We spend more time listening than any activity except breathing, yet we listen at only 25% of our potential.  Think of this video as a long overdue course in "Better Listening For People Who Think They Already Know How To Listen".  Teaches seven laws of good listening. 

Discusses the importance of good English skills in people's daily life and career.

This is an enjoyable way for students to review English grammar and sharpen 
 their awareness of common errors.  (Has teacher’s guide.)

1. Fun With Words
2. Writing Basic Sentences
3. Compounding Sentences and  Recognizing Parts of Speech
4. Writing Complex Sentences
5. Dictionaries and Their Meanings -- Part One
6. Dictionaries and Their Meanings -- Part Two
7. Forming Words and Building Vocabularies
8. Naming People, Places and Things

A series of lively songs and sketches that make learning about grammar  fun and easy.

The quick and easy way to learn perfect American English.  This interactive 
course was designed for native speakers of other languages who want to learn 
English correctly.  The focus is on English for daily living.  Our approach to 
teaching English emphasizes practice in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Includes 35 lessons.  (Has teacher’s guide.) 

Intermediate English:  English As A Second Language -- 2 Videos-- (Video Aided Instruction) (4 Hours) 

This second program includes 25 lessons with more advanced vocabulary and 
grammar integrated into every lesson.  Instruction and practice in everyday 
language used  in the restaurant, airport, bank, school, and other common 
situations is stressed.  Learn how to express yourself with the confidence and 
skill everyone wants.  Make English your language.  (Has teacher’s guide.)

 English language lessons presented in the context of conversations. Each video 
 contains a glossary of words used.  

1. Understanding Basic Conversation (50 min.) 
2. Meeting and Greeting (40 min.) 
3. Using Numbers and Money (60 min.) 
4. Asking and Giving Directions, Addresses & Phone Numbers (45 min.) 

He built his fabled kingdom in the name of honor, loyalty and chivalry.  But hewas undone by the betrayal of those he loved most.  King Arthur was the 
gallant king who fought to save England, the noble leader who inspired the 
Knights of the Round Table, the ruler of Camelot.  But his most fascinating 
persona was his most human one--the vulnerable lover who was ultimately 
undone by his devotion of Guinevere.  Through stunning recreations and 
abundant images from centuries past, Biography examines the social, political 
and emotional factors that have made Arthur's story so dear to Western 
culture.

 Told by Glenn Close -- pits the new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, against 
 the local hero and bully, Brom Bones.  This droll tale of romantic rivalry 
 climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts:  The 
 Headless Horseman.  Original illustration, music and narration capture all the 
 wit and fun of this early American tale.

From its inception, Camelot was shrouded in mystery and magic.  Did such a 
place once exist?  Was King Arthur real, or merely legend?  Join prominent 
archaeologists and historians as they venture through England and Wales in 
search of the legendary site of the Round Table.   From Arthur's supposed 
burial ground in Glastonbury to historic Tintangel Castle, Ancient Mysteries 
sheds new light on a timeless place that enchants us to this day--the court of 
Camelot.

All students like to play games.  English teachers can use the Jeopardy Game.  The Jeopardy Game includes five categories to be used with our game board:  English Grammar, Literary Terms, Word Power, Who Am I? and Books and Authors.

Originally broadcast on television as an episode of the program In search of history.

Fear has kept scientists out of Scotland's Loch Ness.  Not fear of the fabled monster, but fear of ridicule.  Now, a team of experts using cutting -edge technology brave the skeptics to reveal never-before-seen images of the loch's murky depths.  Historical photographs and leading theories on the identity of "Nessie" are brought to life by the latest computer techniques.  You'll venture deep into the controversy and discover surprising answers as modern sciene uncovers the secrets of this mysterious lake.

• Great Books:  Huckleberry Finn  (Sept. 8, 1998) -- Hosted by Donald Sutherland, this program is a comprehensive study of one of the most controversial and celebrated America literary works.  The outstanding program combines location photography and humorous dramatization with scholarly commentary.  (55 Min.)
• The Battle Over Books:  Censorship in Our Schools (Sept. 8, 1998) – As the complement to Huckleberry Finn, this program examines the issue of banning controversial classic literature from classrooms. – (20 Min.) 
• Going Live, Television News – Should We Censor? (22 Min.)

With this boy, on his raft, along this river flows the story of a country, a people and a friendship.  And in the wondrous adventures, one finds the joy, the lessons and the spirit that is America itself. 

The plot follows a group of young German recruits in World War I through their passage from idealism to disillusionment.  As the central Character Paul Baumer declares, "We live in the trenches and we fight.  We try not to be killed—that’s all."  "All Quiet" is an anthology of now famous scenes:  Ayres trapped in a shell crater with a man he has killed; the first meeting of the recruits and the veterans; infantrymen being mowed down to machine-gun visual rhythms;  a moonlight swim with French farm girls; Ayres’ pacifist speech to his astonished schoolmates, and the final shot of the soldier’s hand reaching for a fatal butterfly. 

What would happen if the world was served by an all-knowing benevolent computer. . . that predicts the probabilty of events, counsels mankind, and insures its safety and stability?

Hosted by Henry Fonda, this is a short story starring LeVar Burton and Madge Sinclair.  Although Dave and his family are poor sharecroppers in the Deep South in the 1930’s , this l5 year-old’s problem is shared by teenagers today; he stands with one foot in adulthood and the other in childhood.  "Almos’ A Man," yet treated like a child, he struggles for an identity.  There’s one thing, one symbol of manhood, Dave thinks, could guarantee him instant respect:  a gun.  Dave finds a way to buy a pistol and at last is ready to pull the trigger for the first time.  Never again will they call him a boy . . . But, he trembles, the gun overpowers the boy’s body and he loses control.  His first shot is a fatal shot—his young life forever changed. 

Presents an exciting & innovative look at the timeless poetry which shapes our literary heritage.  Includes "Spoon River Anthology" (Edgar Lee Masters); "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" (Robert Frost); "To Helen" (Edar Allan Poe); "I Am the People, the Mob" (Carl Sandburg); "The Deacon's Masterpiece" (Oliver Wendell Holmes); "I Dream A World" (Langston Hughes)

• Almos' a Man
• Barn Burning (41 Min.)
• Bernice Bobs Her Hair (49 Min.)
• Blue Hotel (55 Min.)
• Displaced Person (58 Min.)
• Golden Honeymoon (52 Min.)
• Greatest Man in the World (51 Min.)
• Hollow Boy (60 Min.)
• I’m A Fool (38 Min.)
• Jilting of Granny Weatherall  (57 Min.)
• Jolly Corner (43 Min.)
• Love and Other Sorrows (60 Min.)
• Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg (40 Min.)
• The Music School & Parker Adderson, Philosopher  (69 Min.)
• Paul’s Case (52 Min.)
• Pigeon Feathers  (45 Min.)
• Rappaccini’s Daughter (57 Min.)
• Sky Is Gray (46 Min.)
• Soldier's Home (41 Min.)

