In this video, Quentin Skinner from Queen Mary University of London discusses how the Roman concept of freedom sheds light on the impact of being subject to arbitrary power. He explores the idea that even without awareness, individuals...

Once upon a time there was city, named Paris, France. During the 1920s, lots of Americans moved there to escape institutionalized racism and the associated race riots, xenophobia, censorship, materialism, and Prohibition. Perhaps most...

It’s easy to forget that the rights and privileges women enjoy today had to be won. It’s been a tough, centuries-long fight against staunch opposition, especially for female writers. Woolf would know! Join us for a detailed analysis of...

Join us for a tour through literary history. In this lesson, Woolf explores the reasons why women have a less robust literary tradition. As the narrator peruses her bookshelves, we meet the heroes of women’s literature… and a few ghosts...

The first Black newspaper editor in the history of the United States, Mary Ann Shadd Cary spoke out to champion the cause of freedom in an era when the voices of African Americans were rarely heard.

Thomas Paine's visionary writings, advocating freedom and democracy, were instrumental in shaping the United States' fight for independence. Explore his remarkable journey, from campaigning for higher pay as a tax collector in England,...

This film is about the most important events of Watkins Harper’s early life, highlighting her early achievements as a writer.

This video explores Maya Angelou's rise to fame as a writer, starting with her groundbreaking memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It highlights her success in poetry, her Pulitzer-nominated collection Just Give Me a Cool Drink of...

Xenia Dennen addresses another important human rights issue in modern day Russia, is there genuine religious freedom? Xenia is the chairman of the Keston Institute, a 'voice for the voiceless' that chronicled and combated the persecution...

Born on February 18, 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, Toni Morrison is a Nobel Prize- and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, editor and professor. Her novels are known for their epic themes, exquisite language and richly detailed African-American...

This video tells the life story of Harriet Jacobs, the writer of "Life of a Slave Girl." The video details her childhood and her yearslong journey to be reunited with her children, who were sold to slaveowners in different states. It...

Clint Smith teaches you about Maria Stewart, a Black woman who lived in the 19th century, and was a pioneering abolitionist, writer, and orator. When studying history, we often focus on the big picture and world-changing events. Today...

Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.

In this video, the teacher explains the concepts of literary elements and literary techniques. They discuss the literary elements of theme and atmosphere, and the literary techniques of foreshadowing, diction, and anaphora. Through...

What is textual integrity? Virginia Woolf has the answer: it’s the Holy Grail for writers, especially those who write fiction! In her essay A Room of One’s Own, Woolf explains why truth and integrity are crucial, and how writers can...

Join us for a detailed lesson on the Context of Virginia Woolf’s iconic essay, ‘A Room of One’s Own’. Learn how history, culture, and Woolf’s personal circumstances had a direct impact on her exploration of key themes in the essay: Male...

This is the grand finale of Virginia Woolf’s famous essay A Room of One’s Own. Join us to find out how she brings all the strands of her argument together, and ends it with a poetic bang. What does Woolf see for the future of...

Famous the world over for her wit, social observation and insight into the lives of early 19th century women, Jane Austen remains one of the Britain’s most respected and beloved novelists. She famously lived a ‘life without incident’,...

Calling all aspiring writers! Join us for an overall summary of Virginia Woolf’s iconic extended essay A Room of One’s Own. Find out how she came to her famous conclusion about the importance of money and having your own space to write...

The first African-American woman to have a play staged on Broadway, Lorraine Hansberry was a writer who broke down racial and gender barriers.

The Great Gatsby is, at it's core, a novel about the American Dream. It takes place during the 1920s, a period that epitomized America's pursuit of freedom and prosperity but also revealed the fragility of that dream. This video...

Thomas Jefferson was quite an interesting fellow. He was definitely a genius, as he was an expert in pretty much everything you could be an expert of. He was a great writer, too. But there is a little of hypocrisy in there for good...

Dive into the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Frederick Douglass, a towering figure in American history whose voice echoed with power and passion. Born into slavery, Douglass defied the odds to become one of the most influential...

Abolitionist and social reformer Frederick Douglass believed that the U.S. could become the greatest nation in history – if it accepted the defining principles set out in his speech, Composite Nation.