Outlines an innovative American Studies program in an Alabama high school. (MD)

In a lawsuit involving classroom and literary racial epithets, the Ninth Circuit Court remanded the racial-harassment claim, not the book-removal claim. The ultimate outcome awaits trial; the court's Solomonic decision needs further testing. Meanwhile, the "N" word is a no-no for teachers and students, but not necessarily for books. (MLH)

Relates how an English professor set out to offer Thoreau as a survival kit for our difficult time'' at strike-riven San Francisco State College. (Author)

A person does not need to be culturally literate (as defined by E.D. Hirsch) to read American contemporary fiction. This article explores alternative definitions, barriers to cultural literacy, and suggestions for change: building on students' interests, providing out-of-classroom learning experiences, sharing anecdotal material, and emphasizing…

During the past 30 years, great changes have occurred in secondary literature programs' specific selections and cultural content. Today's English teachers are altering program content to reflect the variety of ethnic, religious, racial, and other social groups in the U.S. The New England Association of Teachers of English's list of…