Sunday, December 27, 2009

White House Hosts Evening of Poetry and Music


White House Hosts Evening of Poetry and Music
Arts important in life of Americans, says President Obama


By Carolee WalkerStaff Writer


Washington — Amid an ornate grand piano, satin ottomans, soft lights and flickering candles, a diverse group of professional and emerging artists used music and words to move a crowd of artists, celebrities, political and cultural leaders and the first family in the East Room of the White House during an evening poetry jam May 12.
“We're here tonight … to highlight the importance of the arts in our life and in our nation,” said President Obama. “We're here to celebrate the power of words and music to help us appreciate beauty, but also to understand pain; to inspire us to action, and to spur us on when we start to lose hope; to lift us up out of our daily existence — even if it's just for a few moments — and return us with hearts that are a little bit bigger and fuller than they were before.”

Slam poetry


Slam poetry, part of a tradition of spoken performance in the United States, is driven by poets of diverse backgrounds who see it as a tool of free expression.

Multicultural Literature in the United States Today


February 2009
The United States is enriched culturally by immigrants from many nations. This edition of eJournal USA focuses on distinguished American writers from various ethnic backgrounds who add immeasurably to mutual understanding and appreciation through tales of their native lands and their experiences as Americans.


for more Translations:

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Translated Book: A Lexicon of Learning - What Educators Mean When They Say...

Now Available Translated Book
40LE/copy

The Information Resource Center “IRC”
& The Regional English Language Office “RELO”

Is very pleased to announce the Launching of the

"A Lexicon of Learning - What Educators Mean When They Say..."
Ever wondered what educators mean when they refer to "authentic assessment" or "Bloom's Taxonomy"? Education, like all professions, has a specialized vocabulary that parents and others may have a difficult time understanding. This online dictionary, A Lexicon of Learning, provides clear definitions of educational terms in everyday language.

Sample Copy is available at the IRC’s Circulation Disk

http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/menuitem.5a47c86b3b7b44128716b710e3108a0c/

How to Find Us:
Call: Ms. Suzette / RELO Secretary 2797 2861
RELO Website: http://egypt.usembassy.gov/pa/relo.htm


The IRC is located in the U.S. Embassy at 5 Tawfik Diab Street, formerly Latin America Street, Garden City, Cairo.
TEL: 2797 3124 – 2797 3133 FAX: 2979 3400
IRC Webpage: http://egypt.usembassy.gov/irc/index.htm
Visit Cairo U.S. Embassy home page at: http://cairo.usembassy.gov/
CAIRO IRC WIKI: http://irosteveperry.pbwiki.com/irosteveperry

Simic's poetry known for accessibility, originality and humor

New U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic Immigrated as Teen
Simic's poetry known for accessibility, originality and humor

Full article online at: http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/August/200708101458581CJsamohT0.9762689.html

Website: http://www.cortlandreview.com/issuefour/simic4.htm


Poet Charles Simic at the City University of New York. (File photo © AP Images)


By Jeffrey ThomasStaff Writer
Washington -- Charles Simic, the new poet laureate of the United States, did not begin learning English until he was 15 and moved to New York City, then Chicago, after a traumatic childhood in the former Yugoslavia.
“The big, big influence on my life was being born in Yugoslavia in 1938. And then, in 1941, the war started and I was there during the war, and then in the years after the war under communism. The war years in Yugoslavia were pure hell,” Simic told USINFO in an interview August 9.
In 1953, Simic, his mother and brother were able to travel to Paris, where they stayed for a year. Then they moved on to the United States to join Simic’s father. “If you came to New York in 1954, it was incredible. Europe was still gray; there were still ruins. New York was just dazzling. When I was a little kid in Yugoslavia I loved jazz, I loved movies, so this was paradise,” Simic said.

John Updike Explores How Art Mirrors America’s Soul

John Updike Explores How Art Mirrors America’s Soul
Author examines artworks that illuminate U.S. culture, history, character

Author John Updike’s novels, short stories and essays portray American life in small towns and suburbs. (© AP Images)

By Lauren MonsenStaff Writer
Washington -- John Updike, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author whose prolific output of novels, short stories, poems and essays has made him one of the most celebrated American writers now living, is perhaps best known as a chronicler of life in America’s small towns and affluent suburbs. As such, he is a longtime observer of his nation’s quirks, customs and tribal rituals, and an interpreter of a broad cultural landscape that defines the United States as surely as its geography does.
So when Updike arrived in Washington to deliver the 2008 Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, an event sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) on May 22, it seemed only logical that he would structure his remarks around the question “What is American about American art?”
The question, he said, “has often arisen,” but it is less fashionable than it used to be, since any comprehensive survey of American achievement in the arts “inevitably gravitate[s] … to that least hip of demographic groups, white Protestant males of northern European descent.”

New Encyclopedia Celebrates Arab-American Artists


New Encyclopedia Celebrates Arab-American Artists
Painters, sculptors, photographers profiled by California artist

The cover of the Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists


The cover of the Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists
Washington -- Fayeq Oweis, noted artist and professor of Arabic language and culture at Santa Clara University in California, has published a unique volume entitled Encyclopedia of Arab American Artists, which highlights 85 individuals and groups working in painting, sculpture, photography, film, cartooning, calligraphy, mixed media, architecture and theater design.
In his introduction, Oweis writes, "The profiles in this book are not just biographical; they also highlight the many issues that influenced, inspired, and informed the artists' work. These include politics, language, culture, identity, economics ... and provide a portal into the rich culture of the Arab world."

