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Today’s expanding United States Latinx population has contributed to a growing body of children’s literature that features the Latinx experience. Traditionally available in both English and Spanish, these texts depict Latin American cultures that include, but are not limited to, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Peru and Cuba. Although we cannot attribute Latinx literature to a single population, many of these books include the same predictable stories about sombreros and having fiestas. While those depictions are not necessarily false, they offer only a narrow view of Latinx culture as a whole. U.S. authors who write these children’s books need to represent the diversity and depth of the Latinx experience. They have the opportunity to create a rich literary heritage for the more than five million verified Latinx children in the United States. The unique values of Latinx cultures are not stagnant, nor do they always pan out in the same way. But despite the many differences in their Latinx subcultures, they all share three important characteristics: an emphasis on family structure, a strong work ethic, and solid moral character. Gary Soto’s Too Many Tamales and Meg Medina’s Abuela y Yo are two examples of Latinx children’s books that offer insight into the many facets of Latinx lifestyles, while also emphasizing their three foundational values. This emphasis not only helps Latinx children understand their culture, but also encourages non-Latino children to develop respect and appreciation for the core values that define Latinx identity. 

Women have made many advances in business during the past 150 years. I claim that our twenty-first century female entrepreneurs owe a significant debt to nineteenth century authors Charlottee Brontë, Louisa May Alcott, and Willa Cather--and to the female protagonists in their novels: Jane Eyre, Little Women, and O Pioneers! These writers share stories about their own struggles and successes through the lives of their characters Jane, Jo and Alexandra. Their biographies reveal that as they used their writing ability to generate and produce income, all three authors were motivated by an entrepreneurial spirit unusal for their historical times and places. Defining themselves through their work, these women challenged nineteenth century gender-related financial norms. I highlight an historical arc that begins in the early nineteenth century with Brontë's objections to patriarchal constraints that severly restricted a women's opportunity to earn money. By the mid 1800s, Alcott was much less constrained—as was her female protagonist, Jo. It isn't until Cather, in late nineteenth century-early 20th century America, that a female character like Alexandra does what was impossible for Jane Eyre, then more possible for Jo--and that was to take on the full-fledged identity of a successful female entrepreneur. 

Over the past few decades, literary studies in America have moved past their historical emphasis on classic American and British literature to include the work of contemporary American authors who have more diverse ethnic backgrounds. Though African and Latin-American writers now have a place in American literary studies, I find there are too few Asian-American authors. This deficiency is most strikingly apparent in the lack of Filipino-American representation; in fact, the Filipino-American presence is nearly non-existent. With a history of constant national occupation and colonization, the Philippines has consistently experienced a weakened sense of cultural identity. The strong American presence in the Philippines has managed to convince native Filipinos to idolize American cultural values. The media—including film, music, and literature—reinforces this conviction. As a result, the Filipino community continues to suffer a major cultural loss. The doomed fate for Filipinos and the loss of their own cultural identity becomes even keener when they migrate into the cultural chaos of the U.S.  After examining the common underlying themes of Filipino invisibility, isolation, and imprisonment in Jessica Hagedorn’s Dogeaters, in Lysley Tenorio’s Monstress, and in various poems in the anthology Returning A Borrowed Tongue, I conclude that we need a stronger Filipino literary presence in order to preserve Filipino culture and make it more accessible—not only for the purpose of recalling and re-forging Filipino identity, but also to expose that identity to non-Filipinos, so they can better understand the experiences of Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

Hemingway and Fitzgerald shared something much less affirmative than their fame as two of the early 20th century’s best American writers. The essential peculiarity they had in common, other than alcoholism, was a seemingly unlikely but deeply ingrained and crippling lack of self-esteem. This seems incongruous because both men were known for their larger-than-life personalities: Fitzgerald for his flamboyant, drunken gregariousness, and Hemingway for his laconic, ultra-masculine intensity. Fitzgerald’s flamboyance emerged as an out-of-control need for attention which camouflaged a deep sense of shame about his poor, Irish-Catholic roots. Hemingway’s raging anti-parochial demons came to light in his battles with depression and other mental disturbances, and a cruel streak that left him unable to maintain meaningful relationships. Both men attempted to suppress their self-esteem issues with alcohol, which cost Fitzgerald his life and likely contributed to Hemingway’s suicide. This issue became the focus of my research not only after examining their extensive biographical information, but also after determining that their fictional characters offer further insight into their struggles with self-worth: in The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby, who feels the sting of being a social outsider, exposes the deep-rooted distresses of one who lacks self-esteem. And Hemingway’s Jake Barnes struggles to substantiate his masculinity in The Sun Also Rises. Although grounded in different circumstances and personalities and dealt with in different ways, Fitzgerald’s and Hemingway’s underlying doubt about their self-worth may be said to have contributed, paradoxically, to both their untimely deaths and to the successful application of their extraordinary talents.

