Red Hot Jazz: Music, Literature & Culture in “The Jazz Age”

by Bret Eynon

This assignment can be used in a class studying the literature and culture of the 1920s. Students are asked to prepare a multimedia presentation to the class, 1) providing background to a reading of widely-recognized novels of the period (such as the Great Gatsby) and 2) illuminating the relationship of jazz and 1920s concepts of modernism to the literature of the period. This assignment is designed to deepen student understanding of the relations that exist between literary texts and other forms of cultural expression.

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Background:  This assignment can be used in a class studying the literature and culture of the 1920s. Students are asked to prepare a multimedia presentation to the class, 1) providing background to a reading of widely-recognized novels of the period (such as the Great Gatsby) and 2) illuminating the relationship of jazz and 1920s concepts of modernism to the literature of the period. This assignment is designed to deepen student understanding of the relations that exist between literary texts and other forms of cultural expression.
 

Resources:
The Red Hot Jazz Archive (http://www.technoir.net/jazz/b.html)
The Jazz Age Home Page  (http://mypage.direct.ca/r/rsavill/Jazzhome.html)
The American Memory Collection of the Library of Congress (http://rs6.loc.gov/)
 

Activity.

Step 1.  (20 min.)  Start by examining the Red Hot Jazz Archive.  Work with your partner to explore the text, photo, and audio resources available on this site.  What can you learn about your topic from this site that helps you understand the evolution of American culture in the 1920s?  The role of music in exemplifying and shaping larger cultural developments?  The relationship of music and literature?  When you listen to the music contained here, what does it make you think about?  What might you use from this site for your presentation?  Why would you select these particular items?

Step 2. (20 min.).  With your partner, pick one of the other sites listed above, go to it and explore it.  What can you learn from this site that helps you advance your understanding of these questions?  How is this site different from the Red Hot Jazz Archive?  What different kinds of resources can you find? What does this suggest about the different kinds of interpretative perspectives at work in the design and construction of each site?

Navigational Hint:   If you are using the American Memory Collection, search the entire collection.  Navigate to the Search Collection page.  Enter any search term or terms you think might be helpful in finding useful information and sources.  Think in terms of specifics, for example: “jazz” or “movies” instead of “culture.”   You might need to try different words to find what you want.
 
Step 3.  (20 min.)  Work with you partner to sketch the outline of your presentation to the class.  Prepare by listing some of the main points you would want to cover.  Then consider the various resources you have found — what resources would help you present your ideas clearly and dramatically?  How would you best mix different forms of media to convey your ideas and help your fellow students understand the issues involved?  Be prepared to share your ideas with your colleagues.

Optional Step (if time).  If you find that you need additional resources (and if you have time) use one of the available Web Search engines (i.e.Alta Vista), HotBot, etc.) to search for additional resources.  What sites do you find?  What useful resources do they offer?  How could you use these resources to enrich your presentation?

Source: Bret Eynon, American Social History Project