American Literature can be a very interesting subject if it is taught in conjunction with American history, and have tried to select the most interesting literary pieces I can find – the ones that truly show the development of American thought, philosophy, and society from our founding to the present. I have incorporated into the class enough history to help students link literary genres with the times in which they were created. Not only does this approach help students remember when things were written, but it also helps them to understand WHY they were written – WHY Americans chose to write as they did in a given year/period.

In addition to reading short stories and poems and studying the literary history of the U.S.A., we will also spend time practicing how to write a research paper, buffing up on our grammar skills, and reading novels and plays, some of which have modern ideas and themes.

If you need to contact me for any reason, please do so using email: ahicks@mths.us.