Alexander Street: Literature, Drama, and Performing Arts

This blog is moving

The Alexander Street Literature blog is moving, and will become part of our News and Updates blog.  We encourage you to adjust your feed readers and bookmarks accordingly.  We will continue to post important news and information surrounding our literature, drama, and performing arts collections on the News and Updates blog.

The URL for the News and Updates blog is http://alexanderstreet.typepad.com and the feed address is  http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlexanderStreetPress.  This will be your new source for all religion and theology news from Alexander Street Press.

If you have any questions please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.

Performed Words added to Black Short Fiction and Folklore

The ballads and folktales of Tanzania's Haya people are now available in Black Short Fiction and Folklore via Performed Words, a multimedia resource that uses Synchrotext to stream audio simultaneously with English-language transcriptions. 

"Performed Words: Ballads and Folktales of Tanzania's Haya People" allows users to experience Haya oral tradition in entirely new ways.  The 10 ballads and 36 folktales available include "King Kitekere," a heroic ballad about prophecy and bravery that documents the Kyamutwara army's battle with the Ihangiro people of the neighboring Kihanja kingdom.

To learn more about Performed Words, Synchrotext, and the Haya people visit Black Short Fiction and Folklore today.

Stay informed of content and functionality updates by subscribing to the monthly Product Updates Bulletin.

To request a trial of Black Short Fiction and Folklore for your institution, please submit a trial request form .

ATHE Winner Announced

Last week we attended our first conference of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.  We enjoyed meeting everyone that stopped by our booth, and appreciate the great feedback we received regarding our theatre, drama, film, and performing arts collections.

Over 75 people entered our drawing for a one-year subscription to one of our most popular titles, Twentieth Century North American Drama.  We congratulate Dr. Michael Counts and Lyon College, our ATHE winners.

Free trials to all of our collections in theatre, drama, film, and the performing arts are available on an institution-wide bases upon request.

New White Paper on North American Indian Drama

Alexander Street Press has just released a brand new contextual essay for its North American Indian Drama collection. Written by Native American theatre scholar Christy Stanlake, it describes the “broadening field of Native American drama.”

Entitled "An Introduction to the North American Indian Drama Collection," the essay shows how plays by writers such as Yvette Nolan, William S. Yellow Robe, and JudyLee Oliva can help students and researchers to investigate social, political, and theological topics relating to Native American people from different tribes and cultural groups. Stanlake writes that “through [the] intertribal nature of Native American drama, readers and viewers experience the multiculturalism of Native America.”

This new essay is a substantial survey of Native American drama that provides in-depth analysis and includes a Works Cited section that documents more than 30 research texts relating to the field. It is now freely available at http://www.alexanderstreet.com/products/indr.htm. Simply click on “Download the White Paper” to save your own PDF copy.

For more information or to request a trial for your institution, please contact us.

Learn more about Alexander Street's North American Indian Drama.

Oliver Brearey, Editor, Alexander Street Press

Dance in Video is live!

We are proud to announce the release of another one of our most highly anticipated streaming video collections, Dance in Video.  Part of Alexander Street's new Critical Video Editions™ series, this collection lets you browse, search, and cite videos to the exact moment.  Custom clips, personal playlists, and embeddable links are just a few of the features available.

Dance in Video contains 250 dance productions and documentaries by the most influential performers and companies of the twentieth century. Selections cover ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, experimental, and improvisational dance, as well as forerunners of the forms and the pioneers of modern concert dance. Included are classic performances from top ballet companies; experimental works from up-and-coming dance troupes; documentaries by and about leading choreographers; videos on dance training; and other items covering a wide range of twentieth century dance styles.

Dance in Video is available to libraries through annual subscription or one-time purchase of perpetual rights.  You may browse the collection now without a username or password.

For more information or to request a trial for your institution, please contact us.

Learn more about Alexander Street's Critical Video Editions™.
 

Opera in Video is live!

We are proud to announce the release of one of our most highly anticipated streaming video collections, Opera in Video.  Part of Alexander Street's new Critical Video Editions™ series, this collection lets you browse, search, and cite videos to the exact moment.  Custom clips, personal playlists, and embeddable links are just a few of the features available.

Opera in Video contains 250 of the most important opera performances, captured on video through staged productions, interviews, and documentaries, and then delivered online through streaming video.  Selections represent the world's best performers, conductors, and opera houses and are based on a work's importance to the operatic canon.  Multiple performances and stagings worldwide of the major operas allow for analysis of stage design, vocal techniques, roles, and musical interpretation across time periods, opera houses, and conductors.

Opera in Video is available to libraries through annual subscription or one-time purchase of perpetual rights.  You may browse the collection now without a username or password.

For more information or to request a trial for your institution, please contact us.

Learn more about Alexander Street's Critical Video Editions™.
 

Black Women Writers - Licensing News

The licensing department at Alexander Street Press has been busy recently, acquiring the rights to publish the works of several prominent authors.  Soon to appear in Black Women Writers are the writings of Maya Angelou, Pearl Michelle Cleage, Beryl Gilroy, Opal Palmer Adisa, and Sonia Sanchez.

Upon completion, Black Women Writers will contain 100,000 pages of literature and essays by authors from North American, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe.  Enduring both sexism and racism, these authors detail the various historical, economic, and political conditions affecting women from the 18th century through the 20th century.

Black Women Writers is available to libraries through annual subscription or one-time purchase of perpetual rights.  You can browse the collection now, without a username or password, and see the rare, hard to find, and previously unavailable works currently available.

For more information or to request a trial please contact us.   

New Authors Licensed for North American Indian Drama

Recently, Alexander Street Press was able to license the works of several important North American Indian playwrights.  Soon to appear in North American Indian Drama are the plays of LeAnne Howe, Shirley Cheechoo, Laura Shamas, Marcie Rendon, and Dianne Reyner.

Important Blog Updates

We are in the process of updating and enhancing the Alexander Street Press blog sites.  We have taken steps to make our RSS feeds compatible with a wider range of readers and browsers.  If you currently subscribe to the Literature, Drama, and Performing Arts feed you may want to update your feed address.

The new feed address for this blog is http://feeds.feedburner.com/AlexanderStreetLiterature.  Please add this to your preferred reader now, or use the icons in the left column to subscribe.

Additionally, we have created new headline animators for each blog site.  Feel free to grab this animator for use on your library website, blog site, or MySpace page.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

If you prefer to receive Alexander Street news and updates via email you can simply opt-in using the form  in the right column.

If you have any questions regarding the blogs or animators email us at marketing@alexanderstreet.com.  Thanks and enjoy.

World Literature Online is now Alexander Street Literature

The online collection formerly known as World Literature Online has been renamed Alexander Street Literature.  The URL and any bookmarks you have made will not be affected, but libraries should update their catalogs and Web sites to reflect the new title.