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Browse OER Textbooks from the University of Minnesota's Open Textbook Library. These textbooks are authored and peer reviewed by faculty or other accredited subject matter experts. Many of these textbooks are actively used to teach OER based courses at instiutions across the United States. 

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Literature, the Humanities, and Humanity
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Return to milneopentextbooks.org to download PDF and other versions of this textNewParaLiterature, the Humanities, and Humanity attempts to make the study of literature more than simply another school subject that students have to take. At a time when all subjects seem to be valued only for their testability, this book tries to show the value of reading and studying literature, even earlier literature. It shows students, some of whom will themselves become teachers, that literature actually has something to say to them. Furthermore, it shows that literature is meant to be enjoyed, that, as the Roman poet Horace (and his Renaissance disciple Sir Philip Sidney) said, the functions of literature are to teach and to delight. The book will also be useful to teachers who want to convey their passion for literature to their students. After an introductory chapter that offers advice on how to read (and teach) literature, the book consists of a series of chapters that examine individual literary works ranging from The Iliad to Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. These chapters can not substitute for reading the actual works. Rather they are intended to help students read those works. They are attempts to demystify the act of reading and to show that these works, whether they are nearly three thousand or less than two hundred years old, still have important things to say to contemporary readers.

Long Description:
Literature, the Humanities, and Humanity attempts to make the study of literature more than simply another school subject that students have to take. At a time when all subjects seem to be valued only for their testability, this book tries to show the value of reading and studying literature, even earlier literature. It shows students, some of whom will themselves become teachers, that literature actually has something to say to them. Furthermore, it shows that literature is meant to be enjoyed, that, as the Roman poet Horace (and his Renaissance disciple Sir Philip Sidney) said, the functions of literature are to teach and to delight. The book will also be useful to teachers who want to convey their passion for literature to their students. After an introductory chapter that offers advice on how to read (and teach) literature, the book consists of a series of chapters that examine individual literary works ranging from The Iliad to Charles Dickens’ Bleak House. These chapters can not substitute for reading the actual works. Rather they are intended to help students read those works. They are attempts to demystify the act of reading and to show that these works, whether they are nearly three thousand or less than two hundred years old, still have important things to say to contemporary readers.

Word Count: 88076

ISBN: 978-1-942341-03-1

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Subject:
English Language Arts
Reading Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
State University of New York
Author:
Theodore L. Steinberg
Date Added:
09/11/2014
American Literatures Prior to 1865
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This work was created as part of the University Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Initiative at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

A web version of this text can be found at https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/alpt1865/.

This anthology of American Literatures Prior to 1865, is organized chronologically into four units, focusing on Colonial Literature, Literature of Native American Perspectives and Discovery, Literature of Nineteenth Century Reform, and Literature of the New Nation. It includes introductions to the many authors included to enhance the reader's contextual understanding of the chosen texts. This anthology is essential reading for any student or scholar of Early American literature.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Reading
Textbook
Provider:
University of Missouri St. Louis
Author:
Scott D. Peterson
Date Added:
08/30/2022
Compact Anthology of World Literature
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CC BY-SA
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The introductions in this anthology are meant to be just that: a basic overview of what students need to know before they begin reading, with topics that students can research further. An open access literature textbook cannot be a history book at the same time, but history is the great companion of literature: The more history students know, the easier it is for them to interpret literature.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Kyounghye Kwon
Laura Getty
Date Added:
09/23/2015
American Literatures After 1865
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CC BY-SA
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This work was created as part of the University Libraries’ Open Educational Resources Initiative at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

A web version of this text can be found at https://umsystem.pressbooks.pub/ala1865/.

This book is an anthology of American Literatures After 1865, a new revision of the open educational resource entitled Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature 1865 to Present. It contains works that have been newly introduced to the public domain and provides direct links to reading materials that can be borrowed for free from Archive.org.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Reading
Textbook
Provider:
University of Missouri St. Louis
Author:
Amy Berke
Doug Davis
Jordan Cofer
Robert Blei
Scott D. Peterson
Date Added:
02/04/2023
Writing and Literature: Composition as Inquiry, Learning, Thinking, and Communication
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In the age of Buzzfeeds, hashtags, and Tweets, students are increasingly favoring conversational writing and regarding academic writing as less pertinent in their personal lives, education, and future careers. Writing and Literature: Composition as Inquiry, Learning, Thinking and Communication connects students with works and exercises and promotes student learning that is kairotic and constructive. Dr. Tanya Long Bennett, professor of English at the University of North Georgia, poses questions that encourage active rather than passive learning. Furthering ideas presented in Contribute a Verse: A Guide to First-Year Composition as a complimentary companion, Writing and Literature builds a new conversation covering various genres of literature and writing. Students learn the various writing styles appropriate for analyzing, addressing, and critiquing these genres including poetry, novels, dramas, and research writing. The text and its pairing of helpful visual aids throughout emphasizes the importance of critical reading and analysis in producing a successful composition. Writing and Literature is a refreshing textbook that links learning, literature, and life.

