PBS
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Rather than windmills, Ignatius J. Reilly, the hero of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning A Confederacy of Dunces, battles against modernity. Find out why Professor Walter Isaacson thinks Toole's novel should get viewers' votes...
Crash Course
Galahad, Percival, and the Holy Grail: Crash Course World Mythology #28
Discover the stories of two mythological knights who quested after the Holy Grail. Viewers uncover the secret of the so-called cup of Christ in the 28th installment of the 41-episode Crash Course World Mythology series. Scholars also...
Crash Course
Monsters. They're Us, Man: Crash Course World Mythology #36
A wendigo is a man-eating, yellow-eyed ogre from Canadian folklore that puts all other monsters to shame. Viewers discover the terrifying creature, and many others, in the 36th video of the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series....
PBS
An Ode to the Romance Novel
Heroes with six-pack abs, helpless heroines, cliche plot lines —must be a romance novel! An informational video describes the romance novel genre and explains how it differs from a traditional love story. It uses popular texts as...
Crash Course
Hermes and Loki and Tricksters Part 2: Crash Course World Mythology #21
Cunning characters are so much fun, and that's no trick! The 21stt video in the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series discusses how tricksters are culture heroes. Pupils learn about the trickster gods Hermes, from Greece, and Loki,...
PBS
George R.R. Martin Discusses Lord of the Rings
George R.R. Martin, famous in his own right for heroes, villains, dragons, and direwolves, offers his rationale for why viewers should vote for J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings with its elves, wizards, and hobbits as part of the Great...
VOA Learning English
Paul Bunyan, an American Folk Tale
Paul Bunyan was a big guy—but not as big as his story has grown to be! Young readers listen and read along to the enjoyable story of Paul Bunyan, his big blue ox Babe, and the amazing imprint they left along the American landscape.
TED-Ed
The Myth of Oisín and the Land of Eternal Youth
Viewers learn about Echtrai, an Irish myth genre, with the retelling of the myth of Oisin and his visit with Niamh to Tir na nOg, the land of eternal youth.
Crash Course
Mythical Trees: Crash Course World Mythology #34
Hopefully scholars won't make like a tree and leave before watching the 34th video in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Pupils analyze stories about mythical trees from Biblical, Norse, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions. In addition,...
PBS
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
Created for the Great American Read series, a short video encourages viewers to vote for Invisible Man. Musician Wynton Marsalis and Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, among others, share their rationale for why Ralph Ellison's...
TED-Ed
The Myth of Jason and the Argonauts
Travel with Jason and the Argonauts in a short, animated TEDEd video that recounts the adventures of the crew as they journey to retrieve the Golden Fleece.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Virgil's "Aeneid"?
Is Virgil's Aeneid, as Augustus believed, written in praise of the first Roman emperor, or a criticism of his rule? Introduce the famous epic poem with a short video that provides background information about the poet, the historic...
PBS
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Narrators of a short video offer their rationale for why Catch 22 should be included in the Great American Read program. They touch on the key themes in Heller's satirical and sobering novel about Captain John Yossarian and the catch-22s...
PBS
An Introduction to Ralph Ellison
Powerful and painful, Ralph Ellison's acclaimed Invisible Man is a must-read. A short video from the PBS American Masters series introduces viewers to Ellison and the major themes of the novel.
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Dante’s “Divine Comedy”?
Journey along with the narrator of a short, animated video who explains the political connections to be found in Dante's The Divine Comedy.
PBS
Dr. Bledsoe: A Fictional Booker T. Washington
Many critics believe that the character of Dr. Bledsoe in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man was modeled after Booker T. Washington. After watching a clip from the film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey about the Washington Bledsoe...
PBS
Invisible Man: The Trueblood Incident
How is the reader of Ralph's Ellison's Invisible Man supposed to react to "The Trueblood Incident" of Chapter 2? A short clip from the American Master film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey offers differing critical analyses from two...
PBS
Invisible Man: Crash Course Literature
John Green, the narrator of a Crash Course Literature episode focusing on Invisible Man, offers his analysis of Ralph Ellison's novel. Using evidence from the text, Green details why Ellison's novel should be considered as a seminal work...
Crash Course
The Greeks and Romans - Pantheons Part 3: Crash Course World Mythology #9
The Greek Titan god, Cronus, was so worried that his children were going to overthrow him that he swallowed them. Talk about overreacting! Viewers analyze the similarities between Greek and Roman myths in the ninth installment of the...
Crash Course
Ragnarok: Crash Course World Mythology #24
Ragnarok may sound like a sub-genre of rock music, but it actually refers to a Norse apocalypse myth. Pupils learn about Norway's mythological end-of-the-world story with the 24th installment in the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology...
Crash Course
The Apocalypse: Crash Course World Mythology #23
Beasts, dragons, natural disasters ... modern-day zombie thrillers just don't measure up to ancient apocalypse stories! The 23rd video from the Crash Course World Mythology series is all about the end of days. Scholars learn about...
Crash Course
Theories of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #12
The 12th installment from the 41-part Crash Course World Mythology series addresses the topic of interpreting myths. Viewers learn all about the theories of myths according to philosophers like Plato, Tertullian, and Clement.
Crash Course
Freud, Jung, Luke Skywalker, and the Psychology of Myth: Crash Course World Mythology #40
How were modern thinkers influenced by ancient mythology? Scholars investigate the topic with the 40th of 41 videos in the Crash Course World Mythology series. Viewers meet two psychologists, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and learn about...
TED-Ed
Why Should You Read Sci-Fi Superstar Octavia E. Butler?
Introduce science fiction fans to writer Octavia E. Butler with a short video that argues for why readers should add her works to their must-read list.