The Value of Literature


Book Description

In The Value of Literature, Rafe McGregor employs a unique approach – the combination of philosophical work on value theory and critical work on the relationship between form and content – to present a new argument for, and defence of, literary humanism. He argues that literature has value for art, for culture, and for humanity – in short, that it matters. Unlike most contemporary defenders of literary value, the author's strategy does not involve arguing that literature is good as a means to one of the various ends that matter to human beings. It is not that literature necessarily makes us cleverer, more sensitive, more virtuous, more creative, or just generally better people. Nor is it true that there is a necessary relation between literature and edification, clarification, cultural critique, catharsis, or therapy. Rather than offer an argument that forges a tenuous link between literature and truth, or literature and virtue, or literature and the sacred, this book analyses the non-derivative, sui generic value characteristic of literature and demonstrates why that matters as an end in itself.




The Price of Literature


Book Description

The Price of Literature examines the presence of theory in the nineteenth-century French novel, something Proust likened to leaving a price tag on a gift. Emerging after the French Revolution, what we now call literature was conceived as an art liberated from representational constraints. Patrick M. Bray shows how literature’s freedom to represent anything at all has meant, paradoxically, that it cannot articulate a coherent theory of itself—unless this theory is a necessarily subversive literary representation, or “the novel’s theoretical turn.” Literary thought, or the theory produced by the text, can only function by exploring what escapes dominant representations. The Price of Literature analyzes how certain iconic texts from the nineteenth century (by Mme de Staël, Hugo, Balzac, Flaubert, and Proust) perform a theoretical turn to claim the freedom to represent anything in the world, but also literature’s ability to transform the world it represents. The conclusion advances a new way of thinking about literary scholarship—one based on how literature redistributes ways of writing by lending form to thought.




How to Win the Nobel Prize in Literature


Book Description

With humor, wit, and insight, David Carter sets out a number of fail-safe rules to follow in order to win the Nobel Prize in literatureThere are acclaimed writers— James Joyce, Marcel Proust, Tolstoy, Mark Twain— who never won the Nobel Prize, and others, less well known, such as Henryk Sienkiewicz, Paul Heyse, and Romain Rolland, who did. What exactly does one have to do to impress, or be snubbed by, the Nobel Committee? This book is a fascinating survey of the Nobel Prize for literature, constructed as a tongue-in-cheek series of rules. "Be a man" is one of them, and "Make sure your best work has been translated into Swedish" another. Presenting biographical information as well as extracts from their work, David Carter will try to answer a number of questions about the prize, such as What are the outstanding qualities of the winners' works? Were there any unusual circumstances attending the award? and Who else was considered and rejected and why?




Prizing Children's Literature


Book Description

Children's book awards have mushroomed since the early twentieth-century and especially since the 1960s, when literary prizing became a favored strategy for both commercial promotion and canon-making. There are over 300 awards for English-language titles alone, but despite the profound impact of children’s book awards, scholars have paid relatively little attention to them. This book is the first scholarly volume devoted to the analysis of Anglophone children's book awards in historical and cultural context. With attention to both political and aesthetic concerns, the book offers original and diverse scholarship on prizing practices and their consequences in Australia, Canada, and especially the United States. Contributors offer both case studies of particular awards and analysis of broader trends in literary evaluation and elevation, drawing on theoretical work on canonization and cultural capital. Sections interrogate the complex and often unconscious ideological work of prizing, the ongoing tension between formalist awards and so-called identity-based awards — all the more urgent in light of the "We Need Diverse Books" campaign — the ever-morphing forms and parameters of prizing, and scholarly practices of prizing. Among the many awards discussed are the Pura Belpré Medal, the Inky Awards, the Canada Governor General Literary Award, the Printz Award, the Best Animated Feature Oscar, the Phoenix Award, and the John Newbery Medal, giving due attention to prizes for fiction as well as for non-fiction, poetry, and film. This volume will interest scholars in literary and cultural studies, social history, book history, sociology, education, library and information science, and anyone concerned with children's literature.