Contemporary American Literature


Contemporary American Literature
Contemporary literature is diverse, exciting, and evolving

Sandra Cisneros (© AP Images)
(The following article is taken from the U.S. Department of State publication, Outline of American Literature.)

Contemporary American LiteratureBy Kathryn VanSpanckeren
The United States is one of the most diverse nations in the world. Its dynamic population of about 300 million boasts more than 30 million foreign-born individuals who speak numerous languages and dialects. Some one million new immigrants arrive each year, many from Asia and Latin America.
Literature in the United States today is likewise dazzlingly diverse, exciting, and evolving. New voices have arisen from many quarters, challenging old ideas and adapting literary traditions to suit changing conditions of the national life. Social and economic advances have enabled previously underrepresented groups to express themselves more fully, while technological innovations have created a fast-moving public forum. Reading clubs proliferate, and book fairs, literary festivals, and "poetry slams" (events where youthful poets compete in performing their poetry) attract enthusiastic audiences. Selection of a new work for a book club can launch an unknown writer into the limelight overnight.

Bibliography: Outline of American Literature

Bibliography: Outline of American Literature
Selected Internet resources

posted 04 May 2008


African American LiteratureMaintained at the University of Southern California, provides links to resources on African-American literature, literary criticism, articles, dissertations, and general reference materials, as well as links to specific genres of literature – poetry, drama, novels, and short fiction.


African American Writers: Online E-textsIncludes biographical information on as well as the writings of a host of African-American writers, ranging over time from Jupiter Hammon in the 1700s to contemporary writers.


American Authors on the WebA very comprehensive site from Nagoya University that presents a chronological listing of almost 800 American authors and includes biographical authors and/or writing samples for the majority of them.


American Collection: Educators SiteA Web site posted in connection with a U.S. Public Broadcasting Service television series on nine American authors. Designed for educators, the site contains teaching resources, lesson plans, background information, and author profiles. The site also includes an "American Writing Gateway" that links to Web sites focused on some 50 of America's most prominent authors.


American Literary Classics: A Chapter A Day LibraryContains the complete texts of some 25 popular American literary classics, along with a handful of British works, each arranged in a large-type chapter-by-chapter format. Among the selections are "Uncle Tom's Cabin," "Main Street," "Moby-Dick," "The Red Badge of Courage," and "The House of Seven Gables."


American Literature, KeeleIncludes three virtual libraries that contain, respectively, electronic texts and resources for 18th and 19th century American literature, electronic texts and resources for 20th century American literature, and literature by and on black Americans. Also includes links to other American and global literature Web sites, as well as an electronic archives for teaching American literature.


American Plays and Playwrights: Intro to DramaAn on-line bibliography maintained by the Thomas Byrne Library at Spring Hill College that directs the reader to printed titles about American plays and playwrights, including biography, bibliographies and guides to criticism, and theater and drama journals.


A Brief Chronology of African American LiteratureFrom San Antonio College, a listing and several links to the foremost African-American writers and their works, from the mid-1700s to the present day.


A Celebration of Women WritersA comprehensive site that lists upwards of 900 American women writers from the country's beginning until the present time and includes links to information on and the works of many of them. Also includes links to women writers in some 90 other countries. A product of the School of Computer Science at Carnegie-Mellon University.


C-Span American Writers: A Journey Through HistoryAn on-line companion to a spring 2002 American history series that looks at the lives and works of selected American writers who have been influential in the course of the nation. The series currently covers eight time periods, beginning with the founding of America and continuing through the Vietnam era, and features 45 writers and their works.


Electronic Archives for Teaching the American LiteraturesContains essays, syllabi, bibliographies, and other resources for teaching the multiple literatures of the United States; created and maintained by the Center for Electronic Projects in American Culture Studies at Georgetown University.


Electronic Poetry CenterFrom Kathy Acker to Louis Zukofsky, a site at the State University of New York at Buffalo that contains information on and the writings of more than 150 American poets.


Glossary of Poetic TermsContain a list of terms, arranged alphabetically, related to poetry; provides the phonetic pronunciation of each term, its definition, and examples of its use, as well as poetic quotations.


Index of Native American Book ResourcesIncludes extensive links to organizations, online and printed journals, and presses specializing in Native American literature, as well as links to books with Native American content, home pages for Native American authors, and much more.


Internet Public Library Online Literary Criticism CollectionA literary metasite containing annotations of sites and articles devoted to literary criticism and information on authors. In addition to 200 American and British authors, more than 50 international authors are featured. The collection indexes over 2,500 resources.


Internet Sites Related to Electronic Literature, ChoiceMagazineIncludes information on publishers of electronic literature, library sites, Web-accessible Gopher lists, lists of electronic literature resources, and resources by period or nationality. Choice is a publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association.


Literary Resources -- AmericanIncludes links to home pages covering various aspects of American literature, as well as home pages dedicated to more than 50 individual writers and poets. Maintained by Jack Lynch, a doctoral candidate in English literature at the University of Pennsylvania.


The Mississippi Writers Page: The Internet Guide to Mississippi WritersPresented by the University of Mississippi, the site contains information on some 270 writers of drama, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry who have called the state of Mississippi their home. Biographies of the writers, information about their books and other publications, and bibliographies of other information sources (including literary criticism) are featured.


Norton Websource to American LiteratureAn online companion to The Norton Anthnology of American Literature (fifth edition) covering 120 American writers. The site provides for each writer a brief biography, "an exploration" in which one of the writer's works is examined, and a list of other sites to consult. The site also groups this information by "topic clusters," permitting comparison of works of the same genré or time period.


