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Contemporary works of literature such as The Help reference important historical events in order to reflect on themes and challenges that have...

Welcome...to The Road. Hope everyone remembered to bring their cannibal repellent.

Time to explore Sylvia Plath's "Daddy" and "Ariel." Those are both poems, by the way. We're not that interested in her actual dad, Otto. No offense...

What difficulties did Sherman Alexie write about in "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian"? What elements did Capote deal with in his bo...

How did the Vietnam War change the public perception of the U.S. government? What themes are explored in The Things They Carried? Do you know the M...

What are the characteristics of post-war literature? What themes are explored in Maus? Is Maus about mice? Does anyone else feel like cheese right...

What were the issues James Baldwin wrote about, and what was the significance of his short story "Sonny's Blues"? You don't know the answer? Fine.....

Does Prospero have magical powers? And if he does, could he get us into Hogwarts? We've been waiting so patiently...

On the road again...we just can't wait to get on the road again...and discuss On The Road. 

What's the central theme in Howl, and what's unusual about the style in which its written? Bonus points if you howl your answers.

Welcome to Contemporary Literature. It's not old and banal like all that ancient literature. It's hip and cool. It wears Warby Parker glasses. 

Join us for part fourteen of Contemporary Literature: New Journalism. It's harder, better, faster, and stronger than old journalism. Either that, o...

Susan Sontag was a famous photographer who never even owned a selfie stick. Can you imagine? 

David Foster Wallace, author of Infinite Jest, had a fondness for footnotes.11 Shmoop also enjoys a good footnote. 

We're only going to hold you captive for a minute and thirty-two seconds, which is roughly eleven weeks less than Mary had to endure. Also, we'll b...