Ab Snopes is a Southern tenant farmer whose unrelenting and violent nature prove to be his undoing.  Snopes sets his employer's barn on fire when he thinks he's been treated unfairly.  His son, Sarty, is horrified.  Snopes escapes justice for lack of proof, but he and his family are told to move on.  No sooner do they move than Snopes is offended by his new rich employer.  Torn between trying to win his father's acceptance and his aversion toward  his father will do, Sarty must make a decision and act quickly.

He was an old bear. . . a figure of legend and yet very real.  A boy confronts the legend and discovers the truth.  William Faulkner wrote four versions of The Bear--two short stories and two novella versions.  This film is based on the second of the short story versions.

(American Short Story Collection) – It’s the hot summer of 1919.  Visiting her cousin Marjorie (Veronica Cartwright), sweet-but-dull Bernice (Shelley Duvall) is transformed into a smooth-talking man-trap by her vampish kin.  However, the "make-over" works too well; Bernice becomes the belle of the ball,  captivating every boy’s interest . . .  even Marjorie’s boyfriend Warren (Bud Cort).  The now world Bernice has the last laugh . . . a clever and ironic twist. Has teacher’s guide.

(American Short Story Collection) – Nebraska in the l880’s . . . bleak, lonely, and farm from what you’d expect in the Wild West to be.  But for a naïve Swedish immigrant, the frontier parlor of the Blue Hotel represents the quintessential western fantasy.  No one can convince The Swede that his dime-store notions about The West are foolish.  He see murderous intentions all around him . . . and in his terror he turns everybody against him.  Inevitably the Swede attracts tragedy.  However, who is responsible?  The negative Swede? Or the cliquish hotel guests? Has a teacher’s guide.

A family of tiny people live underneath the boards of an English home and "borrow" what they need. 

London's classic sotry of a young man's adventure in the Yukon.   It's 1897 and young John Thorton feels the need to break free from his father's overbearing grip.John jumps a steamer north to join the frenzied fever of the Yukon Gold rush. "The call of the wild" is not the place pictured in his romantic dreams.  Harsh weather, unforgiving terrain, hostile Indians and cutthroat miners remind him he is far from home.  He is struggling for survival, but he has three good reasons to stay alive:  Charlie, a wise Indian who becomes his friend and teacher; Sue, the first true love of his life; and Buck, the courageous dog who helps show him the true meaning of life.  Together they will share job and sorrow in an unforgettable adventure of discovery.

All the Troubles of the World  by Isaac Asimov – What would happen if the world was served by an all-knowing benevolent computer. . . that predicts the probability of events, counsels mankind, and insures its safety and stability? 

The Bear by William Faulkner—He was an old bear. . . a figure of legend and yet very real.  A boy confronts the legend and discovers the truth.   Faulkner wrote four versions of  "The Bear"—two short stories and two novella versions.  This film is based on the second of the short story versions. 

Faye Dunaway and Richard Widmark star in a critically acclaimed story of a May-December romance that scandalizes the quiet Southern town of Cold Sassy, Georgia, at the turn of the century.  When free-thinker "Grandpa" E. Rucker Blakeslee (Widmark) marries a much younger Love Simpson (Dunaway) shortly after his wife’s death, the town ostracizes her.  Love, a beautiful Yankee milliner, yearns for a home to take care of but she hides a terrible secret that prevents her from returning Blakeslee’s love.  Gradually their relationship strengthens her and what begins as a marriage of convenience becomes much more when, one night, she reveals her disturbing secret to him and by so doing, removes the only barrier to their passion. 

Dark drama of traveling salesman Willy Loman who struggles with the conflict of family values and society's expectations of success. 

(American Short Story Collection) – Flannery O’Connor is a writer with a keen sense of observation for the subtle cruelty that comes from fear of the unknown.  Set in Georgia during the late l940’s, the "displaced person" is a Polish refugee (Mr. Guizac) who’s relocated by a priest (John Houseman) to work on Mrs. McIntyre’s (Irene Worth) farm.  Quickly the industrious and clever Mr. Guizac becomes a threat to the other farmworkers.  Soon all are plotting Mr. Guizac’s downfall until fate unexpectedly takes a hand in deciding this outsider’s destiny . . . and ultimately everyone’s tragedy.  Has teacher’s guide.

The Tell-Tale Heart -- The Cask of Amontillado -- Masque of the Red Death -- The Raven -- Annabel Lee -- Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar, Ulalume -- The Black Cat -- The Bells.

Presents Poe's classic story in whcih a visitor to a gloomy mansion finds a childhood friend dying under the spell of a family curse.

Inspired by O. Henry’s "The Gift of the Magi"Played against the tapestry of early 1900’s New York City, this touching tale of selflessness brings O. Henry’s Christmas valentine lovingly to the screen.  A wealthy orphan (Marie Osmond) is dutifully resigned to an arranged-for marriage to a man of  "socially acceptable class" (James Woods), when her heart is captured by a young Swiss immigrant (Timothy Bottoms).  Within her heart she wages the struggle to fulfill her relative’s expectations, and yet to find for herself that most precious of all joys, "The Gift of Love." 

(American Short Story Collection) – Charley Tate (James Whitmore) is an old windbag, often a braggart, but somehow always lovable.  Married over fifty yeart to his ever-patient wife Lucy (Terea Wright), the two of them are on their Golden Honeymoon in Florida.  Everything goes perfectly . . . until Lucy meets her former fiancee who’s also vacationing with his wife.  Suddenly there’s a comic competition between Charley and the old boyfriend for Lucy’s attention.  After fifty years, cantankerous Charles has to win his girl all over again!   Has teacher’s guide.

Highlights of television shows and personalities from the 1950s. Features: Abbott & Costello, Jack Benny, Ed Wynn, Space Ranger, Fu Manchu, and more.

This 1939 movie is one of the most successful films of all time.  The heroine is Scarlett O’Hara, a willful, defiant, and manipulative Southern belle, whose love for Ashley Wilkes is frustrated when he marries the gentle Melanie Hamilton.  After being widowed twice, Scarlett marries Rhett Butler, who proves more than a match for her fiery nature.  Apart from the ill-fated relationship of Scarlett and Rhett, the novel depicts, from a Southern point of view, the tumult and suffering of the years of the Civil War and Reconstruction. 

