New videos have been added to Bloom’s Literature, including profiles of legendary writers and interviews with them, plus productions of the world-renowned Stratford Festival. The videos include:
- 2014 productions from the Stratford Festival of three of Shakespeare’s plays: Antony and Cleopatra, King John, and King Lear.
- Seneca: Moral Epistles—examines Roman philosopher Seneca’s particular brand of stoic philosophy and chronicles an extraordinary life that spanned the tumultuous reigns of Caligula, Claudius, and finally Nero, whom Seneca served as both tutor and counselor.
- Plutarch: Parallel Lives—in this program, Plutarch himself is held up for scrutiny, and he gives an extraordinary accounting of himself. Philosopher, priest of the Temple of Apollo, benefactor, and early advocate for the education of women, Plutarch practiced what he preached.
- Machiavelli: The Prince—examines The Prince, the treatise that gave birth to modern political theory, in depth, both from a historical perspective and in the context of Machiavelli’s own turbulent life.
- Thomas More: Utopia—follows the progress of Thomas More’s intellectual development, from his early friendship with the influential humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam, to his rise to power as a member of Parliament and later chancellor of England, through his tempestuous relationship with King Henry VIII.
- John Locke—chronicles the life and work of John Locke, the 17th-century English philosopher and political theorist considered by many to be the first notable thinker of the Enlightenment.
- N. Scott Momaday—discusses what it means to a Native American to be an American citizen and reveals the artist, thinker, and imaginative creator behind (or perhaps at the core of) Momaday’s impressive and important body of work.
- Pocahontas: Her True Story—holds the legend of Pocahontas and John Smith up to historical scrutiny. Interviews with Pocahontas’s descendants provide a new perspective on the life and times of this revered Native American heroine.
- Chinua Achebe: Africa’s Voice—analyzes the impact Chinua Achebe and his writings have had on world literature, as well as his influence as an editor and a spokesman for a generation of African writers.
- The Nobel Literature Prize Documentary 2009: Writing against Terror—The Literature of Herta Müller—features revealing interviews with 2009 laureate Herta Müller, location footage from her domestic and working life, and readings from her achingly honest work.
- Wole Soyinka: Child of the Forest—examines the Nigerian Nobel Laureate’s actions and achievements through archival footage and insightful interviews.
- Myths and Legends of Lost Civilizations—recounts myths and legends from early civilizations—including ancient Egypt, Greece, South and Southeast Asia, and Andean and Central America—as it travels to ancient architectural sites around the world.
- Beowulf—examines Norse mythology’s greatest hero and the intriguing possibility that he may have been a real-life warrior.
- American Road—examines the mystique of the road in American literature, art, and music, using Walt Whitman’s poetry as a touchstone. The film looks at how the motif has manifested throughout the nation’s history, inspiring the creation of a lore in which ramblers, hobos, beatniks, and backpackers become iconic representations of the American soul.
- Introducing the Transcendentalists—host James H. Bride brings the language and lives of the Transcendentalists to realization by recognizing the context, expression, and foundation of the movement.
- The Broken Cord: Louise Erdrich and Michael Dorris—in this program with Bill Moyers, authors Louise Erdrich and the late Michael Dorris explain how traditions of spirit and memory weave through the lives of many Native Americans and how alcoholism and despair have shattered so many other lives.
All videos are tablet/mobile-friendly and can be viewed either in their entirety or scene by scene using the convenient clips.
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