Last updated 09/14/2009

For many years, English majors were required to buy a printed literary handbook for use in their classes at Winthrop. However, in this electronic age, the Department determined that many of the resources in a print literary handbook were already available on the Internet, making a print version less necessary to students. At the same time, electronic resources can also provide a wide range of supplements to a print handbook, allowing students wider access to information they may need in their studies. Therefore, the Department in 2008 moved to an "Electronic English Major's Handbook" of resources for our students. We encourage you to try out these links, let us know if they are useful to you, and suggest others. We want this to be an interactive and up-to-date resource for your needs as you pursue your degree in English at Winthrop University

Here's what you'll find in the Electronic Handbook:

• The English Major's Notebook:

  • Guidelines and Requirements

  • The Reading List

  • Complete Reading Notebook Assignment (.pdf file)

• Tools for Literary Analysis

• Tools for Writing about Literature

• Tools for Literary Research

• Tools for Your Future

• Other Useful Tools

• Link to Suggest a Tool

The English Major's Notebook

• Guidelines and Requirements

• English Majors' Reading List

This tool is required for all English majors beginning with the 2008-2009 catalog and is strongly recommended for all English majors, period.

Tools for Literary Analysis

• Guides to Literary and Rhetorical Terminology

  • Bedford/St. Martin's Guide to Literary Terms

  • Jack Lynch's Glossary of Literary and Rhetorical Terms

  • UNC Pembroke's Literary Terms Glossary

  • University of Kentucky Glossary of Classical Rhetorical Terms

  • Kip Wheeler's Glossary of Literary Terms

  • Richard Nordquist's Figures, Tropes, and Other Rhetorical Terms

  • BYU's Silva Rhetoricae: The Forest of Rhetoric
     

• Literary Timelines

  • Longman Anthology Timelines: 20,000 B.C.E. to 2000 C.E.

  • PBS's Literary Timelines, 1800-2000 (requires free Flash plug-in)

  • WSU's Brief Timeline of American Literature, Pre-1620--1920.

  • Literary Timeline adapted from 6th edition of Holman and Harman Handbook

  • Intute's Interactive Timeline

  • Norton Anthology of World Lit's Timelines

  • Timeline of Major Developments in World Lit (orig. from Norton Anthology)

  • Brother Anthony of Taize's History of English Literature and Culture (Sogang U)
     

• Guides to Literary Criticism

  • Internet Public Library Guide to Literary Criticsm

  • UC Irvine Critical Theory Resource

  • Kristi Siegel's Guide to Modern Literary Theory
     

• General Guides to Literary Resources

  • UCSB's Voice of the Shuttle

  • Jack Lynch's Literary Resources Site

  • Luminarium Anthology of British Literature through 1660

  • The Labyrinth (Medieval Studies)

  • Donna Campbell's American Literature Resources online

  • University of Virginia Library Digital Texts Collection

  • Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet

  • Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture Digital Center
     

• Suggested Literary Handbooks in Print

  • Harmon and Holman, A Handbook to Literature, 11th ed. (Prentice Hall, 2008)

  • M. H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 9th ed. (Wadsworth, 2008)

  • J. A. Cuddon, Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, 4th ed. (Penguin, 2000)

Tools for Writing about Literature

• The Writing Center
• NEW 2009 MLA Documentation Guide
• Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab--hundreds of handouts)
• How To Read Critically (Dr. Bird)
• How To Write an Annotated Bibliography
• Snappy Guide to Scanning a Poem
• How to Explicate A Poem (UNC Chapel Hill)
• The Rhetorical Précis
• The Logic of an Article
• Snappy Guide to Writing a Lit Crit Paper and a paper to practice on
  ("The Little Mermaid's Pact with Satan") [courtesy of Dr. Bickford]
• Snappy Guide to Writing an Abstract for a conference submission
• U of Penn English Department's Archive of Calls for Papers
• Snappy Guide to Giving a Conference Paper
• A Guide to the Conferentially Perplexed
  (Advice on giving your first conference paper)
• Online companion to the Prentice Hall Reference Guide, 7th ed.
• Tips for Using Microsoft Word
• How to Write a CV (from the Purdue Writing Center OWL) and from
  the Colorado College Career Resources Center

Tools for Literary Research

• Dacus Online Catalogue
• MLA Online Bibliography
• Academic Search Premier
• Lexis/Nexis Academic
• WorldCat (find a book or article to order by Interlibrary Loan)
• Reserve Lists
• Turnitin.com

Tools for Your Future

• Am I Going to Graduate? Be sure to check the blanket petitions!
• Study Abroad Opportunities
• Tips for Seniors
• Careers for English Majors
• Applying to Graduate School
• Studying for the GREs
• How to ask for a Letter of Recommendation
• Career Services (now known as the Center for Career and Civic Engagement)
• US Government Occupational Outlook Handbook

Other Useful Tools

• Records and Registration
• Wingspan
• Fall 2009 Exam Schedule
• Information for Students with Disabilities
• College of Education Deadlines, etc.

Suggest a Tool

If you know of a great website that helps you succeed as an English major, please let us know about it! Click on the "Suggest a Tool" heading and send us the information.

This page has had visitors since August 5, 2008.

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