A Geographical Tour of Literary America

The Grand Tour of Literary Landmarks resulted from my students' success with another project that we called "Poetic License with THE AMAZING RACE." This new journey also begins and ends in my students' hometown. Chosen writers are specific to our curriculum and texts; however, teachers can adapt new selections to their students' needs. Side images are their original work. Photo images at each destination go directly to official sites or to the slideshows of my own travel photos. The main sources of written material here are www.Poets.org and Adventures in American Literature, Heritage Edition and Pegasus Edition.

Jackson, Mississippi



On the literary map, travel from Oxford to Jackson,Mississippi.

Calculate:

# _____________ Miles to Jackson, Mississippi

$ _____________ Cost for Gasoline to Jackson, Mississippi


Visit Mrs. Steller's Eudora Welty Gallery.

Read about Eudora Welty at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History; then fill-in-the-blanks.


"In 1936 when she was __________________, Eudora Welty published her first short story. ____________________, a collection of stories, followed a few years later. During the 1940s she began to win major literary prizes, including two Guggenheim Fellowships, published two novels and two more collections of stories, and wrote many book reviews for the New York Times. During these years Welty traveled in England, France, and Italy. The 1950s saw a third novel and a fourth collection of stories. In 1964 she published a book for children. "

"During the late 1950s and '60s Welty balanced travel with work and _______________—years that bore fruit in the early '70s with the novels Losing Battles and ______________, the latter earning her the Pulitzer Prize. The collected essays, photographs, and memoirs of Welty's last decades were published to high acclaim, garnering large international audiences. "

"Eudora Welty died on July 23, 2001, at the age of 92."


Read "A Worn Path" in your text and answer the questions.


The phoenix, a mythical bird, proved to be indestructible by rising from its own ashes after consuming itself in flames. Point out two or three incidents in which Phoenix Jackson triumphs over circumstances that threaten her.


How does Phoenix herself prove to be indestructible?


When Phoenix gets the second nickel from the attendant, she goes to buy a paper windmill for her grandson. How does her method of acquiring the nickles contribute emotional force to an important theme - her tireless love for her grandson?


In what sense does Phoenix literally travel a worn path?


How does the phrase refer more generally to her love for her grandson?