Examines the rhetorical themes through which President Reagan has, relative to his recent predecessors, unified the nation behind his leadership. Discusses how Reagan interweaves familiar American myths, symbols, values, and beliefs so skillfully in his rhetoric that any criticism of him or his policies is initially construed as an attack on the…

This article reports on the development of a college course that uses feature films as a vehicle to promote a better understanding of human behavior. It includes film titles and descriptions along with questions used for guiding discussions. (JDH)

Discusses recent nonfiction books for young readers. (FL)

Compares the theories of writing style advocated by Barthes and Coles. (FL)

Discusses the work of Blake and how it situates the author in thinking about literary criticism and theory and how it affects his teaching. (SRT)

Suggests humorous ways to generate student interest in literature such as creating advertising campaigns for characters in fiction. (SRT)

Takes a new look at the importance and the oddity of John Donne's "The Exstasie" through a feminist critical perspective. Discusses certain major elements in the poem: the situation, the the persons, and the images that carry key meanings. (EL)

Consists of an interview with R. Hoban, author of children's books, who talks about what inspired his writing, how he defines fantasy, how he views children's literature in general, and his own books in particular. (SRT)

Discusses teaching J. Austen's "Emma" in light of the issue of happiness in order to make the novel more interesting to students who do not like Emma, the character. Suggests that the multiplicity of questions raised by Austen will provide sufficient material for discussion. (SRT)

Praises the works of Australian writer P. Wrightson, specifically "The Nargun and the Stars," for their tight suspense and vivid sense of place. Highly recommends her works for reading aloud. (SRT)

Examines autobiographical fiction written for children in which the stories of ordinary lives are recorded and passed on to children, who, in turn, are affected by and affect the values and assumptions of their culture. (HOD)

Discusses symbolic functions and evocative associations of four common settings in traditional fairy tales--the woods, castle, tower, and hut in the woods. (HOD)

Discusses problems resulting from the canonization of some American literary works and suggests that "fighting with canons" can be a way of perceiving and protecting differences. (EL)

Reviews "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by E. Speare to show how the full narrative power of the novel derives from the author's successful integration of two separate narrative genres: historical fiction and the folktale. (EL)

Reviews new novels on the aftermath of nuclear war, children as guerilla fighters, and young lovers in Nazi Germany. (CRH)