Chapter 2

Christy Brown

"The Letter 'A'"

Cultural

Here is the IMDB entry for My Left Foot, the movie based on the life of Christy Brown, and a four-star review of the film by Roger Ebert.

Langston Hughes

"Theme for English B"

Biographical

Looking for a great starting point to research Hughes online? Here is Hughes's page at the American Academy of Poets site, where you'll find biographical information, a photograph, a bibliography, and several Hughes-related links.

Want more information? Here's a biography of Hughes from the University of Kansas that goes into greater detail than the one above. You'll find some good links there, too.

Here's a photo of Hughes from the Smithsonian, taken in 1939 by Carl Van Vechten, an early champion of the Harlem Renaissance.

Bibliographical

Here is Hughes's influential poem "Dream Deferred" in etext. Do a search on the phrase a raisin in the sun. What famous work of literature uses this Hughes quote as a title?

Here are "Jazzonia" online and some related links discussing the connection between Hughes's poetry and music.

Cultural

To put Hughes into a historical context you should become familiar with the history of Harlem. This timeline with photos of Harlem in the first half of the last century is a good place to start your historical journey.

If you'd like more on the social history of Harlem in this era, here is a tour of"Harlem After Dark" in the 1920s.

The artistic movement Hughes was most closely associated with is the Harlem Renaissance. (Hughes was sometimes called the"poet laureate of Harlem.") Look here for an overview of the Harlem Renaissance.

The prominent figures of the Harlem Renaissance were not exclusively men. These links featuring women active in the Harlem Renaissance will help make your understanding of the movement more complete.

Richard Rodriguez

"Going Home Again"

Biographical

For a bit of background information about Rodriguez, click over to his"Off Camera" biography at the Online NewsHour site. You'll also find links to some of his essays there.

Here's a biography from the Pacific News Service with another photo and some more links. Compare it to the one above. Why do you think the information presented differs in these two cases?

This interview with Rodriguez, which revolves around the metaphor of the Melting Pot, provides other glimpses of the author's life. It's from Insight and Outlook, and was conducted shortly after the publication of his book Days of Obligation.

Bibliographical

Take a look at these reviews of Rodriguez's book Hunger of Memory. Some of them are blurbs. What methods would you use to find the whole review in these cases?

Read this review of Days of Obligation from World Literature Today. After reading the review, are you interested in reading the book? Why or why not?

For further reading, here is an essay Rodriguez wrote for PBS about speaking Spanish in the United States. How does this essay compare with the piece in your book?

Cultural

To put bilingual education in the United States into a broader historical context, study this brief history of the subject, which traces the movement back to the middle of the 18^th century.

Interested in doing more research about bilingual education, but not sure where to start looking? This directory at Google.com should give you some ideas.

If you'd like some starting points to research governmental and academic aspects of bilingual education, this "Electronic Textbook" will help you on your way.

Looking for a way to narrow a research topic? The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition's website offers detailed information about state resources and school policies.

Amy Tan

"Mother Tongue"

Biographical

Here's a good start page at Voices From the Gaps, where you'll find a photo, excerpts, a biography, two bibliographies, and some links.

This is the entry on Tan from Encarta Online, with a biography and links. How trustworthy do you consider this source? Why?

Here's a photo of Tan with her mother. Describe the photo in as much detail as you can. Can you relate this picture to your reading?

Bibliographical

This is the first chapter of Tan's novel about a Chinese-American woman, The Bonesetter's Daughter. There's also a link there for a New York Times review of the book. (Free registration required.)

Here is Tan's essay"Mother Tongue" in etext. Read a bit of it online. Is the experience different from reading it in your book? If so, how?

Here's an interview from Salon, in which she discusses her novel The Hundred Secret Senses. What did you learn from this interview that other sources didn't mention?

Cultural

Do you want to know more about Tan's personal history? Here's some info about a rock band Tan plays with. Do you know any of the other authors in the band? Which ones? Does anything here come as a surprise to you?

To help put Tan's work into a historical context, here is some introductory info about Chinese Immigration to the U.S. How can this help you in your writing about Tan?

Did you know that Tan has contributed to films? This is a film review of The Joy Luck Club. Have you seen the movie? Have you read the book? After reading this review, are you interested in either?

To put Tan's work into a literary context, check out these Chinese Mythology links.