This film tells about the hardships of the Joad family.  "Okie" farmers forced out of their home in Oklahoma dust-bowl region by economic desperation, they drive to California in search of work as migrant fruitpickers.  From it’s early scenes of Dust Bowl desolation to Ma Joad’s triumphant closing words, this saga of the Joad family and its struggle to reestablish roots in California during the Depression remains a movie masterpiece. 

Mark Twain :  The One-Million Pound Bank Note -- The Celebrated Jumping Frog  of Calaveras County -- A Visit to Niagara -- A Mysterious  
Visit;  Steven Crane:   The Blue Hotel -- The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky;  Ambrose Bierce:  The Eyes of the Panther -- An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge;  Jack London:  The Love of Life -- To Build a Fire.

The chance meeting of a boy and a convict on the Romney Marshes leads to strange consequences for both of them, with mystery and wealth for the boy. 

The chance meeting of a boy and a convict on the Romney Marshes leads to strange consequences for both of them, with mystery and wealth for the boy. 

The chance meeting of a boy and a convict on the Romney Marshes leads to strange consequences for both of them, with mystery and wealth for the boy. 

A poor boy comes into money and, after some frivolous living, learns the value of being true to oneself.

The 20s never roared louder than in this sumptuously romantic retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age classic.  Robert Redford stars as Jay Gatsby, who had once loved beautiful, spoiled Daily Buchanan (Mia Farrow), then lost her to a rich boy.  But now Gatsby is mysteriously wealthy . . .  and ready to risk everything to woo Daisy back. 

(American Short Story Collection) – Fortified with only a gallon of gin and a salami, Jack Smurch (Brad Davis) bests even Lindberg with the first non-stop, around the world flight.  During the four days he’s airborn, this unknown kid becomes a worldwide hero.  But, on the ground a young reporter, anxious to tell the world about their new idol, learns Smurch is bad news.  An arrogant, illiterate lout with a police record, Smurch’s only interests are "parties, broads and dough".  But, the reporter is silenced and Smurch is locked up until the press and politicos can make him into their kind of American hero . . .at any cost.  Has teacher’s guide.

Considered by many authorities as Shakespeare'e greatest play, Hamlet may also be the most representative character in all dramatic literature.  It's a classic tragedy of a young prince torn by indecision.  "To be or not to be?  That is the question"  for a grief-stricken hero caught in the toils of countless dangers.  Revenge, nobility and honor are the quintessential elements of one of Shakespeare's great masterpieces.

(American Short Story Collection)  In 1936 New York City, if you are a young German immigrant and your neighbor is Jewish, will the world allow you to be friends?  Staring across a courtyeard, you see the world of your friend, a warm, happy, loving family.  But your parents believe differently.  They were brought up differently, and yet withou stir feelings that life here in America has so much more to give.  Yet your life is so uncompromising.  Out of desperation, perhaps the only thing you can do is run.  Run for a life of your own. 

Brighten up the holiday season with a tender, uplifting story of a father and daughter who discover that love and understanding are the greatest gifts of all.  Ten year-old Addie Mills (Lisa Lucas) wants only one thing for the holidays—a Christmas tree that will bring good cheer to the house.  But her father (Jason Robards), an embittered widower, absolutely refuses.  Even Addie’s gentle and loving grandmother (Mildred Natwick) can’t get him to change his mind.  As Christmas approaches, it seems as if Addie will never get a Christmas tree…until an act of generosity touches her father’s heart and teaches him an important lesson about the spirit of Christmas.

The theater of today--TV, movies,stage--where and how  did it all begin?  What role did theater play in the cultural history of the West?  Why has theater evolved to what it is today?  Beginning with Greek drama and continuing through Roman, Medieval, Renaissance, French, Spanish, English, and American forms, this video gives an overview of how modern theater came to be.

(American Short Story Collection) – Traveling from town to town during the summer of 1919, young Andy (Ron Howard) has left his Ohio home in search of adventure and romance as a horse trainer on the county fair circuit.  More than a little "wet behind the ears", Andy learns a bittersweet lesson about life when he meet Lucy (Amy Irving). . . the girl of his drams at the race trace one day.  Ashamed of his occupation, Andy leads Lucy to believe he’s wealthy.  Soon one lie leads to another . . . until there is no way to tell Lucy the truth.  The irony of the story is that Lucy and Andy have fallen deeply in love.  As Andy dejectedly admits on his way  out of town, all is lost because "I’m a fool".  (Has a teacher’s guide.) 

(American Short Story Collection) – Granny Weatherall (Geraldine Fitzgerald)  is a spunky old lady of eighty who bosses her doctor and her children.  She seems so strong and in control.  Yet she has never had the upper hand in her destiny.  One morning, a flood of long-forgotten memories bring her to the realization that of all her accomplishments, she cannot console herself for the shame-filled day she was left standing at the altar.  Still, her indomitable will to live and act independently infuses the last day of her life.  The story reminds us of the plight of many women who wait for life to claim them, rather than seek life out for themselves.  Has teacher’s guide.

(American Short Story Collection)  -- Take a very private look at the great American author Henry James in this, a very personal story.  For most of his adult life James lived abroad. . . not unlike the character Spencer Brydon, who, after being an expatriate for 35 years, returns to America and is "overwhelmed by the newness and bigness" that assaults his memory.  Brydon wonders what he might have been had he never left his country . . . and becomes obsessed by the mystery.  He senses that unlocking the door to his ancestral home will unlock the mystery.  Somewhere inside, he’ll find a vision of the man he might have been.  And, when he does, you’ll want to be there.  Has teacher’s guide.

It is an age of unparalleled power and glory.  Rome has become the mightiest empire the world has ever known.  It is a bloody era of violence and intrigue.  It is the time of Julius Caesar.  As Rome's greatest emperor, Caesar holds absolute dominion over the conquered world.  But his jealous rivals in the Roman senate wish to rob his power . . . by taking his life.  Led by the ambitious Cassius and reluctanly joined by the patriotic Brutus, the conspirators secretly plot to assassinate Caesar.  Even the leader's political ally and friend Mark Antony cannot keep him from his brutal fate--a violent death that will drive the empire's ruling forces and ignite an epic war for honour, vengeance and ultimate power!

This  program consists of five versions of the same short story, "The Story of an Hour," which examines the behavior and feelings of a woman on the day she is informed of her husband's death.

