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This article examines America, Americans history and the relationship between it and indigenous tribes and native American peoples like the Lakota, a member of which is John Lame Deer who wrote Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions a novel about American Indian religion and Native American rituals from the point of a genuine Lakota Cowboy. The book looks at religion and beliefs as does this article. It also has pictures, links to academic article on similar topics and to copies of the book, ebooks, and ebook readers for college students like the kindle.

Given the status of the Bible in the western literary tradition as one of the most appropriated and alluded to of all ancient and religious texts, it is not unusual that William Blake writes so extensively about it. While a great body of Blake's mature works, including the longer works "Milton" and "Jerusalem," deal with biblical themes, his early central work, 'The Marriage of Heaven and Hell," gives insight not only into themes that would later occupy Blake's longer works, but also into the unique status of the Bible in western literature

This article explores Nick Hornby's brilliant short story, "Nipple Jesus". In it, Hornby tackles religion, politics, sex, family and financial responsibility, art and its relationship with the individual, the artist, and society through a "six foot two and fifteen stone" security guard whose only skill is being big, to profound and entertaining\neffect.

This article examines the implications of Cartesian Dualism on Immanuel Kant, David Hume, and their influential works, including Hume's Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. The article examines Hume's enquiry, it's take on the "gap" in Ontology, and Immanuel Kant's revolutionary take on Hume's philosophy that resulted in a shift in modern philosophy. This article contains pictures, links to similar articles, copies of books and ebooks, and even ebook readers.

An examination of the first appropriation in Wester Literature and how it set the tone for the way the rest of us would appropriate. Focuses on Virgl, Homer, and the relationship between the Aeneid and Homer's Epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. This relationship between these texts is important because it laid the groundwork for how and why other writers in the Western Literary Tradition would also appropriate previous works.

Kurt Vonnegut, one of the most prolific if not best American writers of the second half of the twentieth century, first earned a reputation for himself as a science-fictionist with his early works, The Sirens of Titan and Cat's Cradle. This reputation, however much it vastly underestimates and misunderstands Vonnegut's work and its significance to the modern era, has been difficult for Vonnegut to escape. It does, however, provide insight into the aspects of the modern situation that Vonnegut sees as central and meaningful. Bluebeard, which trades a more traditionally Vonnegut mad scientist for a retired, eccentric expressionist painter, the same painter from Breakfast of Champions, tackles the issues which have traditionally blurred Vonnegut's role in the literary and popular fiction traditions. This article explores these issues within Vonnegut's version of the fairytale, Bluebeard.

This is part two in a continuing series of articles all of which are designed to inform and guide anyone who might want to know a little bit more about the rich tradition of art, letters and philosophy we have inherited from those who came before us. This article looks specifically at some of the best and most important works of 20th Century American Postmodernism. It discusses authors such as Joseph Heller, John Barth, Kurt Vonnegut, Don DeLilo, and David Foster Wallace.

The tradition of oral poetry is shared amongst many ancient cultures, traditions and language families. While there are many similarities, both in the mechanics and the subject matter of these ancient texts, some of the more subtle differences can be extremely enlightening given their significance in understanding the uniqueness of each individual culture and tradition they evolved out of. The Kalevala is a perfect example of how subtle differences in ancient textscan enlighten our understanding of the uniqueness of an ancient culture. This article examines the specific and unique understanding The Kalevala imparts to our Western Tradition.

This article discusses the similarities between Gilgamesh and the Biblical Flood account found in the Book of Genesis. Rather than taking one of the traditional positions on the relationship between the two texts, this article attempts to change our attitude about how we react when discussing the Bible in connection with other works in order to foster a healthier and more open environment for discussion of ancient texts and criticism.

Looking for an expert opinion on who constitutes the list of Pittsburgh's best poets, I decided to go to experienced veterans of the Burgh's ever-expanding circle of versesayers, Kris Collins and Scott Silsbe, who manage Caliban Book Shop on South Craig Street by day and satiate their poetic cravings by night, penning their own published (and soon-to-be published work) while running The New Yinzer online literary magazine and hosting poetry readings around town.

According to co-directors of Open Thread, Scott Andrew and Adam Atkinson, the Pittsburgh SPF was created specifically to "give authors, bookmakers, editors, and publishers an opportunity to sell their books-and provide Pittsburghers with a chance to more fully experience the region's small press community. Open Thread's mission is to establish frameworks for artistic discovery in Pittsburgh and the surrounding tri-state area."

This article examines the American literary tradition, specifically early American writing, to understand the roots of the concept of Manifest Destiny. It examines literature in America as well as literature and nature during colonialism in the Americas and on into the United States as it expanded westward. The article also has links, books, ebooks, and ebook readers as well as other academic resources available.

This article examines one of American Literature's classics, Charlotte Temple by Susanna Rowson. It was one of America's first best sellers and remains a favorite among American literary hardcover classics. The article contains contemporary and original critical reactions. It also has pictures and links as well as electronic versions of the novel and ebook readers as well as other academic resources available.

When Kurt Vonnegut published his first novel, "Player Piano," in 1952, he wrote about corporate culture taking over in America. It was the end of WWII and Vonnegut, as a young novelist, wrote about a distant future where the corporate powers that were beginning to dominate the American landscape seized the opportunities presented by the fragile post-war economy. Today, 57 years later, Vonnegut's vision is much closer to reality than anyone browsing the "new fiction" section in 1952 would accept. Vonnegut is a visionary. This article examines the lasting value and effect of Vonnegut's ever-true vision and work.

This article examines the works of William Faulkner as a whole and asks questions about why he wrote about what he wrote about and how he was able to transform the materials of a small stretch of land in Mississippi into literary ground fertile enough to allow him to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. The articles contain pictures, reading recommendations, and links to other articles by the author on William Faulkner.

This article examines Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy. It looks at philosophy Descartes used in his first philosophy to develop the concept of the mind that would lead to Cartesian Dualism. The ramification of Descartes meditations and Descartes metaphysics has been significant in the history of philosophy as well as Western Culture in general. This article has pictures, links to other articles on similar topics, and books and ebook readers available as well.

An etymological study of a word or term is one that traces its development and usage throughout the past. These studies are often interesting because language always develops and changes for reasons. This article is a basic etymological study of the English adjective "strapping". It traces its path throughout time and examines the reasons why the meanings behind the word have changed.

This article discusses William Faulkner's novel, Light in August. It examines specifically the character of Joe Christmas, one of Faulkner's mos enigmatic and tragic characters. The article examines how the real tragedy in the story of Joe Christmas is the racial prejudice of his family and his fellow man. The article presents the discussion within the context of understanding Faulkner's work and it's significance as a whole.