LIVING LITERATURE is a distinctive new anthology unique in its focus on literature as one part of a living, fluid conversation across cultures and time periods. Each feature in this innovative anthology accentuates the study of literature as a continual dialogue, encouraging students to explore, interact with, and respond to what they read.  Organized by genre, LIVING LITERATURE lends context to a vibrant collection of stories, poems, and plays by highlighting several "moments" in which writers, painters, photographers, critics, filmmakers, and musicians all derive inspiration from one another.  The text then shows students how to add their own voices to that ongoing conversation, and how to go from being passive readers to active participants and critical thinkers. As author John Brereton writes in the book's preface, the "cultural conversation in thinking, speaking, and writing about literature is a powerful means of participating in the world around us–of playing our parts as community and world citizens."