The Vocabulary
LS–001

Asset Stocks

Literary Science reads novels the way it reads communities—by identifying what circulates, what is blocked, and what is carried forward. These are the categories of capital the methodology tracks.

01
Human Capital
Skills, knowledge, and expertise held by individuals—the parent who teaches, the coach who disciplines, the student who translates.
02
Social Capital
Networks, relationships, and trust—the neighbors who show up, the elders who counsel, the circles that hold.
03
Natural Resources
Environmental gifts—clean water, green space, community gardens, the creek that still runs.
04
Built Infrastructure
Libraries, cultural centers, transit routes, safe streets—the physical architecture of access.
05
Financial Capital
Grants, microloans, scholarships—the money that moves, and the money that doesn’t.
06
Manufactured Capital
Tools, computers, instruments, shared machines—the physical means of production held in common.
07
Public Knowledge
Oral histories, open-source materials, cultural health practices—wisdom that belongs to everyone and no one.
One-Pager — PDF
The Four Movements at a Glance

A single-page overview of Asset Mapping, Flow Analysis, Strategic Response, and Creative Restoration. Designed to be printed, pinned to a wall, and used as a reference during class. Includes the guiding question for each movement and a brief description of what happens in the novel vs. the community.

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Template — PDF
The Hypothesis Document Template

The three-section template used to develop hypotheses: The Problem (what and why), The Evidence (the numbers), The Hypothesis & Proposed Intervention (the claim and the action). Blank, with guiding prompts for each section. Adaptable to any grade level or context.

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Guide — PDF
Getting Started with Literary Science

A practical guide for teachers who want to use literature as operational technology in their classrooms. What Literary Science is, how the four movements work, and a step-by-step walkthrough you can use this week. No certification required.

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Reading List — PDF
Novels as Operational Technology

An annotated reading list organized by the systems each novel renders visible. Each entry includes the system it illuminates, suggested data overlays for community investigation, and notes on which of the four movements it best supports. A starting library for any Literary Science practitioner.

Coming soon
Research Framework — PDF
The Literary Productivity Frontier

A two-page framework that remixes Porter's Productivity Frontier, replacing the focus on cost and efficiency with well-being. Maps how communities use their flow of assets through three strategies — Survival, Reform, and Agitation — and includes a full case study analyzing Edward P. Jones's "The First Day" through the Frontier lens.

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These tools are free and always will be. If you want to go deeper—workshops, certification, or institutional design consulting—reach out.

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