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

• 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 ...
• American Government 101 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 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...
• American Wars: The American Revolution and the 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...
• 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 histo...
• Creative Writing 101 'Creative Energy-Flow and the Written Word' 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, e...
• 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,...
• Film Appreciation 101 ' Film Appreciation for Modern Audiences' is intended as a journey through the world of film, for 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...
• 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....
• 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...
• 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...
• 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 ...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...
• 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...