PAL: Perspectives in American Literature: A Research and Reference GuideEncompasses American literature in various time periods; includes special sections on American drama and African-American writers. Maintained by Paul P. Reuben of the Department of English, California State University.


Poets.OrgMaintained by the Academy of American Poets, this site includes biographies, photos, and other information on more than 200 hundred poets and some 600 poems. The site features a unique "listening booth" in which the Web reader can also hear 80 poets, predominantly American, read their own works.


San Antonio College LitWeb, 1865 - PresentFeatures a page for each of more than 60 of America's most prominent writers; each page contains listings of and subsequent links to each writer's major works, as well as information about him or her.


A Small Anthology of PoemsA considerable sampling of English-language poetry in which the work of American poets is well represented; maintained by Seamus Cooney of Western Michigan University, the site also links to what Cooney identifies as "my collection of really bad poetry."


Voices From the Gaps: Women Writers of ColorA project from the University of Minnesota that focuses on the lives and works of women writers of color in North America. Designed primarily to serve as an active learning component in the literature classroom, the site relies upon students and scholars from around the world to contribute author "home pages" for women writers of color.


COLONIAL AND 19TH CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE AND POETRY
African American Women Writers of the 19th CenturyA collection of 52 published works by black women writers that provides access to the perspectives and creative abilities of black women as captured in books and pamphlets published prior to 1920.


Early American Literature 1600-1900Links to Internet resources aimed mainly at elementary and secondary school students and covering history and criticism, movements, study and teaching, online text collections, and writers of America's earliest days.


San Antonio College LitWeb, From Earliest Times to 1865Links to the authors and their works from the period of exploration and colonization in the United States to the early 19th century.


A Student's History of American LiteratureFrom Bibliomania, descriptive information on the various periods in American literature from early colonial times (1607-1700) to "modern literature," which ends for this offering in the very early 20th century. Includes an extensive alphabetical index of authors and their works.


Wright American Fiction (1851-1875)A collection of American fiction that attempts to include every novel published in the United States from 1851 to 1875. It features works by well-known writers such as Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Herman Melville, along with a great many forgotten authors whose works may have been very popular in their own time. The collection, which is hosted by the Indiana University Digital Library, currently has 1,752 texts by 845 authors.


MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN LITERATURE AND POETRY
American Cultural History: The Twentieth CenturyA series of Web guides for the 20th century, the guide for each decade include brief facts about the decade and events defining it, as well as links to the notable "Books & Literature" of the time.


American DramatistsA brief page that contains biographical information for three noted American playwrights – Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, and Lorraine Hansberry – along with the dialogue from playwright Lillian Hellman's "The Little Foxes."


Native American AuthorsProvides information on Native North American authors with bibliographies of their published works, biographical information, and links to online resources including interviews, online texts, and tribal websites.


Storytellers: Native American Authors OnlineIncludes links to official and unofficial home pages of Native American authors, as well as some full-text publications, reviews, and information on upcoming events.


Twentieth-century Poetry in EnglishFrom professor Eiichi Hishikawa at Kobe University, a site containing links to the works of more than 140 poets writing in English and "poet pages" for 11 of these, including T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Marianne Moore, and William Carolos Williams.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Writers on America


Writers on America




This book originated as an intriguing suggestion by Mark Jacobs, a U.S. foreign service officer with our State Department staff who also happens to be a working novelist. If we were to ask a contemporary group of American poets, novelists, critics, and historians what it means to be an American writer, Jacobs proposed, the results could illuminate in an interesting way certain America values -- freedom, diversity, democracy -- that may not be well understood in all parts of the world.

In the spirit of trying an experiment, that is what we did. Choosing 15 writers who have attained a certain stature for their work, with the group as a whole reflecting the considerable diversity of American writing today, we commissioned each to write an essay. The assignment: In what sense do you see yourself as an American writer?

In some ways this approach recalls a long tradition of literary self-analysis in the United States. Michel Guillaume St. Jean de Crevecoeur famously posed the question in his Letters from an American Farmer (1782): "What then is the American, this new man?" In 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson called for intellectual independence from "the courtly muses of Europe" in his address "The American Scholar." A century later, Ernest Hemingway defined American writing with his remark: "All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn." In a sense, we were asking each author to update the answer to Crevecoeur's question for the 21st century.

The novelist Robert Olen Butler concludes his essay by evoking a connection that Whitman felt powerfully. "Artists of all the nations of the world pass each day through the portal of the personal unconscious and enter the depths of the collective unconscious," Butler writes, "and these artists emerge with visions of things that bind us all together. I am an American. I am an artist. I look at my country and I seek the human soul."

After Shootings at Virginia Tech, Many Find Solace in Poetry

23 April 2007
After Shootings at Virginia Tech, Many Find Solace in Poetry
Poet and teacher Nikki Giovanni uplifts thousands in Blacksburg, Virginia
EN:http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/April/20070420134720berehellek0.4582331.html
AR:http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-arabic&y=2007&m=April&x=20070424102319bsibhew0.6961481

Iraqi, American Poetry Reading Bridges Cultural Divides

http://www.america.gov/st/arts-english/2008/January/20080125142923zjsrednA0.8701288.html

28 January 2008
Iraqi, American Poetry Reading Bridges Cultural Divides
U.S. Embassy, Tawasin Society sponsor first annual event
By Jim Fisher-ThompsonSpecial Correspondent

Baghdad -- “One of the treasures of poetry is that it allows full equality to all artists and freedom of expression in what defines a truly democratic society,” said U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker January 15 at the first annual Iraqi/American Poetry Reading, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in partnership with the Iraqi Tawasin Cultural Society.

