Literary & Cultural Resources

Explore Pennsylvania’s history through digital humanities resources.

Title

Literary & Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania

The five Literary & Cultural Heritage Maps link to rich resources, many authored by Penn State students and local writers, providing multiple ways to explore Pennsylvania’s history, literature, and culture. Paired with lesson plans, they support both Pennsylvania and national curriculum standards.

Literary Heritage Map

Pennsylvania literary figures by genre

Cultural Heritage Map

Cultural figures organized by vocation

Chronological Literary Map

Pennsylvania writers by literary period

Chronological Cultural Map

Cultural figures by historical era

Feature Articles Map

Notable Pennsylvania landmarks and events

Search Biographies Search Feature Articles

colorful mural on side of brick building celebrating August Wilson and his plays, 2037 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Hill District

Digital Learning Tool

View the Tool

Explore Pittsburgh’s Hill District from 1920–1957 through a digital tool using primary sources, maps, photographs, and biographies. Discover how the neighborhood became a center for jazz, baseball, and Black journalism, and how urban renewal reshaped the community in ways that mirrored Black urban experiences across the United States. Designed for high school and post-secondary classrooms, the modules connect local history to August Wilson’s Century Cycle while supporting deeper historical and literary inquiry.

Bibliography Lesson Plans

Back to School

From beloved picture books and middle-grade adventures to award-winning young adult novels and engaging nonfiction, these writers have helped shape the reading experiences of students in Pennsylvania and beyond.

Title

Collaborate with Us

We welcome scholars, practitioners, students, interns, and members of the public to revise existing biographies , revise existing feature articles, and propose and write new content.

Writing for Us Propose a Biography/Article Report an Error