The setting is the court of a semi-barbaric king whose adored daughter is in love with a courtier.  Never before had a commoner dared to love royalty.  Such a love is prohibited by their law, therefore the young man is arrested.  He will be subjected to the trial of the arena, wherein his guilt or innocence will be decided on the basis of his choice between two doors.  Behind one door crouches a ferocious tiger; behind the other waits the loveliest maiden in the land.  The arena will become the scene of either a savage killing or a joyous wedding.  Which door will the prisoner choose?  What knowledge will enable him to make the decision? 

The renowned African-American poet reads some of his most noted works, including One Way Ticket, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, The Ku Klux Klan, and others.

Great stars of film and radio.

The classic story of one man's search for freedom and another's quest for revenge.  His crime:  stealing a loaf of bread.  His sentece:  five years in a brutal prison.  But resourceful Jean Valjean escapes.  And grim Inspector Javert sets out to see that Valjean is recaptured and that the state's cruel justice is served.

Semi-autobiographical account of the trials and tribulations of four sisters whom the Civil War has made live at a level below that of their peers.

Peter Brook’s adaptation has been praised as "one of those rare instances in which the movie is better than the book."  Stranded on a remote island, a group of British school boys try to organize themselves into a law-abiding society:  "After all, we’re not savages—we’re English, one of them proclaims.  The decent, levelheaded Ralph is picked to lead them, but is soon rivaled by the brash and outspoken Jack, whose appeals to the boys’ primal urges of good and rear soon threaten Ralph’s rule.  As Jack’s unruly bad of hunters quickly grows in number, the boy’s fragile society disintegrates, and they plunge headlong in to anarchy and blood shed.  The movie explores how easily the threads that hold our social fabric together can thin, fray, and ultimately unravel. 

(American Short Story Collection) St. Louis in the 1950's.  A great summer for the coming-of-age of a sixteen year old boy.  A great summer to learn a little about love and a lot about life.  Through the eyes and heart of Ben, our story follows his mother's need for his sister to "marry well."  His sister's ambivalence toward her rich suitor intertwines with the bloom of Ben's own romantic yearnings as he discovers in that summer the hopeful, yet perplexing mix of emotions that rule the romantic spirit  in us all. 

Shakespeare's classic tragedy tells the story of a good man gone bad, driven to murder by "ugly ambiton" and fueled by a power-hungry wife.  MacBeth's desire to fulfill his prophecies of greatness--foretold by three witches--ultimately leads to wicked acts and his eventual downfall.

Richard Chamberlain delivers an outstanding performance in the  dual roles of the foppish King Louis XIV of France and his heroic twin brother Phillipe in this extravagant production of the Alexandre Dumas classic.  Though he is the rightful heir to the throne, Phillipe is spirted away at birth and Louis becomes the king.  When Phillipe is later recognized, Louis orders his face to be entombed in an iron mask, never to be seen again.  King  Louis has become the puppet of Finance Minister Fouget but Captain D'Artagnan and Minister Colbert are determined that France have her real king.  In a cunning scheme, they free Phillipe from prison and release him from his mask.  On the night of the grand costume ball, the story reaches its climax;  one brother takes the throne, the other is imprisoned.  Which one shall rule France?

(American Short Story Collection) – Hadleyburg has a reputation for unshakable honest.  The smug townspeople are proud of this virtue and keep themselves honest by simply avoiding temptation.  That is until The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg arrives in town.  Robert Preston stars as the stranger who plots a revenge on the hypocritical residents by promising a fortune to the citizen who once showed him charity many years before.  One by one the stranger tempts the leading citizens to scheme for the money—until Hadleyburg’s honest reputation is mud before the world.  This is a cynical, yet humorous view of life in America’s small towns—a life that the acerbic Mr. Twain knew only too well.  Has teacher’s guide.

The Music School -- Author John Updike has become the ultimate contemporary observer of everyman--the man who reveals the tempo of life's rhythms behind the doors of suburbia.  In this very personal short story, he explores the turmoil. of one man, a writer, in his search for the form and harmony in life. 

Parker Adderson, Philosopher -- Confederate Generals don't look kindly upon Yankee spies--in fact, they're hanged at sunrise. . . usually.  Parker Adderson is a confessed spy whose philosophizing about his fate forces his executioner to confront his mortality--and take a long, hard look at the death that awaits every soldier, and every human being.

Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison star as the unforgettable Eliza Doolittle and Professor Henry Higgins in one of the most beloved musicals of all time.  It is an engaging tale of a Cockney flower girl becoming the belle of British society. 

Mathilde Loisel is married to a decent but minor government official.  Her dreams of rising to a better station in life were probably common to the l9th century French bourgeois class, but the loss of a borrowed necklace reduces her to menial work to replace it.  What she learns years later will shock us all into pondering the real meaning of the necklace.

This colorful adaptation gives a uniquely modern twist to Mark Twain’s classic tale.  The story beings in the present as devious Jimmy Smiley, a young scoundrel with a passion for betting, challenges newcomer Skip Burnett to a bicycle race.  Jimmy wins, thanks to a few dirty tricks which do not escape the attention of Miss Fletcher, the children’s teacher.  Wisely, Miss Fletcher says nothing but merely asks Jimmy to read the Mark Twain story aloud to the class.  As he does, Jimmy’s vivid imagination casts him and his friends as characters in the story.  The spirit and moral remain true to Twain’s original account of a rascal who falls prey to his own sting when he wagers on a frog-jumping contest. 

They conquered the land, challenged the future, and turned their dreams into a nation.

This is a brilliant short story about a Civil War Soldier about to be hung.  It is a brooding, thought-provoking masterpiece. 

The anicent world's most spectacular epic unfolds on screen as a star-studded, special-effects-filled adventure of breathtaking beauty and power in this lavishly produced adaptation of Homer's Odyssey.

Best friends Lennie (John Malkovich) and George (Gary Sinise) find themselves unemployed in Depression-era California, unable to maintain a stable working pattern for long because of Lennie’s infantile mental capacity. 

Othello presents the timeless battle of good versus evil.  The sinister Iago is pitted against Othello, a man of honor.  Yet Othello "loved not wisely, but too well," perhaps his tragic flaw.  Iago, the classic Shakespearan antagonist, manipulates Othello's trust until it becomes a fit of deadly jealousy and rage that causes thim to murder his loving wife, Desdemona. 

Anthony Quinn stars as Santiago, a luckless, yet undefeated Cuban fisherman.  He becomes locked in an epic struggle between man and nature.  He encounters a giant marlin in the Gulf Stream and the battle for his catch becomes one of survival against a band of marauding sharks. 

