World Literature Today

Published by the University of Oklahoma, World Literature Today is a quarterly, multicultural magazine that has expanded in recent years to include content relating to several different types of media from all across the world.  This content is largely varied, from articles and essays critiquing various forms of literature to poetry from authors of varying degrees of renown, and features a broad variety of international works.  Headed by Robert Con Davis-Undiano and Daniel Simon, its Executive Director and Editor in Chief respectively, this magazine prides itself on being one of the longest-running magazines in the country.

Originally published under the name Books Abroad, the magazine underwent a change in name in 1977 to better reflect its purpose.  Since then, it has expanded from its original purview to cover several different topics and types of art-forms, from poetry to opera.  Since 2009, they have hosted a type of arts festival featuring a great deal of modern art and literature, funded by the Norman Arts Council.  In addition to this, the magazine also hosts a small scholarship for Oklahoma University students, funded by Ruby N. Courtney, as well as student opportunities for said students.

Because of its broad scope, WLT is a poor resource to use for projects in which one already has a topic to focus on.  There are over 100 issues to look through, and finding anything applicable to a specific topic would prove difficult.  However, it would be an excellent source for those looking for ideas for a topic.  There are a great deal of articles relating to literary works from around the world, and these would provide a good starting point to a great project.  These magazines are available electronically through Humanities Full Text, among other resources.  However, they are only available through the school up to 01/01/1990 in full text.

English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920

Published through the University of North Carolina, English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 is a quarterly journal with material focusing on lesser-known authors of British literature from 1880-1920.  It is a journal which publishes under the belief that literature at the turn of the century did not consist solely of the likes of Virginia Woolf and W.B. Yeats and that other authors deserved an outlet to display how they shaped literature during that time.  Because of this, the journal will occasionally feature articles featuring better-known authors of that time but only if they link in some way to the lesser-known such as Dorothy Richardson and Stanley John Weyman.  Ongoing from 1974, this journal’s essays and other articles have critiqued British works for years.

Judging from the listed Advisory Board and the previous lists of editorial advisors, ELT hosts an international degree of editors.  In the past were editorial advisors such as Charles Burkhart of Temple University and Alan Johnson of Arizona State University, already spanning from the East Coast to the Midwest.  Newer additions include Marjorie Perloff of Stanford University, Michel W. Pharand of Queen’s University in Canada, and Roger Luckhurst of Birbeck College of the University of London.  Though not international on a grand scale, it does at least host editors of two countries deeply affected by the U.K. (as well as the U.K. itself).

Because of its specificity in dates and subject matter, ELT would prove most effective at providing material for students studying British literature at the turn of the century.  However, it is severely lacking in British literature from more well-known authors, so if a teacher or professor expects to see more mainstream names in a student’s paper, this is not the best resource to go to.  Articles are available to students of Tennessee Tech University in print at the Volpe Library from 1974-1996, and even more articles (those from the years 1999-2013) are available on eJournals.

Origins and Alterations in Arthurian Folklore

From the Round Table to tales of conquest and discovery, stories of King Arthur and his knights have captivated audiences for generations.  Sir Percival had his hunt for the Holy Grail in Chrétien de Troyes’ Perceval, ou le Conte del Graal, and Sir Gawain had his journey to escape certain death in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, among many other legends and folklore. Stories of battle and glory, of uniting communities under the banner of Arthur, and of cutting down the enemies of the Britons with the fabled sword Excalibur have thoroughly permeated Western culture.

But where did it all come from?  How did King Arthur come to be?  From where did he amass his fabled knights?  More importantly, though:  how has this story changed as it’s been told from person to person?  There is not any particularly central tale regarding King Arthur and his knights.  Rather, authors add on to the tale with their own unique works, introducing new characters to the mythos and altering old characters in varying degrees.  As to what effect these authors have on the canon of Arthurian Folklore, there are plenty of opinions on the matter.

