About This Book

Prior to my adaptation, this course was created from materials originally developed from an American Literature course at J. Sargent Reynolds Community College.  Studies in Mythology is a modified version of the Lumen American Literature II text. The original version of this book was released under a CC-BY license and is copyright by Lumen Learning.

In past versions of the course, I have used primary texts such as the Finnish Kalevala, the Homeric Hyms, or contemporary works influenced by mythology such as Gaiman’s American Gods.  Along with this OER text, students will be reading the Pinsky translation of Inferno, as well as the Frank Herbert mythology-based novel Dune.

Several excellent sites exist on the web and collect images and out-of-copyright myth texts.  I include some links to these, but the focus is mostly on the application of students’ analytical skills to the new reading material.

The changes to this book listed are released under a CC-BY-SA license and are copyright by Joshua Dickinson of Jefferson Community College in Watertown, NY.  The text’s title has been renamed Studies in Mythology.

I also adapted a Writer’s Handbook resource for the College that goes into far more depth in coverage of the writing process and MLA style.  This resource should be available on the SUNY list of OER textbooks and at: https://sunyjefferson.libguides.com/JCCOERtextbooks

List of Changes

List of Changes for ENG 209: Mythology text, Studies in Mythology:

Renamed part “The American Novel: Huck Finn” as “American Folklore & Myth,” deleting Twain essay and lecture material related only to Twain.

Deleted the following parts: “Civil Rights,” “American Protest,” “Writers at Home,” “Immigration,” “The Roaring Twenties,” “Consumerism,” “Writers at War,” “Utopia & Dystopia,” “Writers Abroad,” “Humor,” “Counterculture & Social Commentary,” “Sex,” “Drugs,” “Civil Rights,”

Moved “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” Hughes poem from “The Roaring Twenties” part to “American Folklore & Myth.”

Moved “The Goophered Grapevine” from “Humor” to “American Folklore & Myth.”

Moved “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” excerpt from “Drugs” to “American Folklore & Myth.”

Added About the Author section to End Matter.

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