Curated Video
Sandra Cisneros
A trailblazer in more ways than one, Sandra Cisneros was the first Mexican-American woman to be published by a mainstream publisher. Her work brought Hispanic culture to a wider audience of readers.
Curated Video
Lois Lowry
Being a teenager isn’t always easy – but sometimes, books can provide the comfort and guidance we need. Few authors capture the adolescent experience better than young adult author Lois Lowry.
Curated Video
Ray Bradbury
Awarded a Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, recognizing a lifetime of influential literary works, Ray Bradbury wrote from a desire to “live forever”. Through sci fi, fantasy, horror and mystery to themes of death, loneliness and the dark...
Curated Video
Shirley Jackson
A master of the macabre, Shirley Jackson explores the creepy underbelly of domestic life, with a sharp focus on the challenges that women face.
Curated Video
Richard Wright
At a time when Jim Crow laws made racial segregation legal across much of the United States, author Richard Wright gave voice to a struggle – as the first African American author to achieve widespread critical and commercial success.
Curated Video
Octavia Butler
First popularized as a genre of literature in the 1920s, for decades science fiction was dominated by white male authors. That is until Octavia Butler, an African American woman, rewrote the script.
Curated Video
Alice Walker
As the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Alice Walker helped to bring the Black experience to readers across the globe. A true trailblazer, her work continues to entertain and enlighten.
Curated Video
The Importance of Setting
A video entitled “The Importance of Setting” which explores how to revise the setting of a text to change the mood.
Curated Video
What is NATO?
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a coalition of democratic capitalist countries from Europe and North America. It remains perhaps the single biggest deterrent against nuclear war today.
Hip Hughes History
The Articles of Confederation Explained: U.S. History Review
A review of our first Constitution, the AOC. What were the Articles of Confederation? How did it run the United States? Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Mr. Hughes explains the basics of the Articles of Confederation including...
Vlogbrothers
Vital Status Report from NYC
In which Hank mostly goofs off with friends in New York. But, of course, there's a good bit of Paper Towns talk as well.
PBS
The Byronic Hero: Isn’t it Byronic? (Feat. Princess Weekes)
Edward Cullen. Han Solo. Killmoklknger. Lestat. What do all these characters have in common besides being heartthrobs? They share a common ancestor: the Byronic Hero. Brooding, sensual, violent, intelligent, and single-minded, the...
Curated Video
Did a Book Spark the Civil War?
It was published nine years before a shot was fired. And was written by a woman. How did Uncle Tom’s Cabin fan the flames of the American Civil War?
Independent Producers
"Guts" and Stress Relief
Everyone has fears and worries of one kind or another. When dealing with them, it can be helpful to have support and to know that others have similar feelings. The book Guts, by Raina Telgemeier, is the story of Raina, a young girl who...
History Hit
George Orwell's 1984 with Dorian Lynskey: The origins and reception of 1984
What were the origins of 1984? How much is 1984 about surveillance technology? What was the reception of 1984 at the time? George Orwell's 1984 with Dorian Lynskey Part 2
National Theatre
Frankenstein: A Character Study of the Creature
This video discusses the character of the creature in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, highlighting the importance of giving the creature a voice and exploring his struggle to belong and be accepted by society. It also examines the themes of...
PBS
Why We Still Love Little Women, 150 Years Later (feat. Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes)
Before women were asking “Am I a Carrie or a Samantha?”, they were asking “Am I a Jo or an Amy?” Before there was Edward vs Jacob, there was Laurie vs Professor Bhaer. And over the more than 150 years since Little Women was originally...
PBS
The Beauty and Anguish of Les Misérables! (feat. Lindsay Ellis) | PBS Digital Studios
Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables is one of history’s most famous novels and one of the longest-running musicals in Broadway history. On this special episode of It’s Lit! we explore how Les Miserable became both a national and revolutionary...
History Hit
George Orwell's 1984 with Dorian Lynskey: The ongoing relevance of 1984 and beyond
Why is 1984 one of the most important novels of the 20th century? What would Orwell advise in the face of fake news? Do you think George Orwell would be surprised at 1984's ongoing relevance? George Orwell's 1984 with Dorian Lynskey, Part 3
National Theatre
Victor Frankenstein: A Character Study
Doctor. Madman. Scientist. God. Mary Shelley's Victor Frankenstein has been described as playing many roles. Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller tell us about inhabiting the character in the National Theatre's stage adaptation.
PBS
Are Graphic Novels... Novels? (Feat. Princess Weekes)
In the past few decades, literature has expanded to not only mean the “novel” but “graphic novels” as well. Today we are gonna break down how the graphic novel went from the comic book store to the classroom. Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and...
History Hit
George Orwell's 1984 with Dorian Lynskey: The re-emergence and influence of 1984
Why are people talking about George Orwell again? How much did the Spanish civil war influence and affect George Orwell as an individual and politically? George Orwell's 1984 with Dorian Lynskey, Part 1
PBS
The Case for Fan Fiction (feat. Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes)
For years writers of fan fiction were shamed, the butt of jokes, and even subject to copyright litigation. However, in the past few years, with the fan fiction writers of today becoming the published mainstream authors of today the past...
Next Animation Studio
Microsoft President: Laws are needed against A.I. in surveillance
Microsoft president Brad Smith told the BBC’s Panorama program that the authoritarian hell depicted in George Orwell’s novel, “1984”, could come to pass in 2024 if lawmakers didn’t protect the public against A.I.