The spirit of humanity embodied in the universal language of poetry momentarily surmounted the political and economic challenges facing this nation as members of the Iraqi literary community joined American and other coalition representatives at the al Rasheed Hotel event.
Iraqi poet Mohammed Rasim Kasim, president of the Tawasin Cultural Society, described poetry in similar terms -- as a “cultural bridge between East and West,” and as a “universal language that … sensitizes emotions … [and] distances human kind from … daily sadness and burdens.”
Crocker, who holds a university degree in literature, read two works by contemporary Iraqi poets who have achieved international renown: Fadhil al Azzawi and Mahdi Muhammed Ali. Crocker’s reading, as well as others, was accompanied by four Iraqi musicians playing the guitar-like oud and drums.

THE ARTS | Reshaping ideas, expressing identity

U.S. Arts: Landscape of Diversity

Photo Gallery
http://www.america.gov/multimedia/photogallery.html#3de299a9-a7ed-4de1-a648-a9a1d0141488

The remarkable flourishing of the arts in present-day America largely was due to the influx of talent from around the world and the rapid inclusion into the artistic mainstream of women and people of African, Asian, Hispanic and other ethnicities. Today, the landscape of American arts is as diverse and unique as the landscape of American society.

Film
http://amlife.america.gov/amlife/arts/film.html

Music
http://amlife.america.gov/amlife/arts/music.html

Books
http://amlife.america.gov/amlife/arts/books.html

America.gov

America.gov
Telling America's Story

http://www.america.gov/

America.govTelling America's Storyhttp://www.america.gov/State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) engages international audiences on issues of foreign policy, society and values to help create an environment receptive to U.S. national interests.IIP communicates with foreign opinion makers and other publics through a wide range of print and electronic outreach materials published in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Persian, Russian, and Spanish. IIP also provides information outreach support to U.S. embassies and consulates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

USA LITERATURE IN BRIEF




http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/literature-in-brief/literature-in-brief.pdf
This publication provides a historical overview of American literature, up to the beginning of the 21st Century, as well as short profiles of the major writers -- fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry.
Produced for teachers and students of English and literature and readers with an interest in this subject, this publication, is based on a more extensive overview, the Outline of American Literature.
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/oal/oaltoc.htm

Outline of American Literature, December 2006

http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/oal/oaltoc.htm

This publication provides an extensive overview of American literature, up to the beginning of the 21st Century, as well as profiles of the major writers -- fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry.
Produced for teachers and students of English and literature and readers with an interest in this subject.

AMERICAN LITERATURE Webliography

Information Resources Center, (IRC) LIBRARY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy in Cairo
5, TAWFIK DIAB STREET, Garden City Cairo (CLOSE TO MIDAN TAHRIR)
IRC Website:
http://egypt.usembassy.gov/irc/index.htm
TEL: 2797-3124 - FAX: 2797-3400
E-mail: cairoirc@state.gov


A SELECTIVE LIST OF BEST INTERNET SITES
ON
AMERICAN LITERATURE
From a comprehensive webliography prepared by IRO Stephen Perry


AMERICAN AND ENGLISH LITERATURE: THE CAMBRIDGE HISTORY OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN LITERATURE: http://www.bartleby.com/cambridge/
Considered the most important work of literary history and criticism ever published, the Cambridge History contains over 11,000 pages, with essay topics ranging from poetry, fiction, drama and essays to history, theology and political writing. The set encompasses a wide selection of writing, on even non-English works...

AMERICAN AUTHORS ON THE WEB:
http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/AmeLit.html#Authors
Meticulous listing of web pages where one can find information about American Authors.

See GENERAL RESOURCES ON AMERICAN LITERATURE at:
http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/AmeLit-G.html

AMERICAN WRITERS: Find information on American Writers and their Works and related videos; many of these videos and related lesson plans you can see for free. http://www.americanwriters.org/

OUTLINE OF AMERICAN LITERATURE: (FREE) http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/oal/oaltoc.htm

USA LITERATURE IN BRIEF: (FREE BOOKLET)
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/literature-in-brief/

FREE, ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE USA
http://info-pedia.americancorners.or.kr/ENG/index_eng.html

ARTS AND LITERATURE COLLECTIONS FROM THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY’S DIGITIZED GALLERY: ALL IN FULL TEXT: UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND OF AMERICAN AND BRITISH LITERATURE BY LOOKING THROUGH THESE RESOURCES http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/explore/dgexplore.cfm?topic=arts&x=9&y=6

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS ON LINE CATALOG: http://catalog.loc.gov/

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: POETRY RESOURCES
http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/lcpoetry/

POETRY ONLINE RESOURCES FROM ALCOVE 9 (LIBRARY OF CONGRESS): http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/alcove9/literature/poetry.html
Includes how to find literary criticism of individual poems, the American Verse Project, an Electronic Poetry Center and an Online Journal for Modern American Poetry, including syllabi from various universities on how they teach poetry in the classroom. A value packed site!

