Video: "Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

The Great American Novel Series

National Association of Scholars

"From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known by name of Sleepy Hollow ... A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere." - Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and its companion story, Rip Van Winkle, Washington Irving explores themes of progress and tradition, the supernatural and its influence, and the place of the outsider in insular communities.

What makes Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow great American stories? How have they informed or been informed by American folklore? Who influenced Irving's writings, and who did his writings influence?

On August 10th, NAS hosted this webinar event to discuss Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  The webinar features Mark Bauerlein, Professor of English at Emory University and Senior Editor at First Things; and Brian Jay Jones, New York Times bestselling biographer and author of Washington Irving: An American Original, the definitive biography of Irving.


By John Quidor - aQHCpcwsbaMXQA at Google Cultural Institute maximum zoom level, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22126482

  • Share

Most Commented

May 7, 2024

1.

Creating Students, Not Activists

The mobs desecrating the American flag, smashing windows, chanting genocidal slogans—this always was the end game of the advocates of the right to protest, action civics, student activ......

March 9, 2024

2.

A Portrait of Claireve Grandjouan

Claireve Grandjouan, when I knew her, was Head of the Classics Department at Hunter College, and that year gave a three-hour Friday evening class in Egyptian archaeology....

April 20, 2024

3.

The Academic's Roadmap

By all means, pursue your noble dream of improving the condition of humanity through your research and teaching. Could I do it all again, I would, but I would do things very differently....

Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

October 12, 2010

2.

Ask a Scholar: What is the True Definition of Latino?

What does it mean to be Latino? Are only Latin American people Latino, or does the term apply to anyone whose language derived from Latin?...

September 21, 2010

3.

Ask a Scholar: What Does YHWH Elohim Mean?

A reader asks, "If Elohim refers to multiple 'gods,' then Yhwh Elohim really means Lord of Gods...the one of many, right?" A Hebrew expert answers....