Subject:
Composition and Rhetoric
English Language Arts
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Tanya Long Bennet
Date Added:
07/02/2019
World Literature I: Beginnings to 1650
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CC BY-SA
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This peer-reviewed World Literature I anthology includes introductory text and images before each series of readings. Sections of the text are divided by time period in three parts: the Ancient World, Middle Ages, and Renaissance, and then divided into chapters by location.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Douglass Thomson
Kyounghye Kwon
Laura Getty
Rhonda Kelley
Date Added:
03/20/2015
Compact Anthology of World Literature II
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CC BY-SA
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The Compact Anthology of World Literature, Parts 4, 5, and 6 is designed as an e-book to be accessible on a variety of devices: smart phone, tablet, e-reader, laptop, or desktop computer. Students have reported ease of accessibility and readability on all these devices.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Author:
Anita Turlington
Laura Getty
Matthew Horton
Date Added:
08/31/2022
Writing the Nation: A Concise Introduction to American Literature 1865 to Present
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Writing the Nation: A Concise Guide to American Literature 1865 to Present is a text that surveys key literary movements and the American authors associated with the movement. Topics include late romanticism, realism, naturalism, modernism, and modern literature.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Amy Berke
Jordan Cofer
Robert R. Bleil
Date Added:
01/01/2015
British Literature II: Romantic Era to the Twentieth Century and Beyond
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The University of North Georgia Press and Affordable Learning Georgia bring you British Literature II: Romantic Era to the Twentieth Century and Beyond.
Featuring 37 authors and full texts of their works, the selections in this open anthology represent the literature developed within and developing through their respective eras. This completely-open anthology will connect students to the conversation of literature that has captivated readers in the past and still holds us now.
Features:
Contextualizing introductions to the Romantic era; the Victorian era; and the Twentieth Century and beyond.
Over 90 historical images.
In-depth biographies of each author.
Instructional Design features, including Reading and Review Questions.
This textbook is an Open Educational Resource. It can be reused, remixed, and reedited freely without seeking permission.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Full Course
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Bonnie J Robinson
Date Added:
11/20/2018
Becoming America: An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution
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The University of North Georgia Press and Affordable Learning Georgia bring you Becoming America: An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution. Featuring sixty-nine authors and full texts of their works, the selections in this open anthology represent the diverse voices in early American literature. This completely-open anthology will connect students to the conversation of literature that is embedded in American history and has helped shaped its culture.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Wendy Kurant
Date Added:
06/28/2019
Literature Reviews for Education and Nursing Graduate Students
Unrestricted Use
CC BY
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Short Description:
This open textbook is designed for students in graduate-level nursing and education programs. From developing a research question to locating and evaluating sources to writing a sample literature review using appropriate publication guidelines, readers will be guided through the process. This book has been peer-reviewed by 7 subject experts and is now available for adoption and use in courses or as a library resource. If you’d like to adopt the book, please let us know. You can view the book's Review Statement for more information about reviewers and the review process. The Accessibility Assessment for this is book is also available. If you'd like to adopt or adapt this book, please let us know.

Long Description:
Literature Reviews for Education and Nursing Graduate Students is an open textbook designed for students in graduate-level nursing and education programs. Its intent is to recognize the significant role the literature review plays in the research process and to prepare students for the work that goes into writing one. Developed for new graduate students and novice researchers just entering into the work of a chosen discipline, each of the eight chapters covers a component of the literature review process. Students will learn how to form a research question, search existing literature, synthesize results and write the review. The book contains examples, checklists, supplementary materials, and additional resources. Literature Reviews for Education and Nursing Graduate Students is written by two librarians with expertise guiding students through research and writing assignments, and is openly licensed.

Word Count: 30668

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Subject:
Applied Science
Education
Health, Medicine and Nursing
Material Type:
Textbook
Author:
Linda Frederiksen
Sue F. Phelps
Date Added:
08/02/2018
An Introduction to African and Afro-Diasporic Peoples and Influences in British Literature and Culture before the Industrial Revolution
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Funded by the University System of Georgia’s “Affordable Learning Georgia” initiative, An Introduction to African and Afro-Diasporic Peoples and Influences in British Literature and Culture before the Industrial Revolution corrects, expands, and celebrates the presence of the African Diaspora in the study of British Literature, undoing some of the anti-Black history of British studies.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
World Cultures
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Author:
Jenny Halpin
Jonathan Elmore
Date Added:
02/22/2022
Interpreting Love Narratives in East Asian Literature and Film
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The status of traditional worldviews and values

Short Description:
This book explores the role of traditional East Asian worldviews, ethical values, and common practices in the shaping of East Asian narratives in literature and film. It offers a specific method for this analysis. The interpretive goal is to arrive at interpretations that more accurately engage cultural information so that narratives are understood more closely in terms of their native cultural rather than that of the reader/interpreter. Current neuroscience related to processes of perception and the attribution of meaning form the basis for the theory of interpretation offered in the first half of the volume.