No film better captures the powerful emotions of hope, courage and friendship than Disney’s treasured and much loved classic, Old Yeller.  The Quintessential tale of a boy’s love for his dog has touched the hearts of millions, its enduring legacy growing with each new generation.  Set amidst the landscape of l860s Texas, a young boy named Travis wants nothing to do with the lop-eared stray.  But Old Yeller quickly proves himself a loyal friend, protecting the family farm, and saving Travis’ life.  Soon, they become inseparable pals, sharing joyous experiences and learning valuable lessons about growing up.

These two rigorously faithful productions have a great deal in common, but there are important differences, too.  Oddly the 1989 version more closely follows Wilder's stage directions and is performed by actors working withour props on a virtually empty stage.  The 1977 production takes place in a televison studio, with an elegant, stylized set that was a concession to television.

A young writer and his girlfriend set out to solve the murder of a priest and thereby prove that the writer has been wrongly accused of the crime.

(American Short Story Collection) – Lost in a world of fantasy, young working-class Paul dreams of escaping his dreary existence in turn-of-the-century Pittsburgh.  As fate would have it, Paul gets his chance by stealing some money and subsequently running off to glamorous New York City.  Once there, Paul experiences everything he every dreamed of . ....from a luxurious hotel suite to his first taste of champagne.  However, when reality finally comes crashing down around him, Paul realizes the desperate course he must now take. – Has teacher’s guide.

Tells the story of a poor Mexican fisherman whose dreams of wealth are both realized and shattered.  It a fable of man’s hope. 

The story of a young man's search through the questions of life and death and the discovery of living in the country after the hectic life in the city.

Wendy Hiller plays a Cockney flower seller and Leslie Howard plays the phonetics professor who bets that within six months he can turn her into a lady and pass her off as a dutchess.  Exquisite comedy classic.

(American Short Story Collection) – Set in l8th Century Italy, this is the tale of a young scholar named Giovanni (Kristoffer Tabori) who falls in love with a beautiful, yet forbidden, girl who tends her father’s poison garden.  However, the strange and unearthly beauty of Beatrice (Kathleen Beller) masks a terrifying curse which Giovanni must tragically discover.  Her father, the mysterious Dr. Rappaccini, has made her the subject of a diabolical experiment.  In Giovanni’s attempt to free Beatrice from the control of her father and to escape the poisonous effect she begins to have on him, he unwittingly destroys her.  Two quintessential Hawthorne themes are explored:  the sins of interfering with another’s soul and the futility of trying to tamper with nature. Has teacher’s guide.

This is the story of Henry Fleming and his initiation into manhood as a Union Army recruit during the Civil War.  With a sensitive performance by Audi Murphy (the most decorated GI of World War II and star of his own biography, To Hell and Back), the film reveals the horrible—thought sometimes ennobling—realities of war.  We share the experiences of the untested soldier through his own eyes:  the tedious long marches, the heart-gripping fear of combat, the grief over fallen comrades, the shame of cowardice, and, hardest of all, the battle he must fight within himself.  At the same time, we see him mature rapidly from a timid boy to a self-assured man, from a coward to a hero. 

Young Tom Tiflin is unable to find the love and guidance he needs from his parents.  For friendship and support, he turns to easy-going hired-hand, Billy Buck.  In an attempt to become closer to his son, Tom's father gives him a red pony to raise.  As the horse become the focus of Tom's life, it ultimately drives the family further apart as Tom turns to Billy for help in rearing his beloved pet.  Family ties and Tom and Billy's firendship are put to the test when the red pony becomes sick asnd disappears.

Although Romeo and Juliet is based on the long-standing hatred between two families, its tale of "star-crossed lovers" is perhaps the greatesst tragic love story in English literature.  In their heedlesss passion for each other, Romeo and Juliet defy the rules of their world to be together.  The Capulets and Montagues, warring families of Verona, are ultimately united by Romeo and Juliet's doomed relationship.

Shakespeare's classic play of tragic love between opposing families.

Shakespeare's classic play of tragic love between opposing families.

In early colonial Massachusetts, a young woman endures the consequences of her sin of adultery and spends the rest of her life in atonement.

This is a story of trust, deceit and hypocrisy.  Heart Wrenching!   Will the sensitive and loving Hester and her lively daughter Pearl be forever shunned by society?  Will Hester’s lover and Pearl’s father, who is also the town’s respected preacher, never come of their aid?  Educational!  Gain an understanding of one of America’s great writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the culture of Puritan Boston in the l7th century—a culture very different from our own.  Soul-Searching! What would you do if you had to choose between a promising career and the person you love?  What values do you hold dearer than the respect of society?  (Contains a short biography of Nathaniel Hawthorne.) 

A classic of love and adultery in Colonial America. 

This London novel had it all:  action, mystery and widespread popularity—one of the top films in 1940-41.  Edward G. Robinson and a superb cast are the hands on deck for this voyage into nightmare.  Robinson is Captain Wolf, a hell-bent seadog who rankswith Moby Dick’s Ahab and Mutiny on the Bounty’s Captain Bligh.  Doom is the mad seafarer’s fog-shrouded port of call . . . and he intends to take a rouchneck recruit, two castaways and his crew with him.  Adventure – and eerie suspense – ahoy!  Also stars John Garfield, Ida Lupino, Alexander Knox, Gene Lockhart and Barry Fitzgerald. 

An orphan girl and her invalid cousin bring new life to their home on the moors when they discover the secret garden.

A meek man imagines himself in the role of a number of daredevil heroes.

Students will gain a vivid impressiona not only of Shakespeare's life but also of Elizabethan England, the period and place in which he lived and worked.

The town of Stratford upon Avon is famous for its fine half timbered buildings and as the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

A selfish and miserly old man's life is changed when he finds and cares for a pretty young girl, but happiness is threatened with the return of her real father.

(American Short Story Collection) – This is a deceptively simple, yet emotionally complex tale of a young boy’s discovery of what it’s like to be black in Louisiana during the 1940’s.  James, the boy in question, has a raging toothache that necessitates a trip to the dentist.  His mother (Olivia Cole), accompanies James to town on an eye opening odyssey where the boy gains valuable insights into poverty, racism—and his own sense of pride.  This multi-award winning film explores a child’s discovery that he world is a complicated place. . . where things are never truly black or white. . . only shades of gray. Has teacher’s guide.

(American Short Story Collection) – Harold Krebs (Richard Backus) went off to fight World War I, "the war to end all wars."  Then he came home . . . and found himself wishing it had never ended.  To Ernest Hemingway, the hardest part  of the war was coming home.  This is the essence of this story with many similarities to the experience of our Vietnam veterans.  Harold finds he doesn’t fit in anymore.  He’s outgrown his old life and now needs peace and quiet to work things out for himself.  Yet he’s pressured by his loving but misunderstanding mother (Nancy Marchand) to rejoin a community which he feels alien.  Harold discovers going home is never easy—and maybe it isn’t even possible.  Has teacher’s guide.