The Politics Book


Book Description

Learn about how the world of government and power works in The Politics Book. Part of the fascinating Big Ideas series, this book tackles tricky topics and themes in a simple and easy to follow format. Learn about Politics in this overview guide to the subject, great for novices looking to find out more and experts wishing to refresh their knowledge alike! The Politics Book brings a fresh and vibrant take on the topic through eye-catching graphics and diagrams to immerse yourself in. This captivating book will broaden your understanding of Politics, with: - More than 100 groundbreaking ideas in the history of political thought - Packed with facts, charts, timelines and graphs to help explain core concepts - A visual approach to big subjects with striking illustrations and graphics throughout - Easy to follow text makes topics accessible for people at any level of understanding The Politics Book is a captivating introduction to the world's greatest thinkers and their political big ideas that continue to shape our lives today, aimed at adults with an interest in the subject and students wanting to gain more of an overview. Delve into the development of long-running themes, like attitudes to democracy and violence, developed by thinkers from Confucius in ancient China to Mahatma Gandhi in 20th-century India, all through exciting text and bold graphics. Your Politics Questions, Simply Explained This engaging overview explores the big political ideas such as capitalism, communism, and fascism, exploring their beginnings and social contexts - and the political thinkers who have made significant contributions. If you thought it was difficult to learn about governing bodies and affairs, The Politics Book presents key information in a clear layout. Learn about the ideas of ancient and medieval philosophers and statesmen, as well as the key personalities of the 16th to the 21st centuries that have shaped political thinking, policy, and statecraft. The Big Ideas Series With millions of copies sold worldwide, The Politics Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas series from DK. The series uses striking graphics along with engaging writing, making big topics easy to understand.




The Nobel Prize in Literature


Book Description

The Nobel Foundation presents information on Guatemalan writer Miguel Angel Asturias (1899-1974), who won the 1967 Nobel Prize in literature. Asturias received the Nobel prize for his literary achievement rooted in the national traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America. The foundation highlights a biographical sketch of Asturias, his acceptance speech, the prize presentation speech, and a Nobel lecture by Asturias.




A Celebration of Literature and Response


Book Description

Reinforced by teachers' experiences in actual classrooms, this book provides a wealth of ideas for projects, readings, and response-based activities that will engage all learners in the joy of reading and responding to literature. It blends an appreciation of children's books across all genres with an emphasis on meaningful instructional strategies for literacy programs. Coverage of multicultural/international literature helps illustrate the universality of themes in children's literature--providing a basis for establishing a library of literature that expresses the totality of children's experiences and speaks to children from all cultures and backgrounds. Coverage is based on Louise Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response, and organized around five main "celebrations" that the author uses as a framework for uniting the findings of reader-response theory with quality children's literature and exemplary reflective, literature-based practice. Includes expanded coverage on multicultural/international literature--including numerous examples of children's literature written and published in other countries. Includes extensive coverage of reader responses to literature--oral and written responses, as well as those made through the visual arts. For teachers of Children's Literature. Introduces future teaches to the full range of children's responses to literature--encourages the use of a variety of strategies to elicit authentic, heartfelt, meaningful responses from pupils. An appendix on children's literature awards. Highlights exemplary children's literature across all genres--focuses students' attention on established standards and offers guidance for choosing literature that meets such standards. CONTENTS I. CELEBRATING LITERATURE, RESPONSE, AND TEACHING. 1. Literature, Teaching, and Reader Response: Balancing Books and Readers in the Classroom. 2. Reader Response to Literature: From Rosenblatt's Theory to Research to Classroom Practice. II. CELEBRATING LITERATURE AND LITERARY GENRES. 3. The Art of the Picture Book: The Balance of Text and Illustration. 4. Traditional Tales and Modern Fantasy: The Domain of Imagination. 5. Poetry: The Power and Pleasure of Language. 6. Realistic and Historical Fiction: The Boundary of Reality. 7. Nonfiction: The Realm of Biography and Informational Books. 8. Multicultural and International Literature: Appreciating Cultural and Global Diversity. III. CELEBRATING RESPONSE CONNECTIONS TO LITERATURE. 9. Talking About Books: From Oral Response to Literature Circles. 10. Literature Response Journals: Written Reflections during Reading. 11. Literature as a Model for Writing: Apprenticing the Author's Craft. 12. Drama, Art, and Music: Expressive Arts as Response. 13. Response to Nonfiction: Blending Efferent and Aesthetic Response. IV. CELEBRATING INTERTEXTUAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS. 14. Interdisciplinary and Intertextual Connections: Response through Literature Clusters, Theme Explorations, and Twin Texts. V. CELEBRATING RESPONSE GROWTH THROUGH ASSESSMENT. 15. Documenting Response to Literature: Authentic Perspectives. Appendix A: Children's Book Awards and Recognition. Appendix B: Professional Resources. Appendix C: Children's Literature and Technology. (c) 2004, 448 pp., Paper 0-13-110902-2 1090O-6 SE0306: Children's Literature / Methods HE0415: Children's Literature Course Guide Page SUPPLEMENTS Generic Supplements ESOL Strategies for Teaching Content: Facilitating Instruction for English Language Learners (0-13-090845-2) The Portfolio Planner: Making Professional Portfolios Work For You (0-13-081314-1) Positive Behavioral Supports: Five Plans for Teachers (0-13-042187-1) Surviving Your First Year of Teaching: Guidelines for Success (0-13-032573-2) OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST Jacobs/Tunnell, "Children's Literature, Briefly, 3/E, " 2004 (0-13-049924-2) Norton/Norton, "Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children's Literature, 6/E, " 2003 (0-13-042207-X) Hillman, "Discovering Children's Literature, 3/E, " 2003 (0-13-042332-7) Darigan/Tunnell/Jacobs, "Children's Literature: Engaging Teachers and Children in Good Books, " 2002 (0-13-081355-9) Jacobs/Tunnell/Darigan, "Children's Literature Database, A Resource for Teachers, Parents and Media Specialists, 2/E, " 2002 (0-13-094618-4) Ertmer, "Education on the Internet: 2002-2003 update, " 2003 (0-13-1126385)