Word Count: 132559

ISBN: 978-0-9997970-0-6

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Subject:
Art History
Arts and Humanities
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University of California Berkeley
Author:
John Wallace
Date Added:
08/29/2019
British Literature I Anthology: From the Middle Ages to Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century
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The University of North Georgia Press and Affordable Learning Georgia bring you British Literature I: From the Middle Ages to Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century. Featuring over 50 authors and full texts of their works, this anthology follows the shift of monarchic to parliamentarian rule in Britain, and the heroic epic to the more egalitarian novel as genre.

Features:

Original introductions to The Middle Ages; The Sixteenth Century: The Tudor Age; The Seventeenth Century: The Age of Revolution; and Neoclassicism and the Eighteenth Century
Over 100 historical images
Instructional Design, including Reading and Review Questions and Key Terms
Forthcoming ancillary with open-enabled pedagogy, allowing readers to contribute to the project
This textbook is an Open Access Resource. It can be reused, remixed, and reedited freely without seeking permission.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
University System of Georgia
Provider Set:
Galileo Open Learning Materials
Author:
Bonnie J. Robertson
Laura J. Getty
Date Added:
07/02/2019
American Literature I: An Anthology of Texts From Early America Through the Civil War
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Long Description:
This book offers an anthology of texts that includes letters, journals, poetry, newspaper articles, pamphlets, sermons, narratives, and short fiction written in and about America beginning with collected oral stories from Native American tribes and ending with the poetry of Emily Dickinson. Many major and minor authors are included, providing a sampling of the different styles, topics, cultures, and concerns present during the formation and development of America through the mid-nineteenth century.

Word Count: 481042

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Subject:
English Language Arts
Reading Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
Virtual Library of Virginia Open Publishing
Author:
Jenifer Kurtz
Date Added:
08/16/2019
Symbiotic Posthumanist Ecologies in Western Literature, Philosophy and Art: Towards Theory and Practice Volume 11
Unrestricted Use
CC BY
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Through the burgeoning fields of Posthumanities and Environmental Humanities, this edition examines the changing conception of human subjectivity, agency, and citizenship as shaped by the dynamic interplays between nature, technology, science, and culture. The proposed ‘symbiotic turn’, (the awareness of the multitude of interactions and mutual interdependencies among humans, non-humans and their environment) aspires to explore the complex recompositions of the “human” in the 21st century. By organizing and promoting interdisciplinary dialogue at multiple levels, both in theory and practice, Symbiotic Posthumanist Ecologies is suggested as a new narrative about the biosphere and technosphere, which is embodied literarily, philosophically, and artistically.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Material Type:
Textbook
Author:
Nikoleta Zampaki
Peggy Karpouzou
Date Added:
01/05/2024
Leyendas y arquetipos del Romanticismo español, Segunda edición
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Leyendas y arquetipos del Romanticismo español is an introduction to nineteenth-century Spanish literature with a thematic focus on legends and archetypes. It presents Romanticism in the context of nineteenth-century literary and social movements. It is designed as a first anthology for intermediate Spanish students at American universities. Although brief, it includes poetry, drama in verse and short story. The works have been selected for their literary interest and the social importance of their themes. They are all by canonical authors.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
Portland State University
Provider Set:
PDXOpen
Author:
Robert Sanders
Date Added:
01/04/2017
Prose Fiction: An Introduction to the Semiotics of Narrative
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CC BY
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This concise and highly accessible textbook outlines the principles and techniques of storytelling. It is intended as a high-school and college-level introduction to the central concepts of narrative theory – concepts that will aid students in developing their competence not only in analysing and interpreting short stories and novels, but also in writing them.

This textbook prioritises clarity over intricacy of theory, equipping its readers with the necessary tools to embark on further study of literature, literary theory and creative writing. Building on a ‘semiotic model of narrative,’ it is structured around the key elements of narratological theory, with chapters on plot, setting, characterisation, and narration, as well as on language and theme – elements which are underrepresented in existing textbooks on narrative theory. The chapter on language constitutes essential reading for those students unfamiliar with rhetoric, while the chapter on theme draws together significant perspectives from contemporary critical theory (including feminism and postcolonialism).