As late as 1854, in his famous “Angel in the House” poem, Coventry Patmore describes the perfect woman as submissive, obedient and unconditionally devoted to her husband. Not surprising that women have had a history of challenges in their attempts to be taken seriously as authors! At one time, the very act of writing was considered unsuitable for women. Early nineteenth century female authors like the Brontë sisters and George Eliot wrote under male pseudonyms as they understood their work would gain credibility if readers believed males had produced it. But even earlier, in a society that also viewed the ideal woman as a completely compliant creature, Jane Austen defied the rules by deciding not to marry and by writing as much as she pleased. The “Angel in the House” ideal, still germane in 1931, was so odious to Virginia Woolf that she advised women writers to kill the Angel if they wanted to be successful:  “Killing the Angel in the House,” Woolf wrote “[is] part of the occupation of the woman writer.” Both Austen and Woolf accomplished this vicious deed by inventing “flawed” female characters like Elizabeth Bennet, Catherine Morland, Emma Woodhouse, and Lily Briscoe--characters who were independent, outspoken, intelligent, and imperfect. My research convinces me that these characters continue to interest us because their redefinition of women not only provided us with prototypes for what women could become but because many of the characteristics and qualities of those characters remain relevant today.

Researching the uses of fantasy in fiction as a means of editing my own work, I discovered that the fantasy genre actually has well defined conventions. Reading works by fantasy authors J.K. Rowling, Kristin Cashore and others, I identified the conventions and techniques that I was particularly interested in incorporating into my short story, “My Escape.” Subsequently, I made the following changes in my story: created a more realistic immediate world; included more realistic detail in the secondary world; strengthened the hero’s journey narrative; and reinforced the impact of what had been only an implicit social critique. To make the immediate and secondary worlds of the story more realistic, I researched pictures of the places I was trying to describe and refined descriptions of the characters, concentrating more on their individual traits and qualities. I strengthened the hero’s journey narrative by researching its sources and analyzing how  my story related to those sources. I had included the elements of the hero’s journey in my story, but needed to create a better sequence of events. Then, more in control, I was able to include a twist in the hero’s journey, an unexpected ending rather than a typical “happy-hero” ending. Lastly, by refining dialogue and character description to highlight the social critique, I was able to better convey the implicit warning that a more active social resistance is needed for significant change to happen in the world.

Increasingly, children’s literature, from picture books to young adult fiction, allows for a deeper exploration of self and others. We have made progress in integrating diverse identities, especially in young adult literature. But U.S. culture has been permeated since its inception by a stigma against exploring sexuality, especially children’s sexuality. We find some such exploration in adult literature, as in Stephen King’s It, but children’s lit authors avoid this topic, for fear of being banned. When Sigmund Freud attempted to bring light to the taboo subject of childhood sexuality, many accused him of sexual abuse and pedophilia. This kind of response remains embedded in our society. I analyze this idea through illustrative examples. Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (1868), among other books, to show how sexuality is perceived as dangerous in the young adult fiction currently taught in schools. Jo fears losing her older sister to sex, which Jo equates with adulthood. One and a half centuries later, sex education for and about children remains untouchable for researchers and many educators. Until this cultural stigma is removed, writing about children’s sexuality will remain difficult. After analyzing banned children books, middle grade, and young adult books, I conclude that we are withholding vital information from children about their own sexuality. This will result in many children continuing to self-educate, a practice that leads to misinformation and stereotyping. Children ought not be shielded from sexuality through banning books, but rather taught to explore and challenge norms in the safe environment of literature.

Self-publishing and social media platforms exemplify the essence of a cultural revolution that can be characterized by its focus on empowering the individual. Those who self-publish online declare their independence from traditional publishing networks. Social media participants express their individuality in online communities. But as important as these venues are, they are being overshadowed by the increasing expansion of a video game industry that offers game players opportunities for both authorship and a communal experience. As for film and television, vanguards of the 20th century entertainment world, their goal is still to captivate passive consumers who have no chance for interaction with the predetermined content those forms of media present. The current popularity of video games (which do offer opportunities for interaction), is surpassing the popularity of film and TV by wide margins. Global video game industry revenue rose to an annual $91 billion in 2016, compared to just $38.6 globally for film. The data underscores the important fact that video games give consumers extensive opportunities for individual expression--engaging them intellectually, emotionally, and physically. Because they provide ample opportunity for individual expression, for control of narrative, for self-generated interactivity, for dialogue between game developer and player and between player and a non-playing audience, video games are clearly the leaders in the exciting contemporary revolution that is empowering individuals to speak, write, and create for themselves.

Recent educational trends in the U.S. are indicative of and responsive to a larger societal picture, revealing that while the quality of our physical lives has been significantly improved by ongoing advances in science and technology, mental health concerns are less central and are even regularly disregarded in America. The impressive progress in the sciences has helped the STEM industries and careers gain importance and fostered a greater emphasis on STEM disciplines in our education systems. Research suggests that many educators are concerned that the value of the academic study of literature has been minimized as a result. They highlight data that demonstrates how art and other humanities-based programs have lost not only funding but also the respect of those intellectuals who argue that these studies, especially poetry, are frivolous. One of the many ways poetry is important is its ability to foster personal and psychological growth--of exactly the kind that could greatly benefit a society suffering serious mental health issues evident in our schools, on our streets, and in our jails. Poetry therapy research, although nominal, identifies three results that have proved particularly beneficial when incorporated into a strategic rehabilitation program designed for mentally and emotionally ill people: it can 1) stimulate catharsis, 2) instill a sense of purpose, and 3) increase empathy for others. With due support, the inherent healing powers of such programs have the potential not only to generate a happier, more purposeful, productive, and empathetic populace, but also, and importantly, one less intensely reliant on potentially harmful pharmaceuticals.