The following annotated bibliography contains a broad variety of sources attained from various journal articles and reviews regarding and focusing on the topic of Arthurian lore, ordered alphabetically.  More specifically, some of these sources note thematic changes that have occurred throughout the timeline of stories related to King Arthur and his knights.  For the purposes of study, this annotated bibliography would be useful to those students studying Arthurian folklore in general, but it’s especially useful to those studying the origins of the tales of King Arthur and the specific details of how new content has flavored his legend’s canon over the years.

Bruce, J. Douglas. “The Development of Arthurian Romance in Mediæval France.” The Sewanee Review 13.3 (1905): 319-35. JSTOR. The John Hopkins University Press. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

In depth with his explanations of past conventions and etiquettes, Bruce details potential origins of the Arthurian legend and changes made between Arthur as both a king and a leader of the Briton forces during war with the Saxons.  He also explains how conceptions of chivalry traveled to Northern France to redefine Arthur and future characters as the traditionally gallant nobles and knights, among several other observations.

Campbell, T. M. “The Arthurian Dramas of Eduard Stucken.” Sewanee Review 21.2 (1913): 210-22. JSTOR. Web. 3 Oct. 2013.

This article, found in the Sewanee Review, describes the works of Eduard Stucken and how he thematically altered some Arthurian works for the purposes of relating to a changed audience.  Though the article is largely a lauding of Stucken and his works, the mentions of his work give him some credit as an author of Arthurian drama and detail some of the aspects of his work.

Gilbert, Elliot L. “The Female King: Tennyson’s Arthurian Apocalypse.” PMLA 98.5 (1983): 863-78. JSTOR. Modern Language Association. Web. 03 Oct. 2013.

This source describes the work of one Alfred Lord Tennyson, a man who published much poetry depicting the lives of King Arthur, Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot, and hardly in a flattering fashion.  It also takes the story of Guinevere’s unfaithfulness and thematically links that to other subjects, such as the connection between traditional sexual roles and the health of one’s nation, as well as the dangers of sexual role reversal.

Greenhalgh, M. J. “Arthurian Legend?” The Musical Times 112.1546 (1971): 1168-170. JSTOR. Musical Times Publications, Ltd. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

This review covers King Arthur, a form of Arthurian tale told in semi-opera form originally written by Dryden and Purcell and adapted by Colin Graham and Philip Ledger.  Though the majority of the review is a scathing criticism of the changes made to the original work, it makes several references to the original work, as is appropriate for one properly critiquing any particular work.  These references disclose their fair portion about another Arthurian work that’s worth looking into as an additional source.

Lacy, Norris J. “From Medieval to Post-Modern: The Arthurian Quest in France.” South Atlantic Review 65.2 (2000): 114-33. JSTOR. South Atlantic Modern Language Association. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

Though not specific in its Arthurian content, this South Atlantic Review article explains some key themes of several adventure tales, including the importance of ordeal, as explained through the character of Sir Galahad.  It is also a fairly modern article, as well as the only one recent enough to reference and justify Monty Python and the Holy Grail as a part of the Arthurian mythos.

Loomis, Roger Sherman. “Arthurian Tradition and Folklore.” Folklore 69.1 (1958): 1-25.JSTOR. Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

This 25-page article sorts out the question of whether King Arthur was based upon a real person or was perhaps the result of a conglomeration of general folklore of the regions in which his legend grew.  He references several key themes of Arthurian tales (such as the Beheading Game and hags who turn into beautiful maidens with a kiss) and relates them back to much older tales already in existence as his evidence.  Overall, it’s an enlightening article.

Loomis, Roger Sherman. “Geoffrey of Monmouth and Arthurian Origins.” Speculum 3.1 (1928): 16-33. JSTOR. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

Found on the database JSTOR, this article by the same author behind “Arthurian Tradition and Folklore” offers and challenges the opinions of one referred to as “Mr. Gerould” as he draws parallels between the mythical King Arthur and the conqueror Charlemagne. He also covers and disputes the claim that Geoffrey of Monmouth was responsible as the originator of Arthurian Folklore.

