history and criticism

Examines the development and characteristics of hip-hop, describing its inspiration from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Jamaica, as well as its racial, multicultural, and multilingual influences.

Looks at Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," discussing the characters, the humor, and connections between Ishmael and Ahab to the twenty-first century.

The author delves into the pages of his classic graphic novel "Maus," discussing the creative process that went into it and answering the questions most frequently asked about the book. Includes a DVD that provides a digital copy of "The Complete Maus," hyperlinked to an archive of audio interviews with his father, videos, historical documents, and his own notebooks and sketches.

Discusses ways to dissect novels and examine grammar, structure choices, point of view, chapter construction, characters, continuity, literary language, and more in order to better understand and enjoy the reading experience.

Chronicles the history of theater in countries around the world from its origins into the early twenty-first century, highlighting the many different types of theater, and examining theater's component parts, including acting, theatrical space, playwriting, music, and others.

Examines the poetry, art, and social messages of Theodor Seuss Geisel's works for children and adults, discusses his impact on language and American culture, and presents an extensive, annotated primary and secondary bibliography.

A collection of over 200 chronologically-arranged essays tracing over 500 years of American literature and culture through notable speeches, letters, poetry, and commentaries.

Examines films about American wars since the Revolutionary War, such as "All Quiet on the Western Front," "Sands of Iwo Jima," and "Apocalypse Now," discussing how they have influenced values, politics, and culture and shaped understanding of history.

Explains how to use critical theory to analyze the works of Stephen King and provides summaries of his famous books as well as critiques of each.