Literature V1

I'm a Fool

by Sherwood Anderson

VHS, 38 min., 1976

A young boy working as a "swipe" on the Ohio racetracks at the turn of the century lies so successfully about his wealth and position to a pretty young woman that he eventually despairs when she expresses genuine fondness for him.

Parker Adderson, Philosopher

by Ambrose Bierce

VHS, 38 min., 1973

A Union Army spy captured during the Civil War engages in a verbal duel on the philosophy of life and death with a Confederate general, only to find himself facing the reality of impending death sooner than he expected.

All Summer in a Day

by Ray Bradbury

VHS, 30 min., ND

Based on the story by Ray Bradbury this story is set on a planet where the sun shines for just a few minutes once every nine years; this is classic science fiction.

Paul's Case

by Willa Cather

VHS, 54 min., 1980

Paul yearns to leave his grim, ordinary life in a respectable neighborhood of industrial turn-of-the-century Pittsburgh. He has come to hate its "ugliness and commonness." Cather's story dramatizes the social alienation that Paul's sensitive and aesthetic impulses lead to, heightened as they have been by the idealism of adolescence.

The Joy that Kills

by Kate Chopin

VHS, 50 min., 1975

The setting is upper-class Creole society which dominated New Orleans in the 1870's and whose strict code of behavior required a wife to subordinate her will and very being to her husband. An adaptation of the short story by Kate Chopin, the late19th-century writer.

The Blue Hotel

by Stephen Crane

VHS, 54 min., 1984

"I'm going to be killed here," announces the "Swede" as he, a cowboy, and an Eastern journalist play cards in a small frontier town in Nebraska where they wait for the next train. Erupting emotions, confusion, and the unexpected keep us in suspense about this bizarre prediction.

Barn Burning

by William Faulkner

VHS, 41 min., 1980

Abner Snopes a poor, proud tenant farmer in the late19th-century South burns his employer's barn in revenge for an imagined slight. His son, Sarty, horrified by the fire, is torn between familial loyalty and aversion to his father's unrelenting and violent nature.

Bernice Bobs Her Hair

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

VHS, 49 min., 1976

Bernice, of the pre-flapper generation, learns how to achieve popularity the hard way from her know-it-all cousin, Marjorie. How Marjorie humiliates her when she succeeds all too well at the game of catching a beau and how Bernice strikes back gives the story a delightful ironic twist.

The Sky is Gray

by Ernest Gaines

VHS, 106 min., 1980

James is an eight-year-old black boy in rural Louisiana in the early 40’s. He valiantly tries to ignore a raging toothache, for his mother has taught him not to complain, look for sympathy, or squander money. After both aspirin and prayer fail to quell the aching tooth, his mother takes him to the dentist to have it pulled. On the way, he gets new glimmers of social and self-awareness and realizes that pride and self-respect are crucial to survival in a world of racial and social complexities among both blacks and whites.

The Jolly Corner

by Henry James

VHS, 43 min., 1975

Expatriate Spencer Brydon, after 35 years abroad, returns to America and wonders what he might have been had he not left. Visits to the house of his youth with his friend, Alice, bring about an attempt on his part to rediscover himself - however painfully agonizing. This is an excellent rendition of James’ short story.

Soldier’s Home Ernest Hemingway

by Ernest Hemingway

VHS, 41 min., 1976

World War I veteran Harold Krebs returns home still a young man but restless with his new experience which alienates and frightens his family and townspeople. His arrival from Europe proves to be as unceremonious as his silent departure in the end.

The White Heron

by Sarah Orne Jewett

VHS, 26 min., 1984

Based on a story by Sarah Orne Jewett, this is the tale of a young girl who is more comfortable with the animals of the forest than with people. When a hunter asks her to help him capture a prized white heron for his collection, she is faced with the question of whether she should save the bird or risk losing her one friend.

Rappaccini’s Daughter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

VHS, 57 min., 1980

The story exemplifies Hawthorne’s complex use of natural symbolism and dramatizes two of his major themes: the unpardonable sin or interfering with another’s soul and the danger of tampering with nature.

