5 Authors Producing Well-Researched Nonfiction
With the popularity of memoirs and pop-science titles, the nonfiction section can be a tricky place to navigate when you're looking for something factual and reliable. These authors all meticulously research their work on literature, economics, and education, ensuring readers can follow up and dig deeper into these topics after they've finished reading. This video was made with Ezvid Wikimaker.
5 Writers Producing In-Depth Nonfiction Titles
Jonathan Bate Discusses Poet Ted Hughes
Organizations That Support Poets & Poetry
| Organization | Location | Mission |
|---|---|---|
| Split This Rock | Washington, DC | Cultivate, teach, and celebrate poetry that bears witness to injustice and provokes social change |
| CavanKerry Press | Fort Lee, NJ | Expand the reach of poetry to a general readership by publishing works that explore the emotional and psychological landscapes of everyday life |
| InsideOut Literary Arts | Detroit, MI | Inspire students to think broadly, create bravely, and share their voices with the wider world |
| Poetry Foundation | Chicago, IL | Celebrate and share the best poetry with the largest audiences through a family of programs |
| Howard County Poetry and Literature Society | Columbia, MD | Enlarge the audience for contemporary poetry and literature and celebrate culturally diverse literary heritages |
Dr. Christine Sleeter on Why Ethnic Studies and Critical Race Theory Matter for Education
Arts Education in America
- 91% of Americans agree that the arts are "part of a well-rounded education"
- 93% to 94% believe that students in elementary, middle, and high school should receive an education in the arts
- 74% agree that the arts help students to perform better academically
- Nationally, more than 40% of secondary schools did not require arts courses for graduation for the 2009-2010 school year
- Federal funding for arts & humanities is around $250 million a year, while the National Science Foundation is funded at around the $5 billion mark
- Arts and music education programs are mandatory in countries that rank near the top for math and science test scores, like Japan, Hungary, and the Netherlands
- According to a nationwide study, 63% of eighth-graders took a music class, and 42% took a visual arts class
- Students in the Northeast were twice as likely (68%) to have taken a visual arts class than students in the South (35%)
- Students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch, which is often used as a proxy to identify low-income students, scored an average of 26 points lower in music than those not eligible and 22 points lower in visual arts
- In the District of Columbia, 75% of white students took an art course, compared to 49% of black students
Alexandra Popoff at the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards
In Depth
One of the many things that makes non-fiction writing unique is the incredible level of research it typically requires. Whether it's a biography, a cultural analysis, or a vast account of an historical epoch, it's essential that the writer has carefully studied the subjects they're covering. In no particular order, here are some authors producing such rigorously researched nonfiction, perfect for anyone seeking new knowledge about the world.
At #1 is Alexandra Popoff, who began her career as a journalist in Moscow. As a student, she attended the Gorky Literary Institute, the University of Toronto, and the University of Saskatchewan, where she also taught Russian literature and history. This expertise informs her literary output, which comprises biographies of notable figures from Russian history. In 2010 she published her first book, "Sophia Tolstoy," about Leo Tolstoy's multi-talented wife.
Popoff continued her focus on the famous Russian author with "Tolstoy's False Disciple." The result of ground-breaking archival research, it chronicles Tolstoy's secretive, three-decade-long relationship with his editor Vladimir Chertkov. Among Popoff's other works are "The Wives," which looks at the women behind the greatest works of Russian literature, and "Vasily Grossman and the Soviet Century," about the life and legacy of the anti-authoritarian writer.
The result of ground-breaking archival research, it chronicles Tolstoy's secretive, three-decade-long relationship with his editor Vladimir Chertkov.
For #2 we get Adam Tooze, whose writing and research revolves around systems of power in modern history. His areas of interest include World Wars I and II, German history, international relations, and agrarianism and industrialism. His book "The Wages of Destruction" traces the effects of the Nazi regime on the national economy.
Among Tooze's other works is "The Deluge," described as a global prequel to "Wages of Destruction." It offers a new history of the years after 1916, the moment at which the international order began to reorient itself around American power. There's also "Crashed," an original analysis of the 2008 global financial crisis. As of 2020, Tooze is the Shelby Cullom Davis chair of History at Columbia University and the Director of the school's European Institute.
Coming in at #3 is Jonathan Bate. A biographer, critic, broadcaster, and scholar, Bate's research interests range from Shakespeare and Renaissance literature to contemporary poetry and visual culture. His oeuvre contains a number of books on the history and legacy of the Bard, as well as influential eco-critical works such as "Romantic Ecology" and "The Song of the Earth." He has also authored acclaimed biographies of renowned English poets John Clare and Ted Hughes.
He has also authored acclaimed biographies of renowned English poets John Clare and Ted Hughes.
Additional creative works by Bate include the fiction novel "The Cure for Love," the poetry collection "The Shepherd's Hut," and the one-man play "Being Shakespeare." On the academic side, he has held appointments everywhere from Oxford to Arizona State University. In recognition of his services to higher education, Bate was awarded a CBE at the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours in 2006, and later became the youngest person ever to be knighted for literary scholarship.
For #4 we have Magda Romanska, an award-winning writer, dramaturg, and media scholar. Her research exists at the intersection of theatre, media, and technology, including digital and multi-platform dramaturgy, human-AI interaction, and posthuman performance. She is the author of "The Post-traumatic Theatre of Grotowski and Kantor," and the co-editor of the essay collections "Reader in Comedy" and "TheaterMachine." Additionally, she edited and translated an anthology of plays by Boguslaw Schaeffer.
Romanska's chapters and articles appear in a variety of journals and anthologies. A graduate of Stanford and Cornell, she has taught at Harvard University, Yale School of Drama, and Emerson College, and has worked on over 30 theatre and opera productions as dramaturg, playwright, or director. She's also the executive director and editor-in-chief of the online portal The Theatre Times, for which she won the 2018 Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy.
She's also the executive director and editor-in-chief of the online portal The Theatre Times, for which she won the 2018 Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy.
Finally, arriving at #5 is Christine E. Sleeter. This author, speaker, and activist uses her creative work to foster respect for the diverse people who share space in schools and communities. Founding faculty member and Professor Emerita at California State University Monterey Bay, her research focuses on anti-racist multicultural education, ethnic studies, and teacher education. Her publications encompass myriad books and over 150 articles.
Sleeter's titles include "Multicultural Education as Social Activism," "Un-Standardizing Curriculum," and "Transformative Ethnic Studies in Schools." She has edited such works as "Creating Solidarity Across Diverse Communities" and "Diversifying the Teacher Workforce." Sleeter has also developed several conceptual frameworks and tools to guide educators, and has produced research that has helped in racial justice advocacy. Additionally, she is the author of the novels "White Bread" and "The Inheritance."
