Title of Work and its Form: “A & P,” short story Author: John Updike Date of Work: 1961 Where the Work Can Be Found: The short story is frequently anthologized and can be found in countless collections of American short stories. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Description Discussion: When most people think about twentieth-century American … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: Les Miserables, feature film Author: Directed by Tom Hooper, Screenplay by William Nicholson, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Herbert Kretzmer, based on the musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg which was based on the novel by Victor Hugo. Date of Work: 2012 Where the Work Can Be Found: … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” pop song Author: Written by Norman Whitfield and Edward Holland, Jr. Date of Work: 1966 Where the Work Can Be Found: As a modern classic, the song can be found on countless Motown compilations. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Structure Discussion: Gosh, I love … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: “Ozymandias,” poem Author: Percy Bysshe Shelley Date of Work: 1818 Where the Work Can Be Found: The poem is anthologized all over the place. Thanks to its brevity and inclusion in the public domain, I have also reproduced it below. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Material Text of the … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: “Daddy,” poem Author: Sylvia Plath Date of Work: 1962 Where the Work Can Be Found: As an American classic, “Daddy” is anthologized all over the place, including complete collections of Plath’s poetry. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Authorial Perspective Discussion: “Daddy” is a difficult poem for many folks. Some … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: A Streetcar Named Desire, play Author: Tennessee Williams Date of Work: 1947 Where the Work Can Be Found: Streetcar is revived a great deal. The last Broadway production was in 2012 and featured a multiracial cast. You can also find the play in nearly any bookstore. Here’s an idea: … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: “We Real Cool,” poem Author: Gwendolyn Brooks Date: 1960 Where the Work Can Be Found: The poem has been anthologized a LOT. You may also find the work in authorized form on the web site of the Academy of American Poets. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Lineation Discussion: Many … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: “The Lottery,” short story Author: Shirley Jackson Date of Work: 1948 Where the Work Can Be Found: The story was originally published in The New Yorker‘s June 26, 1948 issue. You can also find the story in a ton of anthologies. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Tone Discussion: I … Continue reading »
Title of Work and its Form: “The Road Not Taken,” poem Author: Robert Frost Date of Work: 1915 Where the Work Can Be Found: The poem has appeared in just about every anthology of poetry ever. Element of Craft We’re Stealing: Sentence Beauty Discussion: Highly anthologized works like “The Road Not Taken” have been taught … Continue reading »
Title of Work: “Young Goodman Brown,” short story Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne Date of Work: 1835 Where the Work Can Be Found: Thanks to public domain, the story can be found in many anthologies and even on the Internet. Element of Craft You’re Writing About: Description Discussion: “Young Goodman Brown” is one of the big stories … Continue reading »