The Golden Honeymoon

by Ring Lardner

VHS, 52 min., 1980

Charlie Tate is an old windbag, often a braggart, rarely grammatical, but lovable nonetheless. He an his wife, Lucy, go to St. Petersburg to celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. The husband of a couple they meet turns out to be the man "who was engaged to Mother ‘til I stepped in and cut him out over fifty-two years ago." Lardner’s characteristic blend of satire, humor, and compassion turns an unlikely encounter into a dramatic and comic interlude.

The Displaced Person

by Flannery O’Connor

VHS, 57 min., 1976

A Southern widow’s determination to keep her farm and farm help under control is thwarted by her selfishness and lack of human understanding. The hiring of an industrious Polish refugee of World War II who is conveniently available alienates the other easygoing workers and precipitates the final collapse of both landowner and farm.

The Jilting of Granny Weatherall

by Katherine Anne Porter

VHS, 57 min., 1980

On her deathbed, a stubborn and once domineering matriarch faces the long suppressed realization that all of the accomplishments of her adult life cannot console her nor compensate for the shame-filled day she was left standing at the altar. As a young woman, she donned her white veil, set out her cake and waited with the priest for tall, handsome George to arrive. He never came.

The Greatest Man in the World

by James Thurber

VHS, 51 min., 1980

1937: Admiral Byrd is a hero; Lucky Lindy is a hero. Enter the next hero-aviator in the person of Jack "Pal" Smurch, a primitive, illiterate incorrigible lout who just happens to succeed in flying non-stop around the world. Cheers. Adulation. And into the limelight he’s catapulted, this gin-soaked, uncouth, stubble-faced boor, now a potential national embarrassment. This wild tale of heroism gone awry, for all its humor, is a deft assault on the hypocrisy behind official "respectability."

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg

by Mark Twain

VHS, 40 min., 1980

Hadleyburg is just about the most honest town there is. Townspeople are proud of their virtue of being unfriendly to strangers and staying honest by simply avoiding temptation. Or do they? Infused with the characteristic cynicism of his later work, Twain’s tale is a dark vision of the xenophobia and hypocrisy he saw in small town America.

Pudd’nhead Wilson

by Mark Twain

VHS, 90 min., 1985

Mark Twain’s unique insight and wit explore slavery, mother/son relationships, justice, and human folly.

The Music School

by John Updike

VHS, 30 min., 1977

Religion, technology, contemporary violence and social change come together in flashbacks and images in a modern writer’s mind as he searches for continuity and meaning in life.

Almos’ a Man

by Richard Wright

VHS, 39 min., 1976

A black teen-age farm worker of the late 1930’s convinces his mother that he is "almos’ a man" so he can buy a second-hand gun. He accidentally shoots a mule and opens himself to misunderstanding and ridicule in the midst of his genuine attempts to be a man - free from family and place.

American Stage Plays

VHS, 90-118 min. each, 1986

These remarkable American Broadway and off-Broadway smash hit plays were broadcast over PBS as part of "American Playhouse" or "Great Performances." Many of America’s greatest actors are featured in critically acclaimed performances.

1. The Dining Room

Playwright A. R. Gurney, Jr. has found a way to introduce war, life, and love into a formal setting. Praised for its wit, poignancy, and unerring detail, this play is set in the dining room, where people live out dramatic and comic moments in their lives.

2. The Ghostwriter

A best selling novel by Phillip Roth , The Ghostwriter is the story of an artist’s trials and falling in love. Roth recalls the time 22 years earlier when he met a world famous author living in seclusion with two women: his wife and a beautiful young girl. The young writer discovers himself and his talents during an especially trying period in his life.

3. Heartbreak House

A poignant commentary on contemporary life under the threat of nuclear war. Exuding intellectual energy and compassion, the play’s rich dialogue focuses on love, money, and morals. Captain Shotover and his daughter welcome an odd assortment of people into their home for several days. In the course of their visit, each person share his ambitions, hopes, and fears.

4. The Rise and Rise of Daniel Rocket

Daniel Rocket believes he can fly without the aid of a trapeze or flying machine, and does fly just like Peter Pan. The symbolic nature of his feat presents an inspiring portrayal of the exceptional person, the genius left alone.

5. Rocket to the Moon

Clifford Odets creates a timeless story of a 39-year-old Manhattan dentist coming to terms with his own life in post-Depression New York. On the surface, everything appears mundane and at a standstill. He has met most of the expectations of his own desires. But, you soon become aware of the choices of conscience and compromises he must make that provide insight into the sublime.

Edgar Allan Poe: Architect of Dreams

VHS, 30 min., 1991

This documentary, with dramatic episodes, explores Poe’s reliance on dreams as a way of touching the secrets of the universe, and the illustration of this theme in his poems and stories. Major developments in Poe’s life and excerpts from three of his tales are interwoven with the theme, as an on-camera host (Dave Smith) guides the viewer through authentic locales, archival materials, and dramatized sequences.

Exploring the Novel: For Entertainment and Comprehension

VHS, 36 min., 1977

This video focuses on three main aspects of understanding the novel. First, to help students develop an appreciation of the novel as a form of literature. Second, to teach students to recognize plot, character, setting, style, point of view and theme; and finally how to analyze a novelist’s work.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

VHS(3 parts), 90 min., 1978

Diahann Carroll, Esther Rolle, and Ruby Dee star in this feature-length film based on Maya Angelou’s autobiographic book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It is a story of struggle and personal triumph for Angelou growing up in Stamps, Arkansas, and St. Louis, Missouri, during the depression.

Maya Angelou: Creativity with Bill Moyers

VHS, 60 min., 1981 CC

Bill Moyers accompanies poet and actress Maya Angelou on her return to her home town, where they make note of the ways that memory and experience impinge upon art. "The truth is that you can never leave home. You take it with you everywhere you go. It’s under your skin. It moves the tongue or slows the colors; it impedes upon the logic." These are Angelou’s words upon her return to Stamps, Arkansas, her home town.

Maya Angelou: Writers in Conversation

VHS, 35 min., 1989

Maya Angelou has been a waitress, singer, actress, dancer, black activist, and mother. She writes through the black experience about the human condition. She speaks of the nobleness of the human spirit and wonders "what makes us laugh, smile, smirk, frown, scowl, stumble and fall, and rise again?" She has had several collections of poetry published as well as four autobiographical books. In this video she reads from her book Singin’ and Swingin’.

Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama

VHS, 35 min., 1975

This film shows the playwright’s artistic growth and her unique artistic vision largely in her own words and her own voice. With excerpts from The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, Les Blancs, and Raisin.

Toni Morrison

VHS, 25min., 1992

This film introduces one of the most widely acclaimed contemporary American writers. A leading figure in the movement for a new multicultural American literary canon, she explains that "American literature is incoherent without the contribution of African Americans." Readings from her novels Beloved and Jazz are featured in the film.

Gloria Naylor

VHS, 21 min., 1992

In this conversation, Naylor discusses the value and difficulty of maintaining an African American identity in a world dominated by whites. Readings from her works The Women of Brewster Place, Linden Hills, and Mama Day reveal the breadth of her vision.

Alice Walker

VHS, 30 min., 1992

In this profile, Alice Walker shares her remarkable spiritual journey from a sharecropping childhood in rural Georgia to the peace and creativity of her present retreat in Northern California. She reads from her poetry and discusses contemporary America. She explains the "womanist" perspective that informs her works The Color Purple, The Temple of My Familiar, and Possessing the Secret of Joy.

Richard Wright - Black Boy

VHS, 86 min., 1994

This is a film on the life, work, and legacy of Richard Wright. His first major works, Native Son and Black Boy, were best sellers and are mainstays of high school and college literature and composition curricula. The film revisits Wright's deprived boyhood, his involvement in Chicago left-wing politics in the 30's, his relationship with figures like Ralph Ellison and Margaret Walker, and finally his confrontation with McCarthyism which resulted in his exile in Paris and death there under mysterious circumstances.

Summer’s End Kath from "Summer's End"

VHS, 30 min., 1986

This film written, directed and produced by Beth Brickell, an Arkansas native, has won numerous awards. The story is of a young girl in a small Arkansas town. On the last day of summer in 1948, she enjoys the same things as boys, including baseball, marble and playing pirates. She finds herself the focus of a family crisis when her mother insists it is time to become "a girl." Her father, who encouraged her individuality, is caught in the middle.