This  program consists of five versions of the same short story, "The Story of an Hour," which examines the behavior and feelings of a woman on the day she is informed of her husband's death.

• Colonials To Revolutionaries:  American Liteature, 1620-1820 (16 Min.)
• An Age of Renaissance:  American Literature 1820-1865 (16 Min.)
• Probing Reality: American Literature, 1865-1914 (16 Min.)
• Between the Wars:  American Literature, 1915-1945 (16 Min.)
• After the War:  American Literature From 1945 (16 Min.)

A  recreation of the two years when Thoreau lived alone at Walden Pond, tasting the joys of solitude and nature while bemoaning the lot of the mass of men who lead lives of quiet desperation.  The commentary uses Thoreau's own words.

The camera follows a lone man traveling through the great Alaskan wilderness in seventy-five degrees below zero weather.  The stark realism of the chilling images combined with the power of Orson Welles' reading fills the viewer with an awesome admiration for the story's courageous hero.  The visuals add a new dimension to London's prose and the viewer feels the icy cold to an extent that reaches far beyond the power of words alone.  This chilly discomfort provides a tense background for the suspense which is to come as the man attempts to build the fire he must have in order to survive.

Robert Newton stars as Long John Silver in this story of pirates and islands, mutiny, gold and madmen.

Introduces your students to the art of poetry, to the basic forms--lyrical and narrative, to the basic elements of poetry--thought, mood, imagery, melody, rhythm.  The poems used have been carefully selected to demonstrate both the specific form or element being discussed, and, also, to capture the interest and imagination of your students.

Defines what a short story is and examines the various elements that are found in short stories.

This fast-paced video teaches step-by-step procedures for writing for results.  Students see the imprtance of determining and understanding their audience and defining their desired result.  They learn how to select a topic, gather material, record research, organize thoughts, and present a final product that accomplishes the desired result.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Live Home Video) (96 Min.) 

A Life Affirming True Story—Based on the best-selling autobiography by the extraordinary Maya Angelou.  Her life began in vicious, racist, Depression-era Arkansas with the sensitive Maya being shunted between her grandmother’s house and her mother’s—where she is raped—and withdraws into total silence.  Finally, she speaks again and in her valedictory address, shares her realization.  "in order to life your voice, you have to lift your head."  Now, with her head held high, Maya has shared her voice, her life, with us—and, it’s a rich and rare experience.

Maya Angelou:  Author-Poet-Playwright-Activist 
(PBS) (60 Min.) 

Creativity with Bill Moyers (PBS Home Video)  Some people are born great and some people have greatness thrust upon them.  Maya Angelou was born to greatness.  She is a true Renaissance woman.  Hailed as one of the greatest voices of contemporary literature, she is a poet, a best-selling author, an educator, a historian, an actress, a playwright, a civil-rights activist, a producer and a director.  Her wisdom is legendary.  Her prowess is unsurpassed.  Bill Moyers takes Maya Angelou back home to Stamps, Arkansas, for the first time since her childhood.  She was hesitant to return to a place which once gave her great joy and tremendous pain.  In this poignant program, Maya Angelou reflects on her life and how it has shaped her art.  It is a moment you won’t soon forget/  Learn the secret joys and sorrows of this remarkable woman.  She is a woman of substance whose impact continue to be felt by people around the world. 

Agatha Christie:  How Did She Do It?  (Profile of a Writer)  (Home Vision) (50 Min.) 

What is the secret of Agatha Christie's unique appeal and what was the motivation behind her prodigioius output?  This program seeks clues to the elusive character of this enormously popular writer.  Archival film of Christie and her family provides the viewer with further insights, and excerpts from her books, plays and films help to finish the puzzle.

Emily Dickinson (Schlessinger Video) 30 Min.) 

Part of  the American Women of Achievement series which celebrates the lives and accomplishments of outstanding women.  Emily Dickinson (1830-1890) was born into a famous New England family.  Emily lived a sheltered, reclusive life.  Only seven of her poems were published during her lifetime, and she died virtually unknown.  Then a treasure of nearly 2,000 poems was found and published.  Her poetry reflects her profound states of despair and explores images of faith.  Dickinson is considered one of the greatest American poets of all time. 

William Faulkner:  A Concise Biography (Famous Authors Series) (Kultur)  (30 Min.) 

Faulkner created an immense gallery of vivid and unforgettable characters in his portrayal of the southern social aftermath of the Civil War.  In most of his novels set in the imaginary Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, he created a complex social structure from which he explored the southern past, race relations, and the alienation felt by his comtemporaries in that volatile society.

F. Scott Fitzgerald:  A Concise Biography (Famous Authors Series) (Kultur) (30 Min.) 

Heralded as one of the most gifted writers of his generation, Fitzgerald was known for his novels and stories of the 1920s.  He created cynical, but glittering characters to define the "Jazz Age" as one of irresponsiblity.

Ernest Hemingway:  A Concise Biography (Famous Authors Series) (Kultur) (30 Min.) 

Enigmatic and intriguing, Hemingway is one of America's favorite authors.  His dramatic understatement, dialogue and use of heroes made for great human interest.  Hemingway's writing was influenced by his tenure as a foreign war correspondent.

Robin Hood:  Outlaw of the Forest  ( A & E) (Biography) (50 Min.) 

How true is the legend of Robin Hood?  In this video the facts and myths about this chivalrous champion of the poor emerge from the darkness of  Nottingham Forest.  Robin Hood was said to be a master archer, sensational horseman, and a cunning schemer who duped the cruel nobility.  Yet scholars have found little documented evidence of his existence.  Could it be that this swashbuckling hero was actualy dreamed up by medieval imagination to justify the ideals of the oppressed?

Langston Hughes -- (Black Americans of Achievement Video Collection II) (30 Min.) 

Biographical information is provided and comments about the person's life, thoughts, and contributions are added by historians and other experts who explain why those achievements are important.

Jack London:  A Life of Adventure (Guidance Associates) (24 Min.) 

Jack London:  A Life of Adventure – Gives the students a vivid impression of a writer who found challenge and adventure in his own life and passed the thrill and excitement of that challenge on to his readers.  It has been said that the greatest story Jack London every told was the life he lived.  Part I cover the period from his birth in 1876 through the publication of his first major success, The Son of the Wolf  (1900), and  portrays the author as an extremely inquisitive adventuresome young man who refused to let poverty overcome him.  Part II of the program concentrates on developing the complex personality of a writer who wanted to take his own experiences apart and reconstruct them for his readers.  (Has teacher’s guide.) 

