20th Century Contemporary

Featured author for this period...

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller

• • The Kennedy Center Honors:  Arthur Miller - interesting biographical information on Miller 

  •  Arthur Miller Biography -short bio. on Miller from Biography.com

  • Arthur Miller- a rich resource from National Endowment for the Humanities.

  • Official Website of The Arthur Miller Society 

  • Arthur Miller News- the New York Times

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Play:  The Crucible  -p. 1257

  • The Crucible

  • Death of a Salesman

Even more writers to explore...

James Baldwin

• • American Masters: James Baldwin- a great resource from PBS

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Short Story: "The Rock Pile" -p. 1184 

Gwendolyn Brooks 

• • Modern American Poetry: Gwendolyn Brooks - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

  • Gwendolyn Brooks-  from the Academy of American poets, biographical information and links to some of her works 

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "The Explorer" -p. 1218.

Diana Chang 

• •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Most Satisfied by Snow" -p. 1133

Eugenia Collier 

• •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • •  Short Story: "Marigolds" -p. 1012 

E.L. Doctorow

• • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • Short Story: "The Writer in the Family" -p. 1012

Rita Dove

• • Rita Dove's Homepage

  • Modern American Poetry: Rita Dove - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

  • Rita Dove-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets. 

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Essay: "For the Love of Books" -p. 1169 

Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun

Robert Hayden 

• • Modern American Poetry: Robert Hayden - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

  • Robert Hayden-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets.

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Frederick Douglass" -p.1219   

      • Poem: "Runagate Runagate" -p. 1220 

John Hersey

• • A Life in Writing: John Hersey, 1914- 1993- from Yale University's Alumni Magazine. 

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Excerpt from Nonfiction: "Hiroshima" -p.  1198

Tony Hillerman

Dance Hall of the Dead

Randall Jarrell 

• • Modern American Poetry: Randall Jarrell - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

  • Randall Jarrell-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

  • Featured Author: Randall Jarrell- from the New York Times on the web. 

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Losses" -p.1209

      • Poem: "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" -p. 1210 

 John F. Kennedy 

• • John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

  • Biography of John F. Kennedy- from The White House online 

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Speech: "Inaugural Address" -p. 1228 

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

• • Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - biographical information and more from the Nobel Foundation

  • Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s  "I Have a Dream" speech - offers an answer to the question: "What is the American dream?" 

  • The King Center- the official website of the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia

  • American Memory- The Library of Congress:  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Excerpt from Letter:  "Letter from Birmingham City Jail" -p. 1232

• Log-in to your londonderry.org account to access this resource from Gale: Martin Luther King Jr Delivers the "I Have a Dream" Speech: August 28, 1963

• Log-in to your londonderry.org account to access this resource from Discovery Education: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial - Washington, D.C.

Bernard Malamud

• • The Natural

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • •   Short Story: "The First Seven Years" -p.998

Carson McCullers 

• •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Essay: "Loneliness...An American Malady" -p. 1153 

Colleen McElroy  

• • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "For My Children" -p. 1240.

Flannery O'Connor  

• •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • •   Short Story: "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" -p. 983

Simon J. Ortiz

• • Native American Authors: Simon J. Ortiz-  from the Native American Authors Project of the Internet Public Library

  • Simon J. Ortiz-  biographical information from the Academy of American poets.

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Hunger in New York City" -p. 1134 

Sylvia Plath 

• • Sylvia Plath-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

  • Modern American Poetry: Sylvia Plath- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Mirror" -p. 1216

Adrienne Rich

• • Adrienne Rich-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

  • Modern American Poetry: Adrienne Rich- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "In a Classroom" -p. 1217 

Thoedore Roethke  

• • Theodore Roethke-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

  • Modern American Poetry: Theodore Roethke- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.  

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • •   Poem: "The Light Comes Brighter" -p. 1052 

William Safire

• • Columnist Biography: William Safire- from the New York Times.

  •  Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Essay: "Onomatopoeia" -p. 1146 

William Stafford 

• • William Stafford-  biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

  • Modern American Poetry: William Stafford- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/ criticism. 

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Traveling Through the Dark" -p. 1053

John Updike 

• • John Updike: Biography- a wonderful resource from the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

  • "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu" - from The New Yorker.

  • Additional Resources: 

    • • Short Story: "A & P" (handout)

Robert Penn Warren 

• • Robert Penn Warren- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets. 

  • Modern American Poetry: Robert Penn Warren- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism. 

  • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

    • • Poem: "Gold Glade" -p. 1050.

Overall "Text to World" & "Text to Text" Connections for this Literary Period

• • American Memory Timeline - from the Learning Page at The Library of Congress, this link will help you connect American history to American literature.

  • The Contemporary American Poetry Archive- find some new and amazing poets at this site from the Connecticut College Department of English. 

  • Favorite Poem Project -one of my favorite sites, this site features "American saying poems they love" and is sponsored by Boston University. 

  • Poetry Foundation- great resources and a wide collection of poetry!

  • Poems that GO - click here to visit a site that can best be described as cutting edge. Perhaps this is the start of an entirely new genre in poetry.  

  • Poetry 180- A Poem a Day for American High Schools - we'll be reading one poem a day from this fantastic site thanks to poet laureate Billy Collins!