Some books are said to be "literary" while others aren't - but what makes the difference? What is it that determines which books are "literature" and which ones aren't? Who decides which books and plays and poems get taught in our English classes?

Well, let's talk about it.

00:00 - Intro
00:57 - What is the literary canon?
09:21 - Who decides?
15:01 - Who shapes culture?
21:39 - What's the alternative?
26:48 - Wrap-up and poem

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The bookshelf tour is part of the "Extra Stuff" videos made available to my $5-and-up Patrons and Channel Members. To join either of those, see the links at the bottom of the description!


* Sources: *
---Books
------ Cultural Capital: The Problem of Literary Canon Formation, by John Guillory
------ Literary Theory: An Introduction, by Terry Eagleton
------ Professing Literature, by Gerald Graff
------ The Role of the Literary Canon in the Teaching of Literature, by Robert Aston
------ The Western Canon: The Books and Schools of the Ages, by Harold Bloom
------ This is the Canon: Decolonize Your Bookshelf in 50 Books, by Joan Anim-Addo, Deirdre Osborne & Kadija Sesay George

---Articles
------ "Why How We Read Trumps What We Read", by Gerald Graff


* Art: *
--- All illustrations by the wonderful Aud (portfolio: https://audmcname.com/)


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