The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe  
(A & E Home Video) (Biography) (50 Min) -- 2 Copies 

Presents an in-depth look at the tragic life of one of our century's most mysterious writers.

Anne Rice -- Birth of the Vampire (Lifetime)(45 Min.) 

Surrender to the supernatural world of best-selling author Anne Rice.  She is America' Queen of Terror.  Her story stretches from the haunted backstreets of New Orleans to the Bohemian quarters of San Franciso where personal tragedy propelled her unique vision.  Mysterious, mist-drenched bayous, voodooism and Christianty are the raw ingredients of her imaginative work.

The Life & Times of William Shakespeare (The Souvenir Collection) (Channel A.V. Televsion) (29 Min.) 

This video gives an insight into the Elizabethan lifestyle, and explores some of the factors which would have shaped the Bard's "thinkings and imaginings" throughout his life.

Review the life of William Shakespeare. 

George Bernard Shaw:  A Concise Biography (Famous Authors Series) (Kultur)  (30 Min.) 

Irish dramatist, critic and social refoermer, Shaw's public image was his own created caricature.  His writing reveals his fear of intimacy, prudishness, shyness, and idealism.  Political and economic socialism, a new religion of creative evolution, vegetarianism, and spelling reform were several of his causes.  His plays and essays, never written for sheer entertainment's sake, were the vehicles for his theories.

John Steinbeck:  A Concise Biography (Famous Authors Series) (Kultur) (30 Min.) 

Born in Salinas, California, novelist John Steinbeck was best noted for his portrayal of the proletariat.  His writing realistically depicted the economically depressed in the U.S., particularly the itinerate farm laborers of California.  The subects of Steinbeck's writing and fascination included the sea, traveling, and common people.  His fondness for the "unfinished children of nature" was a recurring theme in his novels.

One of America's greatest writers, John Steinbeck paradoxically remains one of our country's least understood artists.  This deeply moving biography reveals the tortured soul beneath the acclaimed American legend whose compassionate, visionary writing challenged the status quo and touched the soul of a nation.

Mark Twain:  His Amazing Adventures  
(A & E) (Biography)(50 Min.) 

He was an American original, a gifted and irreverent storyteller whose portrayal of a yong nation captured the imagination of the world.

While attempting to catch a lizard on a class biology trip, David, along with two others boys, unintentionally break a limb off a cherry tree.  The son of a poor, uneducated farming couple, he must stay after school to work off his debt.  This angers and humiliates his father, who sets off with pistol in hand to teach David’s teacher a lesson.  Instead, he learns the importance of education, realizing his son deserves a chance for a better life.  The stars are Colleen Dewhurst and Will Newman. 

The classic tale of honor and sacrifice starts Chris Sarandon and Alice Krige.  Sarandon plays the dual roles of dissolute London barrister Sydney Carton and Parisian patriot-in exile Charles Darnay.  Indifferent to the plight of France’s downtrodden and pained by unrequited love for Darnay’s wife, Lucid (Krige), Carton finds meaning through an act of ultimate sacrifice.  He reaffirms his devotion to Lucie by secretly taking her husband’s place on the guillotine. 

Hauntingly filmed in stark black and white to accentuate the good vs. Evil theme.  The viewer cannot help but be drawn into Poet’s carefully woven web of murder and betrayal. 

Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his brilliant performance as the Southern lawyer who defends a black man accused of rape in this film version of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.  The way in which it captures a time, a place, and above all, a mood, makes this film a masterpiece.  The setting is a dusty Southern town during the Depression.  A white woman accuses a black man of rape.  Though he is obviously innocent, the outcome of his trial is such a foregone conclusion that no lawyer will step forward to defend him—except Peck, the town’s most distinguished citizen.  His compassionate defense costs him many friendships but earns him the respect and admiration of his two motherless children.

This is the charming tale of a small farm boy who runs away from his rural environment in search of his older brother who has joined the army to fight the Japanese in World War II. 

A young woman struggles to keep her family together against all the odds in this deeply felt story about Mary Call Luther, who lives happily with her father and her three siblings in the remote Smoky mountains of North Carolina.  Her idyllic childhood ends abruptly, however, when here father dies.  Though she is the second eldest, responsible and resourceful Mary Call emerges as the head of the family, determined to do what she must to fulfill her deathbed promise to her father to keep the orphans together.  To earn their living, the children learn the art of gathering and preparing medicinal herbs know as "wildcrafting."  But, more importantly, they discover that the greatest treasure they possess is their love and devotion to each other. 

A boy’s yearning for two red-bone coon hounds, which his parents couldn’t afford during the desolate times of the Depression in the Ozarks, is the setting for this truly triumphant film Billy’s grandfather (James Whitmore, in a splendid performance) promises the lad that God will meet him halfway if he believes in himself and his beloved dogs.  Billy faces adventure, suspense, and tragedy – and, ultimately, a love and loyalty of family and friendship—to realize his dream.  The outcome makes for the kind of heart-warming story that great family films are all about.  This is wonderful story for all ages and for all time. 

Swooped from her Kansas farm by a terrible twister, young Dorothy  (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, find themselves in a fantastic world of witches and wizards.  Befriended by the inhabitants of Munchkinland, Dorothy learns here only hope of returning to Kansas is to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, home of the magnificent and all-powerful Wizard of Oz.  Joined in her enchanted quest by a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) in search of a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) in search of a heart and a cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) in need of courage, Dorothy leads the merry band dancing and singing toward their dreams.  This legendary film continues to delight those who let their minds and hearts drift to that magical place that will forever be . . . somewhere over the rainbow. 

A budding basketball star discovers that her beloved great-uncle, now a barber, was one of the early great black film directors nearly a half-century ago.  She helps him to accept his past and, in the process, unearths a rich cultural legacy. 

Students will learn more than just the identities of the most famous Greek and Roman gods.  They will learn how these fascinating personalities have become part of our language and culture.  Why our rockets are called Titans and Apollos, where we got words such as cereal, January, June, March, and how our planets got their names.  The Greek and Roman names of each god or goddess are printed on screen as students learn how the Romans changed the original Greek gods.

This program presents an exploration of the two Homeric masterpieces, the Iliad (a tragedy) and the Odyssey (a comedy).  It explains the nature of epic and the Greeks' concepts of honor and fame.  Viewers survey the journeys of Achilles and Odysseus as Heroes' quests for identify within the rich symbolic traditon of folklore and history.

Designed to help students to:  identify Homer and the time and place in which he wrote; recognize the major events and characters of the Iliad and the Odyssey; recognize the relationship of the Iliad and the Odyssey to ancient Greek mythology and legend; identify the major themes of the Iliad and the Odyssey and appreicate their universality; and understand the origin and importance of the epic as a literary form.

