Living Literature
An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama John Brereton
Bringing the past into the present, this innovative anthology focuses on literature as part of a fluid, living conversation across cultures, genres, and time periods. More so than any other anthology, Living Literature energizes students by offering new perspectives on a vibrant collection of stories, poems, and plays, contextualizing classic works with contemporary pieces and emphasizing the dynamic creative relationship between writers, artists, filmmakers, and musicians.
Moments
Five “Moments” chapters gather literary works from one particular time, place, or cultural viewpoint and frame the connections between them.
- More than Magnolias: Southern Women Storytellers (Chapter Seven)
- Passage to America: New Immigrants Tell Their Stories (Chapter Eight)
- Passionate Verse: Love Poetry of the English Renaissance (Chapter Sixteen)
- Writing Out Loud: Popular Victorian Narratives (Chapter Seventeen)
- Sweet Home Chicago: From Chicago Renaissance to A Raisin in the Sun (Chapter Twenty Five)
A Moment in Fiction: Southern Women Storytellers
Flannery O’Connor discusses her craft as one of the seven women writers in the Moments chapter, “More than Magnolias: Southern Women Storytellers.”
Inspiration
“Inspiration” sections in each chapter highlight artists from all genres–filmmakers, painters, musicians–who draw their creative spark from a writer or work in the anthology.
Inspiration: Yeats and U2’s Bono
U2’s Bono draws inspiration from fellow Irishman, William Butler Yeats, incorporating lines of Yeats’s poetry into song lyrics and live performances.
Literary, Web, Audio, and Visual Locales
“Locales” in every chapter prompt readers to seek out contextual resources–a real-life literary location, an online site, an audio clip, or visual image–that will enrich their understanding of a particular text.
Literary Locale: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, New Orleans
The Tennessee Williams Literary Festival, hosted annually in New Orleans, celebrates the playwright’s work, such as A Streetcar Named Desire.
Visit us at www.ablongman.com