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41
Find information on Poets and Poetry

FREE BOOKS AND SCHOLARLY BOOKS OF LITERARY CRITICISM:

AMERICAN STUDIES INFORMATION COMMUNITY: University of Virginia Library http://infocomm.lib.virginia.edu/amst/etexts.html
and: http://infocomm.lib.virginia.edu/amst/texts.html
Digital Resources including full text of around 300 classical works and full image collections plus
a directory of selected on line resources

E-TEXTS FROM the UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/ebooks/

SCHOLARY BOOKS FREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS
http://content.cdlib.org/escholarship/
The eScholarship Editions collection includes almost 2000 free books from academic presses on a range of topics, including art, science, history, music, religion, and fiction. Extraordinary resource that lets you search, read, print full-texts of many high-quality scholarly books

E-BOOKS: http://www.bibliomania.com
Includes 2000 Classic Texts and Study Guides to the most read Books

DIGITAL BOOK INDEX: http://www.digitalbookindex.com/about.htm
The Digital Book Index a database of over 80,000 fiction and nonfiction e-books from over 1,800 publishers. Many categories of books are listed, including reference, history, children's, and African American studies. One needs to register to use the service, but registration is absolutely free and takes just seconds.

ONLINE BOOKS: http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/lists.html
The Online Books Page is a searchable and browseable collection of over 25,000 English language works in various formats that are all free for personal, noncommercial use. One can search by Author and Title
CALIFORNIA DIGITAL LIBRARY: http://texts.cdlib.org/escholarship/
Hundreds of Free E-Books Offered as well as Literary Criticism of major works of literature.

THE TEXTBOOK REVOLUTION: http://www.textbookrevolution.org
Provides free online textbooks in many subject areas, an amazing site!

PROJECT GUTENBERG: 18,000 FREE EBOOKS. http://www.gutenberg.org/
These books can be downloaded for free

NEW DIGITIZED E-BOOK PROJECT: SCANNING OF THE ENTIRE BOOK
http://demo.openlibrary.org Click on Full Text and in the search box, type SISTER CARRIE to read the entire scanned book.

NEW DIGITIZED RESEARCH PROJECTS:

These projects allow anyone anywhere with Internet access to read manuscripts or any other digitized project for free.

The most important of these new resources is the AMERICAN MEMORY PROJECT from the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: a massive project digitizing works of literature, manuscripts, photographs, music, videos, and other cultural treasures, from baseball cards to movies.

DIGITIZED RESOURCES FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS:
LOC: AMERICAN MEMORY: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse
A listing of excellent resources for American Studies, by topic and by historical periods in various fields all digitized

Go to BROWSE – then go to LITERATURE
Look at ZORA NEALE HURSTON PLAYS THAT HAVE BEEN ALL DIGITIZED AND AVAILABLE FREE OVER THE INTERNET: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/znhhtml/znhhome.html

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS EXPERIENCE: NEW INTERACTIVE, DIGITIZED EXHIBITS OF THE TREASURES OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: http://www.loc.gov/experience/
See the Gutenberg Bible and actually zoom in and read every page! This and other interactive exhibits are available absolutely free in this LOC website premiering April 12, 2008.

WRIGHT’S AMERICAN FICTION: http://www.letrs.indiana.edu/web/w/wright2/
This is a collection of 19th century American fiction, as listed in Lyle Wright's bibliography American Fiction, 1851-1875. There are currently 2,887 volumes included (1,763 unedited, 1,124 fully edited and encoded) by 1,456 authors. All resources are full text format.

MAKING OF AMERICA: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/
Making of America (MOA) is a free digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction.
The collection is particularly strong in the subject areas of education, psychology, American history, sociology, religion, and science and technology. and the history of New York City

The book collection currently contains approximately 10,000 books with 19th century imprints.
For more details about the project, see About MoA. (http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moagrp/about.html)

SUBJECT BROWSING OF THE MAKING OF AMERICA IS AVAILABLE VIA THIS WEB SITE:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?page=browse;cc=moa;c=moa;key=subject

DOCUMENTING THE AMERICAN SOUTH: SLAVE NARRATIVES, PLANTATION LIFE, SOUTHERN ECONOMY, http://docsouth.unc.edu/
PRIMARY RESOURCES FOR THE AMERICAN SOUTH
Documenting the American South (DocSouth) is a digital publishing initiative that provides Internet access to texts, images, and audio files related to southern history, literature, and culture. Currently DocSouth includes ten thematic collections of books, diaries, posters, artifacts, letters, oral history interviews, and songs. The University Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors Documenting the American South, and the texts and materials come primarily from its southern holdings. The UNC University Library is committed to the long-term availability of these collections and their online records.

DIGITAL COLLECTIONS FROM the NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY: http://www.nypl.org/digital/


OPEN COURSEWARE: DISTANCE EDUCATION:

MIT’S OPEN COURSE SOFTWARE: FREE FULL ACCESS TO ONLINE COURSES AT MIT, THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. http://ocw.mit.edu
Includes links to Lecture Notes from Professors, Student Projects, Syllabus of each Course, Reading Assignments and tests. An amazing full-text resource!

MIT’s LITERATURE: COURSES WITH SPECIALIZED RESOURCES: http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Literature/index.htm

OTHER DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES worldwide for free at many other Universities may be found at: http://ocwconsortium.org

THESES AND DISSERTATION ACCESS IN FULL TEXT FORMAT FOR RESEARCHERS

Digitized Research Studies, Theses and specialized studies:
DRUM: The Digital Repository of Maryland
https://drum.umd.edu/dspace/index.jsp
Look at the Arts and Humanities section.
Includes the Full text of theses and dissertations at the University of Maryland.

