English 102 (Writing About Literature) Research Guide: Signature Assignment tips (Winter 2023)
General resources
Welcome
This guide is a collection of useful sources for researching both the historical context and literary analysis portions of your paper.
The Assignment
Choose a work of protest literature (a poem or short story), and describe how the writer conveys the lived experience or condition of a marginalized group. Use researched background information to support your analysis of the text, but focus on the literary elements and techniques the writer uses.
Stuck?
Contact your librarians anytime for help! Chat with us during library hours, or by email at ref_desk@carrollcc.edu.
- OneSearch This link opens in a new window
- ProQuest Ebook Central This link opens in a new windowDiverse collection of over 200,000 electronic books.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new windowAuthor biographies and literary criticism.
Suggested ebooks for historical context
Tip: Click the ebook title or cover art to read the book. (You may need to log in using your Carroll credentials to get in.)
- Race and Prejudice in American LiteratureThis topic overview talks about how literature has been a lens through which authors and poets examine race, religion, sexuality, and other identities.
Resources for literary analysis
- Literary Terms (Purdue OWL)This list of literary terms can help you interpret, critique, and respond to literature and poetry. If you're not sure where to start in writing about your story or poem, this list is worth skimming.
Danez Smith
Resources for "Dinosaurs in the Hood"
Keyword ideas: Black joy, Black representation in film, African Americans in movies, Quentin Tarantino and race
- "Dinosaurs in the Hood"The text of the poem.
- "Danez Smith: Summer, Somewhere" interviewIn-depth interview with the poet for American Poetry Review
- Representing Themselves: Contesting Western Representations of Minoritized Communities in the Poetry of Danez Smith, Franny Choi, and Tommy PicoArticle published in an undergraduate research journal; to access article, scroll down and click the link under the word Download
News coverage of Danez Smith
- Danez Smith: 'White people can learn from it, but that's not who I'm writing for'Profile of Danez Smith from The Guardian
- 'Every poem is political': Danez Smith, the YouTube star shaking up poetryFrom the Observer, discusses "Dinosaurs in the Hood" briefly
Other articles
- We need more 'trauma-free Blackness.' Here's a start.Context that might be helpful, from CNN
- The bigger picture of‘Black Panther’.News article about how past Black movies have portrayed Black pain, struggle and hardship.
Danielle Evans
Resources for "Robert E. Lee is Dead"
Keyword ideas: Black identity, African American teenage girls, racism in education, microaggressions
- "Robert E. Lee is Dead"The text of the short story.
- The Form I Go To When I Have Questions: A Conversation with Danielle Evans about setting, the writing process, and perspective.Interview with the author in an online literary review.
- 'Fool Self' Offers Serious Stories Of Teen GirlsIn-depth NPR interview with the author. Discusses themes of "Robert E. Lee is Dead" directly
- "The Confounding Insistence on Innocence..." Interview with Danielle EvansInterview with the author about the themes in her works, from Poets & Writers Magazine
Other articles
- Danielle Evans (Author Profile)Brief biographical info about the author. See "Further reading" section for more reviews and articles
- More than 240 schools in US are named after Confederate leadersArticle from CNN that may provide context
- The Truth About Confederate-Named SchoolsMore context. from the Equal Justice Initiative