This textbook is engaging and easily navigable, with key concepts highlighted and clearly explained, both in the text and in a full glossary located at the end of the book. Throughout the textbook the reader is aided by diagrams, images, quotes from prominent theorists, and instructive examples from classical and popular short stories and novels (such as Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis,’ J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, or Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, amongst many others).

Prose Fiction: An Introduction to the Semiotics of Narrative can either be incorporated as the main textbook into a wider syllabus on narrative theory and creative writing, or it can be used as a supplementary reference book for readers interested in narrative fiction. The textbook is a must-read for beginning students of narratology, especially those with no or limited prior experience in this area. It is of especial relevance to English and Humanities major students in Asia, for whom it was conceived and written.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Teaching/Learning Strategy
Provider:
Open Book Publishers
Author:
Ignasi Ribó
Date Added:
03/30/2020
Steps to Success: Crossing the Bridge Between Literacy Research and Practice
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Short Description:
Return to milneopentextbooks.org to download PDF and other versions of this textNewParaSteps to Success: Crossing the Bridge Between Literacy Research and Practice introduces instructional strategies linked to the most current research-supported practices in the field of literacy. The book includes chapters related to scientifically-based literacy research, early literacy development, literacy assessment, digital age influences on children’s literature, literacy development in underserved student groups, secondary literacy instructional strategies, literacy and modern language, and critical discourse analysis. Chapters are written by authors with expertise in both college teaching and the delivery of research-supported literacy practices in schools. The book features detailed explanations of a wide variety of literacy strategies that can be implemented by both beginning and expert practitioners. Readers will gain knowledge about topics frequently covered in college literacy courses, along with guided practice for applying this knowledge in their future or current classrooms. The book’s success-oriented framework helps guide educators toward improving their own practices and is designed to foster the literacy development of students of all ages.

Long Description:
Steps to Success: Crossing the Bridge Between Literacy Research and Practice introduces instructional strategies linked to the most current research-supported practices in the field of literacy. The book includes chapters related to scientifically-based literacy research, early literacy development, literacy assessment, digital age influences on children’s literature, literacy development in underserved student groups, secondary literacy instructional strategies, literacy and modern language, and critical discourse analysis. Chapters are written by authors with expertise in both college teaching and the delivery of research-supported literacy practices in schools. The book features detailed explanations of a wide variety of literacy strategies that can be implemented by both beginning and expert practitioners. Readers will gain knowledge about topics frequently covered in college literacy courses, along with guided practice for applying this knowledge in their future or current classrooms. The book’s success-oriented framework helps guide educators toward improving their own practices and is designed to foster the literacy development of students of all ages.

Word Count: 113566

ISBN: 978-1-942341-22-2

(Note: This resource's metadata has been created automatically by reformatting and/or combining the information that the author initially provided as part of a bulk import process.)

Subject:
English Language Arts
Reading Foundation Skills
Material Type:
Textbook
Provider:
State University of New York
Author:
Edited Kristen A Munger
Date Added:
03/17/2021
The Emergence of Irish Gothic Fiction - Histories, Origins, Theories?
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Provides a new account of the emergence of Irish gothic fiction in mid-eighteenth century. This book provides a robustly theorised and thoroughly historicised account of the ‘beginnings’ of Irish gothic fiction, maps the theoretical terrain covered by other critics, and puts forward a new history of the emergence of the genre in Ireland. The main argument the book makes is that the Irish gothic should be read in the context of the split in Irish Anglican public opinion that opened in the 1750s, and seen as a fictional instrument of liberal Anglican opinion in a changing political landscape. By providing a fully historicized account of the beginnings of the genre in Ireland, the book also addresses the theoretical controversies that have bedevilled discussion of the Irish gothic in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. The book gives ample space to the critical debate, and rigorously defends a reading of the Irish gothic as an Anglican, Patriot tradition. This reading demonstrates the connections between little-known Irish gothic fictions of the mid-eighteenth century (The Adventures of Miss Sophia Berkley and Longsword), and the Irish gothic tradition more generally, and also the gothic as a genre of global significance. Key Features * Examines gothic texts including Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Charles Robert Maturin's Melmoth the Wanderer, (Anon), The Adventures of Miss Sophia Berkley and Thomas Leland's Longsword * Provides a rigorous and robust theory of the Irish Gothic * Reads early Irish gothic fully into the political context of mid-eighteenth century Ireland This title was made Open Access by libraries from around the world through Knowledge Unlatched.

Subject:
Arts and Humanities
Literature
Material Type:
Textbook
Author:
Jarlath Killeen
Date Added:
11/14/2018