FULL TEXT ACCESS TO THE THESES AND DISSERTATIONS DONE AT
THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.
http://dspace.mit.edu --

BEST SEARCH TOOLS

ACADEMIC AND SCHOLAR SEARCH ENGINES and Sources
http://whitepapers.virtualprivatelibrary.net/Scholar.pdf
An Internet Mini Guide Annotated Link Compilation for Academics

Library of Congress: ALCOVE 9: http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/alcove9/
An Annotated List of Reference Websites

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS VIRTUAL REFERENCE SHELF: http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
http://www.nypl.org/links/
The best of the web in Encyclopedias, Dictionaries, Resources in various themes, digital collections, research libraries with links to search engines

American and British Literature Internet Sites:
http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/grd/resguides/english/

MARVELOUS RESEARCH GUIDES AT NYPL:
http://www.nypl.org/research/sibl/


VOICE OF THE SHUTTLE: http://vos.ucsb.edu/ A FIVE STAR RESOURCE!
One of the very best search engines for Humanities and Literature researchers and scholars.

MASTERKEY http://masterkey.indexdata.com/
MasterKey is a hosted service developed and maintained by Index Data. The MasterKey hosted metasearch service is now, and will continue to be, freely usable for searching selected open content online resources and library catalogs. Commercial resources and additional catalogs can be added to the service using the fee-based version of MasterKey.

An amazing resource, as an example, type “AMERICAN LITERATURE” in the search engine and look at the results! Another Hint: Try Langston Hughes in this Search Engine

FREE AND VALUABLE LESSON PLANS:

CURRIKI: Curriculum Guides and Lesson plans for hundreds of different topics: a great resource for educators and students and teachers! Funded in part by the US Department of Education: http://www.curriki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Main/WebHome

EDSITEment: http://edsitement.neh.gov/
The Best of the Humanities on the Web from the National Endowment of the Humanities in partnership with the National Trust for the Humanities, and the MCI Foundation. This educational partnership brings online humanities resources from some of the world's great museums, libraries, cultural institutions, and universities directly to your classroom.

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS (from the U.S. CONSULATE, KRAKOW, Poland): http://krakow.usconsulate.gov/studyus/resources-for-teachers.html

FREE VIDEOS: ANNENBERG FOUNDATION:FREE EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS ON DEMAND :
http://www.learner.org/channel/workshops/tml/workshop1/index.html
An excellent site for Teaching Multi cultural literature; Includes videos, workshops, teaching strategies resources and students’ work. See Frank McCourt for example discuss Angela’s Ashes.

MERLOT: Multi Media Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching. http://www.merlot.org/Home.po
Resources submitted by professional educators from a variety of institutions. Look up the what’s new section for the latest educational resources: http://www.merlot.org/home/WhatsNew.po

RHYTHMS IN AMERICAN POETRY: A TEACHERS GUIDE FROM LEARNER.ORG: http://www.learner.org/amerpass/unit10/pdf/unit10ig.pdf Another 5 Star Resource


INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS RESOURCES

Study of the U.S. Programs Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/infosheet.pdf
A succinct overview of the Branch and its programs, including examples of recent scholarship in American Studies, including literature.

STUDENT CORNER: BRIEF OUTLINES OF AMERICAN LITERATURE:
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/students/
Contains electronic journals, and outlines of American Literature and American History.

STUDY OF THE U.S. BRANCH: BUREAU OF EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/publications.htm
The study of the U.S. Branch develops programs such as the Study of the U.S. Institutes and the Current in American Scholarship series, as well as other projects that support the study of the United States abroad. It also promotes Literature covering current trends in the study of the history, society, culture and institutions of the United States.

PUBLICATIONS: http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/publications.htm
Publications on current trends in American literary scholarship.

The African-American Reader: http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/AAReader.pdf
An anthology of essays on African-American history, culture, and society for advanced students, teachers, and scholars

“Currents in American Scholarship” SERIES: Publications

Title: Philosophy in the United States
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/01_2005.pdf
Title: The Study of American Politics
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/12_2004.pdf
Title: New Directions in American Literary Scholarship 1980-2002
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/american_literary_scholarship.pdf
Title: Twentieth Century United States History
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/history.pdf
Title: American Studies Bibliography http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/AmBibliography.pdf
Title: American Religious History http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/ReligionCAS.pdf

E-JOURNALS:

ELECTRONIC JOURNALS AND OTHER WEB BAED RESOURCES
CATEGORIZED BY SUBJECT AREA: http://ejw.i8.com/

ELECTRONIC E-JOURNALS on LITERATURE: http://ejw.i8.com/lite-j.htm

FREE SCHOLARLY ARTICLES FROM THE DIRECTORY OF OPEN ACCESS JOURNALS: http://www.doaj.org Covers over 3000 journals in all disciplines and that number is growing yearly!

Electronic Journals From USINFO: http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/journals.htm

Arabic Language Editions of Electronic Journals, USINFO:
http://usinfo.state.gov/ar/Home/products/eJournalUSA.html

NOTE: J STOR DATABASE IS NOW AVAILABLE AT the CAIRO IRC FOR RESEARCHERS & VISITORS ONLY AT THE CAIRO IRC; JSTOR a database for over 950,000 (and growing), full text articles from thousands of magazines or journals. These go back, in some cases, to the 1900’s.

