Research & Innovation

Willa Cather's second novel, O Pioneers! (1913) tells the story of Alexandra Bergson and her determination to save her immigrant family's Nebraska farm. By placing a strong, self-reliant woman at the center of her tale, Cather gives the quintessentially American novel of the soil a radical cast. Yet, although influenced by the democratic utopianism of Walt Whitman and the serene regionalism of Sarah Orne Jewett, O Pioneers! is more than merely an elegy for the lost glories of America's pioneer past. In its rage for order and efficiency, the novel testifies to the cultural politics of the Progressive Era, the period of massive social and economic transformations that helped to modernize the United States in the years between the Civil War and World War.

Young children learn best through two kinds of experiences: dramatic play and interaction with their peers-learning through action precedes learning through language or thought. In The Dramatic Difference, Victoria Brown and Sarah Pleydell introduce drama as a bridge between children's natural propensity for active learning and the demands of the preschool and kindergarten curriculum.

The roots of much American music lie in the intensely personal art form of the blues. What bluesmen from W.C. Handy to B.B. King have told us about their lives has shaped America's perception of the blues. These life stories provide central insights into blues music and stand as a fascinating form of narrative in their own right. Barry Lee Pearson has conducted dozens of field interviews and collected over a hundred published autobiographies to present this collective portrait of bluesmen's careers as they themselves tell them: their musical learning, communities, work, pleasures, travels, triumphs, and crises.

"I always learn something rare and mysterious about language and the layered world when I read Judith Skillman. She has a stubborn appetite for beauty and a consistent accuracy of rhythm. She takes extravagant emotions and pares them down into slender, articulate images. I recommend this latest volume to anyone with a penchant for almost painful longing and an 'inclination for romance that can't be satisfied'" - Bart Baxter

In a changing society, Christians and Jews have looked to the Bible to find values and models. But the Hebrew Bible does not offer just a single model for family behavior or relationships. This volume explores the positive and negative aspects of family life in ancient Israel as portrayed in the Bible. Rashkow examines the relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children, and siblings, looking at the variety of conflicts that emerged: incest, rape, abuse, murder, and hatred. Ultimately, Rashkow's analysis provides a reflection on family, which is given texture and depth through her use of psychoanalysis and literary theory. This text traces the influence of the biblical images on later Western literature and society and provides comparative discussions of other ancient Near Eastern literatures. Also useful as a textbook for courses in Hebrew Bible, feminist studies, and psychological interpretations of the Bible.

PLACE HOLDER TEXT

Hailed as one of Joseph Conrad's finest literary achievements, this is the story of a young man unwittingly caught in the political turmoil of pre-Revolutionary czarist Russia.

A gripping novel that ultimately questions our capacity for moral strength and the depths of human integrity. Edited by Peter Mallios, this new edition includes commentary and a reading group guide.

Everybody’s Shakespeare brings the insights and wisdom of one of the finest Shakespearean scholars of our century to the task of surveying why the Bard continues to flourish in modern times. Mack treats individually seven plays—Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Cesar, and Antony and Cleopatra—and demonstrates in each case how the play has retained its vitality, complexity, and appeal.

PLACE HOLDER TEXT

This was the first Official Guide to Colonial Williamsburg in over 40 years; first published in 1985, it has been frequently updated since. It covers all the buildings in the historic area, including the 88 original Williamsburg structures (which were carefully restored) plus those that were reconstructed, in many cases, on original foundation footprints. The text is illustrated with line drawings of every historic building and its relationship to other structures along the town's four chief streets. In addition to architectural history, the text attempts to place the material culture of the town into the historical context of the Revolution as well as the lives of the families that lived and died in them--and their many slaves. Census documents show that Williamsburg was more than 50 percent African-American at the time of the Revolution. Illustrations, maps , and color photographs.