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Archive: 2014 (110 Posts)

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Native American Cultures Today: Primary Sources Documenting Music, Law, and Everyday Life

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

Native American cultures are alive and well today, thriving and evolving within cities, rural communities, tribes, and nations across the United States. The online collections of the Library of Congress contain a variety of primary sources that document daily life and creative works in diverse Native American communities from the late twentieth century to the present day.

Posted in: Native American History

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Frederick Douglass: Activist and Autobiographer

Posted by: Cheryl Lederle

Last November, we published a post addressing the controversies associated with Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A recent comment pointed out that Huck's views on slavery are those of the dominant society of the time. Because the post featured a letter from Frederick Douglass as a supplement to the novel, the commenter wondered "why not present the experiences and views of the oppressed rather than the oppressor?" That struck me as an intriguing question, so here are a few places to start exploring those views and experiences with your students.

Posted in: African American History, Poetry and Literature

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See You at NCTE: Resources for English Teachers from the Library of Congress

Posted by: Danna Bell

This year's NCTE conference: Story as the Landscape of Knowing will take place November 20-23 in our hometown, Washington, DC. You will find us at Booth numbers 236 and 238 in the exhibit hall Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The Teachers Page from the Library of Congress offers ideas and resources for English educators. We have rounded up a few of our favorites.

Posted in: Lesson Ideas, News and Events, Poetry and Literature, Teaching Tools

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Tangible and Intangible Legacies

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

As our fourth and final blog post this fall related to the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, it seems appropriate that its theme focus on the concept of legacy. What a singer-songwriter leaves behind, from recordings, to manuscripts, to lyrics, can be thought of as their tangible legacies. The impact of his or her work, the connections listeners and concert goers make to the music, and the emotions the music inspires--these are some of the intangible legacies.

Posted in: Fine and Performing Arts, News and Events

One woman watches as another examines with a magnifying glass an ornate, decorative image on a printed page

Storytelling and Songwriting: Making Connections through Primary Sources

Posted by: Stephen Wesson

In July 2014, when Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced that Billy Joel would receive the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, he described Joel as being, "a storyteller of the highest order." Talented songwriters can be great storytellers! Not only do their songs often include elements of a short story, but they do so in ways that listeners can easily imagine and relate to.

Posted in: Culture and Folklife, Fine and Performing Arts, Poetry and Literature