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Episode #1148 American Icons: The Great Gatsby « previous episode | next episode » Thursday, November 25, 2010 Recommend Share Print Email Play 00:00 / 00:00 ListenAddDownloadEmbed Stream m3u Episodes of false identity, living large, and murder in the suburbs add up to the great American novel.

The Library of Congress shares an exhibition of "Books that Shaped America." Librarian of Congress James H. Billington says that the list is "intended to spark a national conversation on books written by Americans that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not."

A lasting online resource and a companion project for Shakespeare in American Life, a radio documentary produced by Richard Paul and narrated by Sam Waterston, airing on Public Radio International (PRI) stations beginning in April 2007.

"Studio 360 explores F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and finds out how this compact novel became the great American story of our age. Novelist Jonathan Franzen tells Kurt Andersen why he still reads it every year or two, and writer Patricia Hampl explains why its lightness is deceptive. We'll drive around the tony Long Island suburbs where Gatsby was set, and we'll hear from Andrew Lauren about his film G, which sets Gatsby among the hip-hop moguls. And Azar Nafisi describes the power of teaching the book to university students in Tehran. Readings come courtesy of Scott Shepherd, an actor who sometimes performs the entire book from memory."

THERE IS A DISTINCTION to be made between the anxiety of daily existence, which we talk about endlessly, and the anxiety of existence, which we rarely mention at all. The former fritters us into dithering, distracted creatures. The latter attests to-and, if attended to, discloses-our souls.

fascinating and wide ranging examination of modern consciousness as seen through literature

Over 1,000 items, including manuscripts, printed works, and portraits of Walt Whitman (1819-1892), the leading American poet of the 19th century.

Recordings of 18th century American and British poetry.

Article to pair with Lazarus poem "The New Colossus".

Kathleen Nichols has one of the best websites I've seen. I have used it a lot over the years.

This exhibition traces the different occupations and preparations that led Whitman to become the author of Leaves of Grass, as well as his subsequent evolution as a poet. Over almost forty years Whitman produced multiple editions of Leaves of Grass.

The Big Read/NEA's Reader's and Teacher's Guide for Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms. Excellent radio show.

Grand Theft Auto: The Emily Dickinson Edition. This cartoon from xkcd made me laugh. Enjoy!

The New York Times' collection of resources for teaching F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby.