Teacher Bibliography
"APRI Biographies." apri.org. 2005. A. Philip Randolph Institute 27 July 2005 http://www.apri.org/indexx.php?disp
Corrigan, Robert W., Editor. Arthur Miller: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Prentice-Hall, 1969. Analysis of all Miller's plays including Eric Mottram's thorough coverage of Miller's political activities.
Fabre, Michel. The Unfinished Quest of Richard Wright. Urbana and Chicago:
University of Illinois Press, 1993. This is a thorough, sympathetic rendering of the life of Richard Wright with particular emphasis on his political activity and his emigration to Paris. Fabre is a Frenchman and was a personal acquaintance of Wright's.
Fletcher, George P. Our Secret Constitution: How Lincoln Redefined American Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. Fletcher presents arguments similar to those of Garry Wills regarding Lincoln's re-directing America away from the flawed Constitution that had permitted slavery and the limitations on the rights of women.
Fowke, Edith and Joe Glazer. Songs of Work and Freedom. Chicago: Roosevelt University, 1960. Every labor song you ever wanted to know, with accessible piano parts and thorough-going histories of the circumstances behind the composition of each song. Publisher permission to use for religious or educational purposes.
Gates, Henry Louis, Jr., and Nellie Y. McKay, eds. The Norton Anthology of African American Literature. New York: Norton, 1997. An excellent compendium with college-level, though not exhaustive, biographies.
Goldstein, Robert J. Political Repression in Modern America: From 1870 to 1976. University of Illinois Press, 2001. Extensively detailed history of how government in the world's greatest democracy repeatedly falls into the trap of resembling some dictatorships. Fascinating background material.
Healy, Patrick D., "Pataki Warns Cultural Groups for Museum at Ground Zero." New York Times, June 25, 2005: B1-2. A recent article that reports on a governor's attempting to limit the place and kind of expression that artists might be allowed in light of the terror attacks, the war in Iraq, President Bush and Ground Zero.
Hughes, Langston. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. New York: Knopf, 1997. The only collection I have found that includes "The Chant for Tom Mooney". Also includes the poem about Christ and Lenin that got Hughes in trouble with the radical right of his day.
—. The Langston Hughes Reader. New York: George Braziller, Inc., 1958. There is no better way to gain an appreciation of the comprehensive humanity and creativity of Langston Hughes. Humorous and creative.
Kairys, David. With Liberty and Justice for Some: Critique of the Conservative Supreme Court. New York, New, 1993. A tonic for liberals as we contemplate the new conservative turn of the Supreme Court. Extensive treatment of the World War II Pledge of Allegiance and Korematsu v. United States decision. Thumbs up for the first, thumbs down for the second.
Knappman, Edward W. et al, Editor. Great American Trials: From Salem Witchcraft to Rodney King. Detroit: Visible Ink, 1994. An extremely helpful book of trial accounts, many of which can be matched with literature: The Crucible, Inherit the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, and "The Chant of Tom Mooney," to name a few.
Lanning, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Michael Lee. The African-American Soldier: From Crispus Attucks to Colin Powell. Powerful and detailed account of how difficult the United States made it for African Americans to be the patriots they wanted passionately to be.
Linfield, Michael. Freedom Under Fire: U.S. Civil Liberties in times of War. South End Press, 1990. A casebook for anyone considering questioning the government during wartime. As we look forward to never-ending battles, Linfield's insights may prove useful.
Loewen, James W. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995. Disillusioning but needful information about Woodrow Wilson on race, women's rights, and world politics. Fascinating related story about the no-so-well-known Socialist, Helen Keller.
Lynch, Jack, "Dr. Johnson's Revolution." New York Times, July 2, 2005, p. A15. A review of the most recent publication of Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language. The first edition served as a reference Jefferson and other contributors to the Declaration and the Constitution. Essential for those who want to know the original meaning of the original terms in the original documents.
McClaren, Joseph. Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1997. Focus on Hughes' lesser known genre. Interesting stories about his life as both a playwright and theater operator. Look here for information about the play that epitomized the left's support for the Scottsboro boys.
Mill, John Stuart Mill. On Liberty: Rethinking the Western Tradition. Edited by David Bromwich and George Kateb. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2003. Essential expression of philosophy on this most compelling issue in our world today. Good practice reading for AP students and a good example for all men writers: Mill credits his wife with helping him succeed.
Muravchik, Joshua. "Marquis (sic) at Last." opinionjournal.com. 17 Jan. 2003. Wall Street Journal 27 July 2005 http://www.opinionjournal/com/taste. Excellent, detailed rendition of Rustin's life and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Clear account of the effect his sexual orientation had on suppressing recognition of his accomplishments. The title of the original article was "Marquee at Last," to indicate the coming out process, not his accession to a rank in French nobility!
Rehnquist, William. All the Laws but One: Civil Liberties in Wartime. Vintage Books, 1998. A wonderful book for Civil War and civil liberties buffs. Try to forget Rehnquist's support for restricted covenants. He demonstrates a passion for the law and American history that is impressive regardless of one's political orientation.
Rose, Tricia. Review: "Promises Betrayed: Waking Up from the American Dream," by Bob Herbert, The New Crisis, May/June 2005, Vol. 112 Issue 3, 52+. Bob Herbert, a columnist for the New York Times, sees connections between the war in Iraq, the war on terror, the economy, the need for oil, and civil liberties. The reviewer adds her own, supportive, analysis.
Safire, William. "The Jailing of Judith Miller." New York Times, June 29, 2005, A23. The most recent case regarding consequences for a reporter's guarding her sources. Safire compares Miller to Henry David Thoreau.
Smith, Rogers M. "Civil Liberties in the Brave New World of Antiterrorism." Radical History Review. Issue 93, Fall 2005: 170-85. In a succinct and clear reflection, Dr. Smith draws the parallels between actions of the current administration and Previous administrations as the ideal balance between rights and security seems ever elusive.
Robinson, Earl. "Obituary." Philadelphia Inquirer. 23 July 1991, A14.
Sperry, Paul. "It's the Age of Terror: What Would You Do?" New York Times 28 July 2005: A25.
Stephens, Elaine C. and Jean E. Brown. A Handbook of Content Literacy Strategies - 75 Practical Reading and Writing Ideas. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon, 2000. A wonderful support for the creative teacher. Addresses the reality of student reading difficulties with flair.
"Teamwork on Terrorism." Editorial. Boston Globe 16 July 2005, sec. A: 18. A careful and thoroughly reasoned response to the July London Tube bombings.
Williams, Juan. "In Search of A. Philip Randolph." PBS.org. 2001. 16 Dec. 2005 http://www.pbs.org/weta/apr/juanwms.html. Beautifully written and thorough reflection on the life of A. Philip Randolph.
Woolf, Virginia. Three Guineas. New York: Burlingame/Harcourt, 1938, 1963. At the request of a male friend, Woolf speculates on how war can be prevented, though acknowledging the limited experience (at the time) of the average woman in that enterprise.
Wright, Richard. American Hunger, Harper and Row, 1944. Only part of the autobiography Wright wrote in the 1940's. The Book-of-the-Month Club chose to publish only the earlier part of Wright's life, before he became active in the Communist Party. Valuable for insights into his struggle and for reveling in the exquisite quality of his language. We should all remember that Wright wrote haiku toward the end of his life.
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