Interpersonal communication and literature are two areas of knowledge that should be pursued together. Plays offer the opportunity to explore and to participate in the process of dialog. Some plays can also lead the viewer/reader/actor to introspection. "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail" by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee can be studied at once for its dramatic merit, historical allusions, and insights into self-awareness and communication. John Knowles'"A Separate Peace" can be a means of exploring Abraham Maslow's concepts of self-actualization and synergy. "The Grass Harp" offers some of Truman Capote's best language and imagery and merits study as literature. In addition, this short novel illustrates complex patterns of communication. The current popularity of science fiction and fantasy provides an opportunity to introduce students to excellent literature and to truths that are sometimes presented in mythical form. "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw illustrates the concept of self-fulfilling prophecies. Judith Guest's "Ordinary People" explores the damage caused by needless guilt and further illustrates the idea that behavior is not dictated by events, but is a response to subjective perceptions of events. "At the Shorts" by Thomas Rogers explores the intrapersonal conflicts of adolescents and also offers insights into communication between sexes and within the family. Combining the studies of communication and literature allows human awareness and aesthetic insight to develop together. (HOD)