Gregory David Roberts’ best-selling 2003 novel has been adapted for TV. But its depiction of India and Indians brims with Orientalist, white saviour stereotypes.
Amy Cannon, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Ada Limón is the first woman of Mexican ancestry to be named U.S. poet laureate. Through her understanding of social media and the power of connection, she strives to make poetry accessible to everyone.
A hip-hop artist and scholar says that while rap stresses the oral tradition, the music is also rife with references to a rich range of literature that spans the globe.
A scholar of literature for children and young adults shares her insights on how to better connect children with literature and libraries with their communities.
Trisha Tucker, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
The US is seeing more campaigns to ‘protect’ children by barring controversial books. But research shows children’s reading experiences are complex and unpredictable, explains a literature professor.
Andrew Newman, Stony Brook University (The State University of New York)
An English professor takes a critical look at why today’s students are assigned the same books that were assigned decades ago – and why American school curricula are so difficult to change.
Music is featured in most of Jane Austen’s novels and recent research is teaching us more about her personal love of music. What can it tell us about the world of Jane Austen?
In an interview, scholar Alyssa Collins explains how her time spent plumbing the sci fi writer’s papers left her stunned by the breadth of her interests and the depth of her scientific knowledge.