Loomis, Roger Sherman. “Some Names in Arthurian Romance.” PMLA 45.2 (1930): 416-43.JSTOR. Modern Language Association. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

Another article by the prolific Roger Loomis, this source takes names both common and uncommon from the Arthurian canon and identifies both their roots and their variants in various, international tales potentially based off of the old legends.  Though lengthy and boasting a high vocabulary, it holds valuable information for those looking to examine the history of some Arthurian stories, as well as stories branching out from the source.

Maynadier, G. H. “The Evolution of Arthurian Romance by James Douglas Bruce.” Modern Language Notes 39.8 (1924): 482-87. JSTOR. The John Hopkins University Press. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

A meta-critique of sorts, Maynadier’s 6-page review of The Evolution of Arthurian Romance pays respects to the late author while covering the important aspects of his work. He lays out the time period that was covered by the author, mentions specific, well-known works both included and excluded from the work, and details what would be a good additional source for material on Arthurian folklore.

Millican, Charles Bowie. “Spenser and the Arthurian Legend.” The Review of English Studies 6.22 (1930): 167-74. JSTOR. Oxford University Press. Web. 03 Oct.

A source derived from JSTOR, this article mainly involves details of the author Spenser and his work “The Faerie Queene” and how the work itself ties in with Arthurian legend.  However, it also speaks at length about translations of other works, including many French translations and works.  The reading can be confusing at times, as the author uses several lengthy quotes that take up anywhere from five lines to a third of a page, but much of it is necessary for understanding the author’s point.

English Language Notes

English Language Notes is a semiannual/quarterly journal published through the University of Colorado and accessible by TTU students via the database Humanities Full Text.  It is also available in print within the library itself.  Founded in 1963, this journal’s original mission was to provide a wealth of critical articles and notes on matters of English language and literature.  However, due to a change in leadership between the 2005 and 2006 issues, the journal underwent a major upheaval in terms of content, purpose, publishing dates, and even the stock of their paper.  Now, it releases new content on a semiannual basis with the intent of still providing critical articles, but on specific topics regarding English and various cultural studies.  This new content now contains several new short stories and poetry by up-and-coming authors, as well.  Because of this duality, individual issues between the 2005-06 divide must be treated as two entirely different entities, as their functions are now drastically different from when the journal was founded.

The journal’s requisites for publishing seemed to be fairly balanced pre-2006, not incredibly strict or lax.  Each submission was required to be written in MLA format within a limit of 25 pages.  These submissions were often essays regarding literature, particularly works by Chaucer but otherwise a healthy blend of well-known and not-so-well-known English literature.  Some of these were critiques, but other articles discussed possible differences in commonly held meanings behind literary works.  Because of the great deal of variety in content, the journal can hold value with a good number of inquiring students.  For students looking for more specific details, a quick browse through Humanities Full Text would probably be best for finding relevant information quickly.

The editorial board was once extensive and fluctuating.  Though it never mentions much about those on the editorial board, it often included professors and some authors, including Lesley W. Brill, Jane Brown, James R. Kincaid, and Rubin Rabinovitz.  Over the years, names have come on and off of the list, but some remain today such as Anna Brickhouse and Jeffrey Robinson.  There have occasionally been advisory boards included on the first few pages, but that seems to be largely a new development.

As previously mentioned, the overall layout of the journal has experienced a major reworking.  With the arrival of a new Senior Editor, one Laura Winkiel, the journal has been almost completely changed.  The new mission statement, now the only one present on the website, was included as a final part of the last 2005 issue of ELN.  The issues are now larger on average but are only published on a semiannual basis.  Critiques and informative essays are still a major part of the journal, but the material now includes short stories and poetry and is focused on a particular topic announced at the end of the previous issue.  Because of this, they have a distinct focus as compared to their predecessors.