The Hatred of Literature


Book Description

For the last 2,500 years literature has been attacked, booed, and condemned, often for the wrong reasons and occasionally for very good ones. The Hatred of Literature examines the evolving idea of literature as seen through the eyes of its adversaries: philosophers, theologians, scientists, pedagogues, and even leaders of modern liberal democracies. From Plato to C. P. Snow to Nicolas Sarkozy, literature’s haters have questioned the value of literature—its truthfulness, virtue, and usefulness—and have attempted to demonstrate its harmfulness. Literature does not start with Homer or Gilgamesh, William Marx says, but with Plato driving the poets out of the city, like God casting Adam and Eve out of Paradise. That is its genesis. From Plato the poets learned for the first time that they served not truth but merely the Muses. It is no mere coincidence that the love of wisdom (philosophia) coincided with the hatred of poetry. Literature was born of scandal, and scandal has defined it ever since. In the long rhetorical war against literature, Marx identifies four indictments—in the name of authority, truth, morality, and society. This typology allows him to move in an associative way through the centuries. In describing the misplaced ambitions, corruptible powers, and abysmal failures of literature, anti-literary discourses make explicit what a given society came to expect from literature. In this way, anti-literature paradoxically asserts the validity of what it wishes to deny. The only threat to literature’s continued existence, Marx writes, is not hatred but indifference.




Paying the Price


Book Description

A “bracing and well-argued” study of America’s college debt crisis—“necessary reading for anyone concerned about the fate of American higher education” (Kirkus). College is far too expensive for many people today, and the confusing mix of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid leaves countless students without the resources they need to pay for it. In Paying the Price, education scholar Sara Goldrick-Rab reveals the devastating effect of these shortfalls. Goldrick-Rab examines a study of 3,000 students who used the support of federal aid and Pell Grants to enroll in public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008. Half the students in the study left college without a degree, while less than 20 percent finished within five years. The cause of their problems, time and again, was lack of money. Unable to afford tuition, books, and living expenses, they worked too many hours at outside jobs, dropped classes, took time off to save money, and even went without adequate food or housing. In many heartbreaking cases, they simply left school—not with a degree, but with crippling debt. Goldrick-Rab combines that data with devastating stories of six individual students, whose struggles make clear the human and financial costs of our convoluted financial aid policies. In the final section of the book, Goldrick-Rab offers a range of possible solutions, from technical improvements to the financial aid application process, to a bold, public sector–focused “first degree free” program. "Honestly one of the most exciting books I've read, because [Goldrick-Rab has] solutions. It's a manual that I'd recommend to anyone out there, if you're a parent, if you're a teacher, if you're a student."—Trevor Noah, The Daily Show




Nobel Lectures


Book Description

This is a collection in which meditations on imagination and the process of writing mingle with keen discussions of global affairs, geography and colonialism, cultural change, and the deeply lasting influences of the past.