I'm a graduate student, English: Creative Writing, at Queens College (Flushing, NY), currently taking a course, From Literature to Opera. I've been scouring the Internet for sites about American Opera, and came upon yours. In my class, we're to choose an opera and trace its development from its source to the stage, for our final paper and for oral presentations. I'm thinking of doing Porgy and Bess, and will of course include the influences of spirituals, work songs, and the like on Gershwin's music. If you have specific essays that would relate to this, please let me know. Also, if you can recommend other operas based upon novels, plays, etc., that you'd recommend to me, please let me know. I'd prefer American, or at least English-language source or opera. Thank you. mnl_1221@yahoo.com