Pedagogy of Adaptation

From All Quiet on the Western Front and Gone with the Wind to No Country for Old Men and Slumdog Millionaire, many of the most memorable films have been adapted from other sources. And while courses on film studies are taught throughout the world, The Pedagogy of Adaptation makes a strong case for treating adaptation studies as a separate discipline. What makes this book unique is its claim that adaptation is above all a creative process and not simply a slavish imitation or reproduction of an 'original.'

This collection of essays focuses on numerous contexts to emphasize why adaptations matter to students of literature. It is the first such volume devoted exclusively to teaching adaptations from a practical, teacher-centered angle. Many of the essays show how 'adaptation' as a discipline can be used to prompt reflection on cultural, historical, and political differences. Written by specialists in a variety of fields, ranging from film, radio, theater, and even language studies, the book adopts a pluralistic view of adaptation, showing how its processes vary across different contexts and in different disciplines.

Defining new horizons for the teaching of adaptation studies, these essays draw on such disparate sources as Frankenstein, Moby Dick, and South Park. This volume not only provides a resource-book of lesson plans but offers valuable pointers as to why teaching literature and film can help develop students' skills and improve their literacy.

Dennis Cutchins is associate professor of English at Brigham Young University, where he teaches adaptation studies, as well as American and western literature.

Laurence Raw teaches at Baskent University. He is the author of Adapting Henry James to the Screen (2006), Adapting Nathaniel Hawthorne to the Screen (2008), and The Ridley Scott Encyclopedia (2009), all published by Scarecrow Press.

James M. Welsh is professor emeritus of English at Salisbury University. He is the coeditor of The Literature/Film Reader (2007) and No Country for Old Men: From Novel to Film (2009), both published by Scarecrow Press.