Tell About the South, Part 1

VHS, 90 min., 1996

This film explores the literary tradition of the South, featuring interviews with numerous living authors. This first episode of a three-part series surveys the period from the Depression to the end of World War II. Among those appearing as commentators throughout the series are Eudora Welty, Shelby Foote, Willie Morris, John Hope Franklin, Cleanth Brooks, Reynolds Price, Margaret Walker, Ernest Gaines, Rita Dove, Nicki Giovanni, and Andrew Lytle.

Tell About the South, Part 2: Prophets & Poets

From World War I to the Depression to the Civil Rights movement to the Sunbelt, the writers of the South, black and white, have explored the mysteries of their unique region, giving us stories of paradox and beauty. Prophets & Poets explores the lives of Richard Wright, Eudora Welty, Robert Penn Warren, William Faulkner, and many more, in the context fo the South's biracial culture and deep sense of Place.

Voices and Visions

VHS, 60 min., each, 1988

Study guide available

In thirteen hour-long programs, the series traces the course of American poetry during the last century and a quarter as it was shaped by some of our most important poets. Using vintage photographs and film footage, archival materials, dramatizations, and recordings, the series brings to life the writers who crafted the innovative works now recognized internationally as distinctively American.

1. Elizabeth Bishop

Geography and dislocation are dominant themes in Bishop’s poems. This program illustrates the geographical soul of Bishop’s life and works, with scenes from her poems.

2. Hart Crane

Ambivalence, pain, and longing propelled Crane to seek an "ideal world of the imagination" through premature end, Crane became a figure for legend, as the misunderstood, tragic artist, like his Romantic forbears in the 19^th century.

3. Emily Dickinson

Dramatic scenarios and New England landscape illuminate the passionate genius of Dickinson, whose poems represent a broad range of imaginative experience.

4. T.S. Eliot

Through family photographs, archival footage, musical recordings, and primary literary materials, this film documents the poet’s life and the several sources of his art. Throughout the program, the author himself reads the works that have become classics in our time.

5. Robert Frost

Frost’s image of elder statesman is vividly contrasted with his vigorous, poetic exploration of the darker forces of nature and the human condition.

6. Langston Hughes

Music - the bittersweet refrains of the blues, the rhythms of jazz, and the cadences of the spiritual - informs the poetry of Hughes. Many have share excitement in discovering a personal reality and cultural heritage in his poems.

7. Robert Lowell

Lowell fused traditional poetry with Modernist techniques. He came to embody many of the painful moral and artistic tensions of our disturbing times. Lowell himself reads from his works.

8. Marianne Moore

This film traces Moore’s life and times and examines several of her notable works. Often through amusing and aptly inventive graphic interpretations, we discover Moore’s unusual poetic sources and methods, and glimpse the true character of the elusive originator of so many sophisticated artifices.

9. Sylvia Plath

This film carefully examines both the facts of life and the several facets of the writer’s art. The program is particularly illuminating as it clarifies how, in the special case of this poet, the two mingle.

10. Ezra Pound

The most controversial of American poets, Pound set the standards of Modernism. His roles of catalyst and confidant are legendary. Using historical footage, still photographs, and on-location filming, the program follows the poet’s fascinated journey, providing contexts and clues to the Pound enigma.

11. Wallace Stevens

Stevens’ exuberant wordplay, ironic wit, and provocative whimsy have bemused many other readers, while the relatively plain-spoken meditations of the poet’s somber side have proved no less puzzling. The film explores the seemingly placid exterior and intensely probing interior live of Stevens.

12. Walt Whitman

In the first and fullest sense a poet, Whitman was a maker, original, and nonconformist like his country. His poems demonstrate his American vision and style, and vividly convey their poignance and sheer power. Whitman’s sources, including Emerson, the King James Bible, opera, and political oratory, are revealed.

13. William Carlo Williams

The recurrent theme in Williams is wonder at the resilience of live, its power of renewal. A collage of documentary footage, interviews, and dramatization capture the poet’s work and life.

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