Tag Archives: fiction/literature

While I can’t imagine there could be much call for it, I must have produced this Cultural Literacy worksheet on John Dos Passos for some reason, though now I don’t remember why. Perhaps an independent study on Jazz-Age authors? Your guess is as good as mine. In any case this is a half-page worksheet with a reading of one sentence–which at 34 words might require some paring or judiciously placed punctuation for emergent readers and English language learners.

Incidentally, does anyone read Dos Passos any more? I took a crack at Manhattan Transfer about 30 years ago and found it relatively tough sledding. I’ve been meaning to return to it, and perhaps The U.S.A. Trilogy as well. His books remain in print, and he has been designated, by virtue of his inclusion in The Library of America, as one of this nation’s great authors. So someone must still be reading him. His books, I would think, are solidly midlist titles.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.