SEE ALSO THE CAIRO UNIV TOOLS FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN THE IRC CAIRO WIKIPEDIA for other related resources:
http://irosteveperry.pbwiki.com/irosteveperry

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Last updated: APRIL14,, 2008

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE WEBLIOGRAPHY On NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES

Information Resource Center
Public Affairs/American Embassy
5, Latin America Street,
Garden City, Cairo 11512, EGYPT
Tel: 2797-3360 Fax: 2797-3400
Homepage: http://egypt.usembassy.gov/irc/index.htm
Compiled by IRO STEPHEN PERRY and IRC SUZY METRY

A HIGHLY SELECTIVE WEBLIOGRAPHY On NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES

CENSUS INFORMATION AND FAST FACTS:

We the People: American Indians and Alaska Natives in the U.S.
compiled by the U.S .CENSUS DEPARTMENT:
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS76068

HISTORY, LAW AND ANTHROPOLOGY:

Smithsonian Museum: American Indian History and Culture
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/History_and_Culture/AmericanIndian_History.htm

Virtual library - American Indians
http://www.hanksville.org/NAresources/

Native American Resources
http://www.cowboy.net/native/index.html

Native Americans
http://www.ed.uri.edu/Smart/HOMEPAGE/indians.htm

Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Media: Indigenous People
in the media: http://www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/

Native Tribes of the United States and Canada
http://www.dickshovel.com/trbindex.html

Native Americans Nations
http://www.nativeculturelinks.com/nations.html

American Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties
http://digital.library.okstate.edu/kappler/index.htm

American Indian History and Related Issues
http://e.experience.uces.csulb.edu/AmericanIndianStudies/HTML/TroyJohnson.html

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture: Section on American Indians: http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/indians.html


MUSEUMS AND VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS:

Images of Native Americans
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/Exhibits/nativeamericans/

Edward Curtis Photographs of American Indians
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/ienhtml/curthome.html

Newberry Library: A Virtual Exhibition Of Lewis And Clark And Indian Country: Celebrating 200 Years Of American History: Based on an exhibition originally mounted at the NEWBERRY LIBRARY: http://www.newberry.org/lewisandclark/

National Museum of the American Indian: http://americanindian.si.edu
Look at the categories of Collections and Resources and Teaching Materials.

California Museum of Photography. Stereotyping Native America
http://138.23.124.165/exhibitions/stereotyping/default.lasso

STUDY AND RESEARCH: ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS:

Edsitement: Native American Heritage Month: November 2007
http://edsitement.neh.gov/monthly_feature.asp

National Congress of American Indians: www.ncai.org
Contains a Tribal Directory and Policy Issues.

Questions about Siouan and other Native Americans
Languages: http://spot.colorado.edu/~koontz/faq.htm

National American Indian Data Center
http://www.asu.edu/lib/archives/labriola.htm

Native Americans Rights and Funds: the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is the oldest and largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of Indian tribes, organizations and individuals nationwide. http://www.narf.org/

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science:
http://www.sacnas.org/

American Indian Library Association http://aila.library.sd.gov/

The American Indian Studies Research Institute
http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/index.shtml

Links to American Indian Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
http://www.americanindianstudies.unc.edu/pages/links.html

Links to Native American Indian Study from the University of Massachusetts
http://www.umass.edu/nativestudies/links.html

Information on American Indians: http://www.ovc.edu/missions/indians/

Smithsonian Education: American Indian Heritage Teaching Resources: http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/american_indian_resources.html

For additional resources on American Indian Literatures and Culture, see the link to Minority Studies in the award winning web site Voice of the Shuttle (http://vos.ucsb.edu)

MEDIA

Native American Public Telecommunications
http://www.nativetelecom.org/


Tribal College Journal-The Voice and the Vision of American Indian Higher Education
http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org/

Native American News
http://www.nanews.org/index2.shtml

RECOMMENDED BOOKS FOR FURTHER READING:

NATIVE AMERICAN BOOKLIST:
http://www.nea.org/readacross/resources/nabooklist.html

Last revised November 15, 2007
All links working on this date.

SELECTED WEBLIOGRAPHY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

Information Resources Center, Public Affairs Section
U.S. Embassy in Cairo
Website: http//egypt.usembassy.gov
TEL: 27973124 - FAX: 27973400
E-mail: cairoirc@state.gov



SELECTED WEBLIOGRAPHY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

Prepared by: IRO Stephen Perry and IRC Specialist Suzan Metry
Email: perryls@state.gov ----- Email: metrysn@state.gov
Updated November 2007

Introduction
The History of African American History Month

I. HOW TO RESEARCH AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY:

1. Basic Resources from Rutgers University Libraries
http://newark.rutgers.edu/~natalieb/afroam.htm

2. Detailed Research Guide to African American Studies
http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/history/afrores.shtml

3. From the African Studies Collection at University of Pennsylvania
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Home_Page/mcgee.html

4. African Americans from the University of California at Santa Barbara
http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subj/black.html

5. Resources in Black Studies: L.O.C. SITES containing links to Historical Texts
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?category=African%20American%20History

6. Ohio State University: Another Gateway to Information
http://library.osu.edu/sites/thegateway/display.php


II. FROM USINFO WEBSITE: DEPARTMENT OF STATE
http://usinfo.state.gov

(A) Population & Diversity http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity.html

(B) Civil Rights
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/civil_rights.html

(C) African American History Month
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/african_americans/African_American_History_Month.html

(D) Additional Resources: U.S. History, Geography & Population: African American History Month
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/african_americans/african_american_history_month/african_american_history_month_texts.html

(E) Census Facts 2006 for African Americans: Facts for Features
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/006088.html

(F) Publications http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/population_diversity_publications.html

(G) Organizations concerned with African Americans in U.S.
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/civil_rights/civil_rights_orgs.html

(H) Legal Resources from INFO USA
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/civil_rights/african_american_rights/african_american_rights_legal.html

