The Complete English Literature Reading List

Reconstructing the Canon

Harvard Course Catalog 1969-1970 As companion to my video-essay, the following list is a canon of literature representative of what was most commonly taught by English departments during the height of the English major (1960-1980). If you read my previous essay about the changes in literature departments, you know that many English departments in the U.S. no longer have a comprehensive canon of great literature. So I’ve gone back to the archives to reconstruct a list of the works that were most taught during the “golden age” of English literature (1960-1980). I’ve dug through mid-century…

saved by

• Bryant W

related reading

• Syllabi | Great English Literaturesyllabi.directory
• A Non-Western Canon: What Would a List of Humanity’s 100 Greatest Writers Look Like? – The Scholar's Stagescholars-stage.org
• I like 'em thickexperimental-history.com
• The Real Reasons Why the English Department Diedquillette.com
• The Time Will Pass Anywayagoodhardstare.substack.com
• The Age of the Essaypaulgraham.com
• Best Essays of All Time – Ranked | Make Lists, Not Warbeckchris.com
• Courses Englishucalendar.uwaterloo.ca
• My Teacher, Harold Bloom - The American Scholartheamericanscholar.org
• I like 'em thickexperimental-history.com
• The triumph of logical English - Works in Progress Magazineworksinprogress.co
• Tokens of Ruined Method| Marco Rothnplusonemag.com