John Lennard Knihy

Focusing on the craft of poetry, this guide offers insights into various poetic forms, techniques, and the creative process. It explores elements such as rhythm, meter, and imagery, providing practical tips for both aspiring and seasoned poets. With examples from renowned poets, it encourages readers to develop their unique voice and style, making it an essential resource for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of poetry and enhance their writing skills.

A compact, wide-ranging, and accessible guide to reading plays, The Drama Handbook stresses the importance of understanding performance conventions and production processes through history, and offers clearly defined and presented critical vocabularies.

Provides a practical guide to the poet's craft. Topics such as metre, form, layout, lineation, punctuation, rhyme, diction and syntax are covered and at the end of each chapter, each topic is applied to the same poem, Nobel-winner Derek Walcott's "Nearing Forty".

Focusing on Shakespeare's theatrical background, the book examines "Hamlet" as a complex revenge tragedy shaped by the playwright's close relationships with actors. It delves into the roles of various characters, from the Ghost to the finest performers, and explores Shakespeare's favorite narrative techniques. The final chapter draws intriguing parallels between "Hamlet" and "Twelfth Night," highlighting their contrasting tones as a dark comedy and a poignant tragedy. An annotated bibliography provides resources on major editions, film adaptations, and critical analysis.

Featuring a collection of essays, this volume delves into notable works of crime fiction, science fiction, and children's literature from the past 40 years. It highlights contributions from acclaimed authors such as Reginald Hill, Thomas Harris, and Ursula Le Guin, among others. The essays provide insights into the themes and styles that define these genres, making it a valuable resource for fans and scholars alike. A companion volume, Of Sex and Faerie; Further Essays on Genre Fiction, is also available.

Continuing the exploration of serial reading and genre fiction, this collection of essays delves into the works of notable authors like Bill James, Walter Mosley, and Ursula K. Le Guin. It features innovative analyses of contemporary paranormal romance and the evolution of classic characters into new settings. The final essay addresses the rise of fanfiction and the reader's growing influence in the digital age. An extensive bibliography and eight illustrations enhance the scholarly depth of the work.