(I) Timeline of Civil Rights Movement
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/civil_rights/african_american_rights/african_american_rights_timeline.html

(J) Online Reading
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/civil_rights/african_american_rights/african_american_rights_online.html

(K) E Journal on Race: http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0897/ijse/tocsv.htm

(L) E-Journals in Arabic: http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/journalsaraba.htm


III. AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE

1. African American Women Authors: from the NY Public Library
http://digital.nypl.org/schomburg/writers_aa19/toc.html

2. Example of a Digitized Text
http://digilib.nypl.org/dynaweb/digs-t/wwm975/@Generic__BookView

3. Harlem Renaissance Resources: PAL: Perspective in American Literature-A research and reference Guide-Ongoing project
http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/chap9.html

4. African American Women: from the Duke University Special Collection
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/collections/african-american-women.html

5. African American Literature analysis, from USINFO
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0200/ijse/stepto.htm

6. African Americans Literature Bibliography, from USINFO
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and diversity/african_americans/african_americans_biblio.html

7. Websites on the Harlem Renaissance via USINFO
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/Archive_Index/Reference_on_Web_Harlem_Renaissance.html

8. African American Writers: Online E-texts
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/afroonline.htm

9. An African-American Reader: Essays on African American History Culture and Society.
Editors: William R. Scott and William G. Shade, Lehigh University March 2005
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/AAReader.pdf
Is an anthology of essays on African-American history, culture, and society for advanced students, teachers, and scholars.

“Currents in American Scholarship” SERIES: Publications
Title: Philosophy in the United States
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/01_2005.pdf
Title: The Study of American Politics
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/12_2004.pdf
Title: New Directions in American Literary Scholarship 1980-2002
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/american_literary_scholarship.pdf
Title: Twentieth Century United States History
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/history.pdf
Title: American Studies Bibliography http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/AmBibliography.pdf
Title: American Religious History http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/ReligionCAS.pdf
Title: Currents in American Scholarship: American Studies Bibliography
http://www.exchanges.state.gov/education/amstudy/currents/AmBibliography.pdf

IV. DIGITIZED COLLECTIONS

1. Digitized Collections: from Encyclopedia Britannica’s Guide
http://www.britannica.com/Blackhistory/home.do;jsessionid=33ECE98105E5BCCC50A00E3A1B82E017

2. From Documenting the American South Project: Slave Narratives
http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/index.html

3. Library of Congress Collections
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml

4. The LOC digitized Collection via the American Memory Project
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/

5. Schomburg Collection: From Library of Congress: Slave Narrative Project
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/snhome.html

6. African American Collections, via LOC American Memory Project
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/browse/ListSome.php?category=African%20American%20History

7. Digitized Collection via Georgetown University Project for American Studies
http://lumen.georgetown.edu/projects/asw/aswlinks.cfm?head1=Race%2C%20Ethnicity%2C%20and%20Identity&head2=African%20American%20Resources

8. Schomburg Collection: The New York Public Library
http://www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html


V. MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

1. Afro-American Museum in Boston - Links
http://www.afroammuseum.org/links.htm

2. Smithsonian Museum
http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/afroam.htm

3. Smithsonian: The National Museum of African American History and Culture http://nmaahc.si.edu/

4. Museums: from USINFO
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/poulation_and_diversity/african_americans/african_americans_museums.html


VI. CONTINUING EDUCATION THROUGH AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES
Online courses, Essays, Perspectives

1. From USINFO: Essays on African American History Culture and Society
http://usinfo.state.gov/scv/history_geography_and_population/population_and_diversity/african_americans/african_americans_museums.html

2. MIT Distance Education
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

3. Course on Writing about Race in MIT
http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

4. An example from a course on American Women writers
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Literature/21L-512American-Authors--American-Women-AuthorsSpring2003/RelatedResources/index.htm





VII. LINKS TO UNIVERSITIES

University of California, Santa Barbara
URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/subj/black.html.
This is a very manageable site with access to a range of data-types. The site has 16 broad categories and is especially strong in news media, historical texts, and documents.

Soul Search: The Search Engine for the World's People of Color.
Access: http://www.soulsearch.net/
This is a search engine for accessing information contained in the African American Web Ring. One of many "Web rings" forming on the Internet, this one has collected over 1,000 sites related to African American culture including art, dance, history, and personal pages.
Soul Search: African American Web Ring:
URL: http://www.webring.org/cgi-bin/webring?ring.

Rutgers University Libraries: Research Guides: History-American & British sources on the Internet
URL:http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/history/afrores.shtml
Internet Resources for Students of African-American History and Culture from Rutgers University Library, including access to text collections and special sources from 18th, 19th and 20th Century, covering also individual electronic texts, associations, organizations plus a tool for finding articles.
Georgetown University: Race & Ethnicity-African-American.
URL: http://www.georgetown.edu/crossroads/asw/afam.html
Part of their American Studies Web pages, this is an alphabetical listing of a nice variety of sites not often linked elsewhere.

VIII. FULL TEXT JOURNALS

1. CALLALOO
http://muse.jhy.edu/journals/callaloo

2. AFRICAN STUDIES QUARTERLY: The Online Journal of African Studies.
URL: http://web.africa.ufl.edu/asq/

3. AFRICA NEWS ONLINE: Gateway to a Continent.
URL: http://www.africanews.org

VIV. FULL TEXT DATABASES OF THE IRC

EBSCO
PROQUEST
NEWSPAPERS
STATISTICS
MANY OTHERS


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