Lives of Literature on JSTOR

Supporting the study of key figures and texts across the entire span of literary theory and criticism, the Lives of Literature resource includes 13 journals dedicated to literary theorists. These journals focus on a single author or text as an entry point to covering that writer and their sphere or era. This content fulfills a need within the scholarly community for in-depth study about an individual author, while also supporting advanced literary studies on an entire subject area by adding diverse coverage of a broad range of authors and interpretive approaches. Touching on interdisciplinary fields including Philosophy, Feminist and Women’s Studies, and Gender Studies, authors covered within this cluster of journals include C.L.R. James, Hannah Arendt, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Try searching for references to individual theorists or particular critical tendencies, or for writers, artists or other figures that are the subjects of analysis or critique.

Heidegger Studies delves deeply into Heidegger’s reading of the German Romantic poet Friedrich Hölderlin in addition to pursuing comparative work connecting Heidegger to a number of other philosophers. And in William James Studies you will find research linking James to the Japanese philosopher Kitaro Nishida, to the writers Gertrude Stein, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Ursula K. LeGuin, and to topics ranging from bioethics to yoga.

Searching this module can lead researchers to a number of exciting interdisciplinary connections!

Primary

Marxist Internet Archive Library
The most comprehensive collection of public domain works by Marxist literary and cultural theorists, as well as other Marxists. Includes works of feminist theory, postcolonial theory, and the Frankfurt School.

Fragments of the Passagenwerk
Experimental online edition of Walter Benjamin’s Passagenwerk (the Arcades Project) which uses hyperlinks to connect and organize Benjamin’s fragmentary text thematically. (In English translation.)

Deconstruction on the Net
Archive of interviews, short texts, and excerpts of longer writings by Derrida compiled by Dr. Peter Krapp. Also includes a bibliography of Derrida’s publications, ordered alphabetically and chronologically.

The Situationist International Text Library
An ongoing project intended to compile all freely available Situationist texts online. The vast majority of the texts are primary sources, but a few essays about the Situationist movement are also included.

Generation Online: Translations
Began as a reading group; now collects translations of works of theory unpublished elsewhere. Essays and interviews from Michel Foucault, Antonio Negri, Giorgio Agamben, Judith Revel, and others.

Reference

Introduction to Modern Literary Theory
Comprehensive overview of various movements in literary theory that also defines key terms for each movement; compiled by Dr. Kristi Siegel. Includes bibliographic and web references for further research.

Literary Resources – Theory
A collection of e-resources and bibliographies addressing literary theory and cultural studies as a whole, as well as some resources targeted toward specific theorists or movements. Compiled by Dr. Jack Lynch.

Stanford Presidential Lectures in the Humanities and Arts Archive
Brief introductions to the work of a number of literary theorists who have participated in the lecture series, including Homi Bhabha, Jacques Derrida, Fredric Jameson, and Gayatri Spivak, among others.

Narratology: A Guide to the Theory of Narrative
Thorough introduction to narrative theory and narratology by Dr. Manfred Jahn, a scholar in the field. Includes definitions of key terms, an overview of the discipline, and examples of narrative criticism.

Postmodernism and its Critics
Part of the University of Alabama’s Anthropological Theory Database. Situates postmodernism in its historical context, defines terms, identifies key figures, and outlines the shape of the field in general.

Just for fun, we've created some coloring pages from copyright-free images in Artstor. Click on the small images below to get larger versions for printing. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boccioni, Umberto. Maria Sacchi Reading. 1907. Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boyvin, René. The Conquest of Ignorance. 1525. Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daumier, Honoré. Walk-through of an Influential Critic (La promenade du critique influent). 1865. Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dente, Marco. Assembly of male and female scholars gathered around an open book, in the middle ground a man holds aloft an armillary sphere, another group of scholars in the background. ca. 1515-27. Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posada, Jose Guadalupe. Broadsheet relating to carnival and the sale of high quality Pulque. 1903. Print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.