooted in Stars," her most recently published work, is in the permanent collection of American literature at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University. The book is now in its second printing. (West Hartford News, CT)
Retiring English prof has one last lesson to give May 15, 2008
" Croft explained that switching from journalism to education was not that big of a stretch."I've always liked to write," he said. "I like to read and I got interested in American literature a lot. I like to not only read those things again, but also listen to my students give their own input and I enjoy reading what my students write about. (Andalusia Star News, AL)
Long-time Kiski headmaster dies May 14, 2008
Actually, that book is probably "The Great Gatsby," and Mr. Pidgeon's longtime requirement that his American Literature students memorize its last page. Right now, there are likely legions murmuring, "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Pitcher at Stanford, but not for Stanford May 14, 2008
Main courses: 1) Exploring the Death Penalty; 2) American Literature and Culture to 1855; 3) Management of Sustainable Building Projects; 4) Epic Journeys, Modern Quests (humanities requirement). Smaller courses: 1) Sports Nutrition; 2) History of Medicine; 3) Anthropology of Medicine. (San Francisco Chronicle)
LU professor elected president of honor society (3) May 6, 2008
Harris received a master's degree in creative writing and a doctorate in African American literature from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She has taught at Lincoln University since 1990, and also serves as co-director of the Honors Program. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
A Whitman sampler May 5, 2008
Students, scholars and area residents with an appreciation for classic American literature gathered at Lone Star College-Montgomery Thursday to discuss and pay tribute to Walt Whitman on the 189th anniversary of his birth. Whitman broke barriers and defied the traditions of his time, said Dr. Jerry Loving, a Whitman biographer and professor at Texas A&M University. (Conroe Courier, TX)
Gear is fine but won't replace skill or good sense May 4, 2008
The story became well-read American literature. Some still read it to this day. (Anchorage Daily News)
COLLEGE BRIEFS May 4, 2008
D., will discuss The Holocaust in American Literature: Hard Cases at the 26th annual Morris and Mae Gelb Memorial Lecture. Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center. (Scranton Times, PA)
Mark Jude Poirier's movie 'Smart People' is, like his stories, quiet and telling Apr 8, 2008
" The screenplay he came up with was, not surprisingly, about the academic world. His father was a professor of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Arizona, and he had by that point done time himself as a student or a teacher or both at Georgetown, Stanford, the University of Iowa and Johns Hopkins, in addition to Portland State. (He later taught at Louisiana State and Bennington, and his companion, Ed Cahill, is an American literature professor at... (International Herald Tribune)
Leader of humanities councils to speak at Morningside Apr 5, 2008
Later, she earned a master's degree and a doctorate in American literature from Kansas State University. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Mackintosh worked as a writer and editor for two magazines, Science 80 and Horticulture. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
A Horrible Fact Apr 3, 2008
EX: U.S. History taught in conjunction with American Literature. Students will also be taking a foreign language in freshman year and more electives will be offered. (Anson Record, NC)
Readers' picks Apr 1, 2008
Besides the many similarities to Navy life today, the book has all the elements of classical American literature humor, pathos, poetry, and philosophy. Rick Onderdonk, Tehachapi, Calif. (Christian Science Monitor)
Rolling Stones doc is a Cant Miss Mar 31, 2008
When he passed, the world lost one of the great visionaries of modern American literature. Fortunately, he left a few things behind, including 12 unpublished pieces, both fiction and non-fiction. (MSNBC -- News)
Italian student blossoms at Canterbury Mar 29, 2008
" Academically, the young woman is excelling at Canterbury. She's enrolled in seven classes: American Literature, American History, honors Chemistry, geometry and trigonometry, French and Advanced Latin, and World Religions. "The hardest class for me is chemistry," Francesca said. "It's really, really hard ... She's my American Literature teacher, and I got to know her because [she directs the plays. (New Milford Times, CT)
Poets visit schools; to slam Buena on Friday Mar 27, 2008
Since 2006, Phillips has lived near Mexico City, where he has served as professor of Hispanic American literature and advanced translation at Universidad Internacional. He works with an experimental-theater troupe in a realm known as verbo balo, or spoken video. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
How Alice Walker's papers went to Emory Mar 23, 2008
"Rudolph Byrd is one of the great scholars of Walker's work and African-American literature," he said ... Meeting her made Byrd more interested in how he could interpret Walker's writing, which by its variety is considered of landmark significance in African-American and American literature. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
