Links

Just a beginning, but better the few sites we have here than nothing. I hope you will all keep me posted on what you find. I think you will find the writing, reference, and general American lit sites quite useful. As you determine which authors we read in the course, we will develop a list of sites for each author discussed. In the meantime, you will find the general sites very useful as you choose authors.

Writing Skills and Grammar

nutsandbolts The best writing skills site I have found on the web. I refer to it frequently in course notes and the Writer's Guide: It covers all the key concepts that appear in course writing rubrics and provides great alternative explanations and examples. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (and sometimes required). Nuts and Bolts also has a useful guide to MLA bibliographic and citation guidelines.

Looking for Grammar Help? Try one or more of these sites:

Darling’s Guide to Grammar: Exercises, explanations, quizzes, etc. Highly recommended!!
http://webster.commnet.edu/grammar/index.htm

Purdue University Writing Center Site—The grandmother of all writing sites. Very good grammar and style explanation worksheets.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

If these do not do it for you, try some alternative sites and approaches to grammar:
http://www.ruthvilmi.net/hut/help/grammar_help/
http://englishplus.com/grammar/

Reference Resources

• Encylopedia Britannica and Merriam Webster Dictionary: http://www.search.eb.com/
• MLA documentation information: http://nutsandbolts.washcoll.edu/
• An all purpose reference site. You can search through encyclopedias, dictionaries, the King James Bible, Quatation dictionaries and more. http://www.bartleby.com/reference/
• The Oxford English Dictionary (the definitive dictionary in English) :http://dictionary.oed.com/

Good starting points for American Literature Research

• Paul Ruben's PAL website is a great starting point for information about authors, periods and specific texts and other resources: http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/TABLE.HTML
• Professor Donna Campbell's site includes author bibliographies, historical timelines, and explanations of literary movements, periods, and concepts. A tremendous resource! http://www.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/
• Another amazing site with comprehensive links: http://www.nagasaki-gaigo.ac.jp/ishikawa/amlit/
• Voices from the Gaps offers detailed information about a wide range of women writers who happen to be of color, a much needed corrective to the distorted perspective provided by many other American literature resources: http://voices.cla.umn.edu/
  

Last Updated: 11 March, 2003