Conversations in Literature


About CONVERSATIONS IN LITERATURE Individual Program Descriptions 1. Responding as Readers 2. Envisioning 3. Stepping In 4. Moving Through 5. Rethinking 6. Objectifying the Text 7. The Stances in Action 8. Returning to the Classroom Support Materials Teacher-Talk

Introduction

Key Points

Learning Objectives

Background Reading

Homework Assignment

Extension:
Classroom Connection

Ongoing Activity

Additional Reading

Background Reading

In preparation for this workshop, you may want to read the poem "The Lifeguard" by James Dickey and the short story "First Confession" by Frank O'Connor. Literature selections can be found in Literature: An Introduction To Reading and Writing, 5th edition, Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs, © 1998, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-010076-5.

You may want to consult the following online resources for more information:

Poem: "The Lifeguard" by James Dickey

Additional online Dickey poems.
A New York Times archive containing links to reviews, articles, and samples of audio reels.
The official James Dickey Newsletter and Society homepage. Visit this site for information about the author and for additional resources.
A brief biography of the poet.
Internet Public Library's links to criticism and information about the author.
RealAudio poems and articles from the Atlantic Monthly's archives.

Short Story: "First Confession" by Frank O'Connor

Full text version of the short story "First Confession."
A brief biography about the author.

Within the workshop session, you will be reading the Langston Hughes poem "Let America Be America Again," which can be found in the anthology Literature: An Introduction To Reading and Writing, 5th edition, Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs, © 1998, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-010076-5.

For online resources related to Langston Hughes and his poetry visit:

Online copies of the poem "Let America Be America Again" http://www.poets.org/poems/poems.cfm?prmID=1473 and http://www.newtrix.com/poems/lh-americ.htm.
An overview of the poem "Let America Be America Again."
A selection of Hughes' poetry, information about his life, and reviews of his work.
Information from the Gale Group, detailing Hughes' life and works.

If you have not already done so, you may also want to read Chapter 2, "Building Envisionments," pages 9-16 in Envisioning Literature by Dr. Judith Langer. This excerpt explains the process of building envisionments and gives an overview of the stance Being Out and Stepping In.

For other resources, look under Additional Reading.

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