This is a two-part program that seeks to introduce students to both aspects of mytholody;  the historical and the literary.  The stress of the program is on giving students an idea of the nature of the Greek and Roman gods and of the importance of these gods in the lives of the ancients. 

This program is designed to help students understand that the immorality and popularity of many myths and legends arise from the basic human experiences they embody, and the basic human feelings they reflect.  Students will also learn, through selected examples, how stories and characters in myths and legends are revived and reinterpreted in literature and popular culture.

The remains of ancient theatres are spread across the territory of Greece, haunted by the shadows of Homer, of the myths that fill the epics and the tragedies, of the non-so-distant past of human sacrifice:  a theatre built on a high acropolis, perhaps religious in character; an amphitheatre in a major city of the Achaean League; the theatre of ancient Psophis, scene of Euripides' Alcmeon in Psophis; the smallest theatre preserved, at a site renowned in Homeric times.

Part 1 -- Odysseus -- Exposes three interlocking tales--the story of Odysseus's escape from the island and his return to Ithaca, the story of his son's growth to manhood, and finally, a flashback that recounts Odysseys's wandering adventures. (27 Min.) 

Part 2 -- The Return of Odysseus -- Focuses on Odysseus's actions after his return to Ithaca, showing how they reveal his true character, especially his cleverness and his courage. (25 Min.) 

Part 3 -- The Central Themes -- Discusses how the three diverging themes in "The Odyssey" are based  on a moral truth:  heroism demands both bravery and intelligence. (28 Min.)

A collection of English and American poems presented in the order they appear in the anthology, covering 39 major poets. Includes 2 poems by Whitman not from the anthology. (Author's name follows the selections.) 

The cuckoo song / anon. -- Whoso list to hunt (a.k.a. The hind) / Sir Thomas Wyatt -- The nymph's reply to the shepherd ; The passionate man's pilgrimage / Sir Walter Raleigh -- Sonnet 1 from "Astrophel and Stella" / Sir Philip Sidney -- The passionate shepherd to his love / Christopher Marlowe -- Sonnet 18, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" ; Sonnet 29, "When, in disgrace with for tune and men's eyes" ; Sonnet 116, "Let me not to the marriage of true minds ; Sonnet 129, "Th'expense of spirit in a waste of shame" / William Shakespeare -- When to her lute Corinna sings ; Rose-cheeked Laura ; There is a garden in her face / Thomas Campion -- Song, "Go and catch a falling star" ; The sun rising ; Sonnet 10 from Holy Sonnets "Death, be not proud" / John Donne -- Song: To Celia / Ben Jonson -- The argument of his book ; Delight in disorder ; To the virgins, to make much of time ; Upon Julia's clothes / Robert Herrick -- The collar ; The pulley ; Love (III) / George Herbert -- When I consider how my light is spent (a.k.a. On his blindness) / John Milton -- Song "Why so pale and wan, fond lover?" -- Out upon it (a.k.a. The constant lover) / John Suckling -- To Althea, from prison / Richard Lovelace -- To his coy mistress ; The definition of love / Andrew Marvell - The retreat / Henry Vaughan -- A song for St. Cecillia's Day / John Dryden -- Elegy written in a country churchyard / Thomas Gray -- From "Poetical sketches" : Song ; From "Songs of innocence": Introduction ; The lamb ; From "Songs of experience": The tyger / William Blake -- To a mouse ; A red, red rose / Robert Burns -- She dwelt among the untrodden ways ; Composed upon Westminster Bridge September 3, 1802 ; My hearts leaps up ; The world is too much with us / William Wordsworth -- Kubla Khan / Samuel Taylor Coleridge --She walks in beauty ; When we two parted / George Gordon, Lord Byron -- Ozymandias ; Ode to the west wind ; To a skylark ; Adonais (stanzas 1,39,54,55) / Percy Bysshe Shelley -- On first looking into Chapman's Homer ; Ode on a Grecian urn ; Bright star / John Keats -- Concord hymn ; The Rhodora / Ralph Waldo Emerson -- Sonnets from "The Portuguese; 1,43 / Elizabeth Barrett Browning -- To Helen ; The city in the sea ; Annabel Lee / Edgar Allan Poe -- Break, break, break ; Songs from "The Princess": The splendor falls ; Tears, idle tears ; Now sleeps the crimson petal ; The eagle ; Crossing the bar / Alfred, Lord Tennyson -- My last Duchess ; Home-thoughts, from abroad / Robert Browning -- Song of myself (parts 1, 6, 21, 31) ; O Captain! my captain! / Walt Whitman -- Dover Beach / Matthew Arnold -- 303, "The soul selects her own society" ; 986, "A narrow fellow in the grass" / Emily Dickinson -- Up-hill / Christina Rossetti -- The garden of Proserpine / Algernon Charles Swinburne -- The darkling thrush / Thomas Hardy -- Pied beauty / Gerard Manley Hopkins -- Loveliest of trees, the cherry now ; With rue my heart is laden / Alfred Edward Housman -- The lake isle of Innisfree ; The wild swans of Coole / William Butler Yeats.

This collection of American poetry from 14 different authors starts with the earliest lyrics of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor, written in the eighteenth century. It includes poems through the nineteenth century by poets as varied as Stephen Crane and Emily Dickinson. 

To my dear and loving husband / Anne Bradstreet -- The soul creates her own society / Emily Dickinson -- Upon what base was fixed the lath / Edward Taylor; and others.

A rare and thrilling listening experience!  A choice gathering of some of the 20th century's greatest poetry read by the poet!  Favorites such as T.S. Eliot, William Butler Yeats, ee. cummings, Robert Frost, and many other are included.

Introduces your students to the art of poetry, to the basic forms--lyrical and narrative, to the basic elements of poetry--thought, mood, imagery, melody, rhythm.  The poems used have been carefully selected to demonstrate both the specific form or element being discussed, and, also, to capture the interest and imagination of your students.

Teaches step-by-step procedures of writing for results.  Students see the importance of determining and understanding their audience and defining their desired result.  They learn how to select a subject; gather material; record research; organize thoughts; present a final product that accomplishes the desired result.

A full-featured word processing and desktop publishing program with unique student features to assist in all facets of writing.  Includes five different document types (report, newsletter, journal, letter and sign) each with special features and writing help—designed to make writing fun and easy.   

Master the study skills you need to improve your grades:  Learning Styles; Time Management and Organization; Note-Taking; Reading; Remembering; Test Taking; Critical Thinking and Problem Solving