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English

This guide contains core databases and reference materials for English Language and Literature.

Images and Video Streaming

   Additional video streaming resources can be found by visiting Resources for Streaming Video

DVDs for English Majors

Africa to America to Paris: The Migration of Black Writers
Traces the path of African American literature from the U.S. to Paris at the end of WWII through the late '60s.
Call Number: UMDVD 7098

Ahmad Shamlou: Master Poet of Liberty
Iranian poet Ahmad Shamlou talks about his poetry, the world of poetry, and his life.
Call Number: UMDVD 5147

Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo
A sailor prepares revenge on the three men responsible for his 15 years in prison.
Call Number: UMDVD 5976

American Passages: A Literary Survey
Places American literary movements and authors within the context of history and culture.
Call Number: UMDVD 2110

Brave New Voices 2010
Captures the Grand Slam Finals showdown between four teams: Denver, Albuquerque, California Bay Area, and NYC.
Call Number: UMDVD 7134

Chinua Achebe: Africa's Voice
Analyzes the impact of Achebe's writings on world literature, as well as his own influence as editor and spokesman.
Call Number: UMDVD 3028

A Conversation with Alice Walker
Recording of an interview with Alice Walker and Bill Moyers.
Call Number: UMDVD 3026

Fences
In 1950s Pittsburgh, a black garbage collector named Troy Maxson is prone to take out his frustrations on his loved ones.
Call Number: UMDVD 10213

Getting into Grammar
Features lessons about English grammar and composition.
Call Number: UMDVD 9565

Haiku: In Basho's Footsteps
Retraces the footsteps and inspiration of Basho and addresses the therapeutic value of haiku-writing.
Call Number: UMDVD 2556

Hamlet (dir. Branagh)
The Prince of Denmark returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer.
Call Number: UMDVD 4231

The History of the English Language
Introduces the origins of the language, its 1,500-year evolution, and the state of present-day American speech.
Call Number: UMDVD 2598

Love Between the Covers
Follows the lives of six romance authors as they build their businesses, cope with upheaval, and earn a living doing what they love.
Call Number: UMDVD 10141

Native Son
Introduces the viewer to Richard Wright and to the story of his literary portrait of racism in the U.S., 'Native Son.'
Call Number: UMDVD 3022

The Quest for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Looks at the fabled classic poem and the history of the people and places behind the prose.
Call Number: UMDVD 5746

Ralph Ellison: An American Journey
Documents one of the most gifted and intellectually provocative authors of modern U.S. literature.
Call Number: UMDVD 8418

Remembering Composition
Asks the question, what is the importance of multimedia composition?
Call Number: UMDVD 3368

Rumi: Poet of the Heart
Appreciates the life and work of the mystical poet Rumi, and includes live performances of his translated poems.
Call Number: UMDVD 3212

Seamus Heaney on the New Beowulf
Explores Heaney's attraction to the epic poem, its history, and the importance of its meter and alliteration.
Call Number: UMDVD 5538

Shakespeare Uncovered (Series 1)
Combines history, biography, performance, analysis and passion to tell the story behind Shakespeare’s plays.
Call Number: UMDVD 9562

Shakespeare Uncovered (Series 2)
Combines history, biography, performance, analysis and passion to tell the story behind Shakespeare’s plays.
Call Number: UMDVD 9567

Slamnation: The Sport of Spoken Word
Follows Saul Williams and three other top poets on their journey to the National Poetry Slam.
Call Number: UMDVD 2243

Truman Capote
Presents Capote's life story and the social and political events that influenced his work.
Call Number: UMDVD 4467

Understanding Literature: The Elements of Poetry
Explores many topics, including figurative language, meter and rhyme, simile, and metaphor.
Call Number: UMDVD 5559

The United States of Poetry
Captures more than 60 of the U.S.' most essential heroes--poets--in a work of startling innovation.
Call Number: UMDVD 3458

White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in Comic Books
Examines how the first Black superheroes adhered to and were burdened by stereotypes about Black men.
Call Number: UMDVD 8420

Zora Neale Hurston: A Heart with Room for Every Joy
Details the rich legacy of Hurston's writings and the compelling story of her life.
Call Number: UMDVD 3027