Recommended Books

• From Puritanism to Postmodernism: A History of American Literature
• The Norton Anthology of American Literature

Featured Courses in Literature

Other Related Classes in Literature

• Creative Writing 101 'Creative Writing 101' is an attempt to capture what cannot be held in hand or thought--the elusive riddle of human creativity as we find it in our writing. Here we look at various forms and genres (books, dramas and plays, poetry, essays, film-writing, ...
• Greek Mythology Do you feel totally clueless when it comes to Greek Mythology? Do you often say to yourself: It's all Greek to me? You were supposed to learn this stuff in school but classical mythology isn't really taught anymore in elementary or secondary schools....
• Poetry Writing 101 This poetry course is created for the lover of poetry who wants to learn how to appreciate the art even more. It is also for student poets who want to improve their craft. This course is thorough in teaching all students everything they need to know abo...
• Creative Writing Workshop Do you dream of writing poetry, short stories, or novels? Have you ever watched a movie or a play and felt the desire to write a script of your own? Or have you already done some writing but want to find ways to bring more creativity, more originality, t...
• World Religions 101 World Religions 101 provides a clear and concise introduction to the major world religions. You'll learn about the people, places, practices and philosophies shaping today's events. Some religions might be familiar, some strange and some you may never...
• How to Write a Short Story 101 If you're a reader and thought you might like to try your hand at short story writing but just don't know how to get started, this course will help! We'll take you through the entire process…preparing your mind, getting ideas on paper, and he...
• American Government Do you need to brush-up your knowledge of the American political system? Have you forgotten or feel slightly 'hazy' about the structure of the American government, the details of the Constitution or the exact division of the three branches of governme...
• American History Review This American History Review course invites you to explore the history of this remarkable nation. We'll discuss its early Native American roots and colonist settlements; the forging of a new national identity, free of the chains of imperialism; the estab...
• Bible Stories Learning Bible stories is a great way to learn more about Christianity. They also help to inspire us and provide great life lessons that can be used in our lives today. Because of all these reasons, and other personal ones that people may have, studying ...
• Film Appreciation 101 'Film Appreciation for Modern Audiences' is intended as a journey through the world of film. It is a sampling of the thought and accumulated critical opinion that forms the basis of the modern stature of 100 years of film-making--as art or culturally imp...
• Screenwriting 101 This is a basic, nuts-and-bolts course, for people who wish to write screenplays, but don't know much about it. Because screenwriting is demanding both technically and in the market for jobs and sales, 'Getting Into The Screenwriting Game to Win' attempt...
• American Civil War 101 One of the most divisive and important events in American history, the Civil War (also called the War Between the States) pitted countrymen against countrymen in the new and developing republic of the United States of America. Among the many issues at ...
• Buddhism 101 The religion of the future will be a cosmic religion...arising from the experience of all things natural and spiritual as a meaningful unity. If there is any religion that could cope with modern scientific needs, it would be Buddhism . Albert Eins...
• Humor Writing 101 Humor Writing There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you. (Will Rogers) Laughing- the salve of the soul. When we feel at our lowest sometimes the only thing that can turn our mood around and lift ...
• History's Greatest Conspiracies Throughout history there have been an inordinate number of monumental events, both good and bad, such as catastrophes, government coups, assassinations, great advances in science, economic depressions, and inventions that have changed our lives. In vir...
• World War ll World War II was a conflict like no other in human history. Everything that had made the First World War such a monumental event was soon eclipsed by the colossal scale and impact of the next. World War II involved more nations and soldiers than any majo...
• Cosmology 101 This course will provide you with a great amount of information about our world, our universe, and beyond our Milky Way. With our guidance, you will be able to investigate many fascinating theories and explore many exciting concepts regarding the histor...
• History of Terrorism 101 Terrorism, is it the scourge of our time? Are you fearful of being involved in a terrorist attack? Quite frankly it almost depends on where in the world you live. It is often because a safe place today is a terror target tomorrow. With the desire...
• History of the Universe For many centuries, scientists generally held the belief that the Universe was truly infinite--it had neither a beginning nor an end. The question of how our Universe began is one of the fundamental questions that all peoples of all cultures have wondere...
• American Revolutionary War 101 Without a doubt, one of the most important events in all world history (not to mention American history) was the American Revolutionary War. Through the battles that were to take place between Great Britain and its American Colonies, the face of the wo...
• Writing the Great American Short Story A pair of hands on the keyboard, a blank screen, and a single wish: You want to write the Great American Short Story! You've read many of them -- Poe's Black Cat, Cheever's Enormous Radio, Welty's The Worn Path -- but have you come close to writing a tal...
• World War I Unlike anything that had gone before it, the first great conflagration of the twentieth century was to set a precedent for all wars to follow. Involving nations from around the globe, the world had never seen a military conflict on this scale. This bru...
• American Wars: American Revolution and Civil War American History has been significantly shaped by two major wars: The Revolutionary War and The Civil War. This course will focus on both of these historical events. The American Revolution set the stage for the creation of one of the most powerful an...
• Introduction to Music Appreciation Music shapes and is shaped by our lives. Learn and appreciate the history of music. A well-rounded study of music appreciation begins with basic elements of music. Knowing the basic elements of music will aid any music listener in develop...
• Vietnam War One of the most divisive military efforts in United States history since the Civil War was the Vietnam War. A subject of widely-differing opinions at the time, the controversy rages still today over whether or not America should have involved itself in t...
• Judaism 101: An Introduction Welcome to our online introduction class on Judaism 101. In this course, students will experience the beginnings of Judaism and become familiar with some of the basic beliefs and tenants of one of the largest religions in the world. You'll be introduced...
• The Gulf War In 1990-1991, the United States of America, under President George H. W. Bush, along with several allied nations launched a massive military operation in the tiny nation of Kuwait at the northern boundary of the Persian Gulf. This was the first war foll...