Perhaps the first truly important book about the divergence of American English from its British roots, this survey of the language as it was spoken-and as it was changing-at the beginning of the 20th century comes via one of its most inveterate watchers, journalist, critic, and editor HENRY LOUIS MENCKEN (1880-1956).In this replica of the 1921 "revised and enlarged" second edition, Mencken turns his keen ear on: • the general character of American English • loan-words and non-English influences • expletives and forbidden words • American slang • the future of the language • and much, much more. Anyone fascinated by words will find this a thoroughly enthralling look at the most changeable language on the face of the planet.

"Replica of the 1921 'revised and enlarged' second edition"--Jacket

What makes us all Americans--whatever our differences--is adherence to a creed, a creed based upon cornerstone truths the founders believed "self-evident." From the earliest days, the survival of the new republic hinged not merely upon the expression of these grand principles of liberty and equality but upon their spiritual underpinnings. Freedom and faith were intertwined. America, as a foreign observer once put it, is a nation with the soul of a church. In this stirring and timely book, Forrest Church charts the progress of this creed from the America's beginnings to the present day by evoking those whose words-whether in declarations, songs, inaugural addresses, speeches, or prayers-have expressed its letter and captured its spirit. What emerges is our shared destiny. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream that this country might someday "rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed," echoes Thomas Jefferson's belief that "equal and exact justice to all" is the "creed of our political faith." Our connection with the past represents our commitment to the future and vice versa. A "spiritual and patriotic primer," The American Creed distills the essence of American history while also matching its sweep. Church lets the story of the Declaration of Independence unfold before our eyes, giving us both the big picture and the details that place it into brilliant focus. Those steeped in our nation's heritage will find fresh insight and renewed purpose. Those still discovering its riches could have no finer introduction. In its scope and embrace, this is a book for us all.

American Education: A History, 4e is a comprehensive, highly-regarded history of American education from pre-colonial times to the present. Chronologically organized, it provides an objective overview of each major period in the development of American education, setting the discussion against the broader backdrop of national and world events.

Published by Teachers & Writers Collaborative in association with The Library of America, The T&W Guide to Classic American Literature is an anthology of essays that provides rich and diverse approaches and insights to writers and teachers of writing at all levels. These include introducing third graders to Gertrude Stein, teaching Emily Dickinson's poetry to prisoners, and using the model of Henry David Thoreau's journals in the college classroom. The other authors discussed in this book are James Baldwin, Elizabeth Bishop, Raymond Chandler, Stephen Crane, Frederick Douglass, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Zora Neale Hurston, Henry James, Herman Melville, Eugene O'Neill, Lorine Niedecker, Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Porter, Wallace Stevens, Jean Toomer, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, and William Carlos Williams. The T&W Guide to Classic American Literature also includes a useful bibliography and essay on using World War II journalism to inspire imaginative writing. The distinguished contributors to this volume are veteran teachers of imaginative writing from across the country. The T&W Guide to Classic American Literature is an inspiring collection for teachers American literature and imaginative writing. It is also a fascinating read for anyone passionate about teaching, literature, or creative writing.