American Literature: A Guide to Resources: Biographical Sources

Entries "begin with a concise biography...followed by a discussion of major autobiographical works and themes, along with an overview of the autobiographer's critical reception. The entries close with primary and secondary bibliographies, and a selected, general bibliography concludes the volume. Together, the entries provide a detailed portrait of the African American autobiographical tradition from the 18th century to the present." (publisher)

"This reference offers thorough critical assessments of more than 60 African American dramatists from the 19th century to the present. Included are alphabetically arranged entries on such playwrights as Ira Aldridge, James Baldwin, Arna Bontemps, Ed Bullins, Zora Neale Hurston, Willis Richardson, and Richard Wright. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a biography, a discussion of major works and themes, a survey of the dramatist's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography."

Includes over 50 essays on African American authors and topics that are particularly relevant to African American literary studies. Essays provide selective primary and secondary bibliographies. Extensive chronology covers 1441-2000.

Provides information on "52 Asian American dramatists of origins from India, Pakistan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, and China. Each entry includes relevant biographical information that contextualizes the works of a playwright, an interpretive description of selected plays that spotlights recurring themes and plots, a summary of the playwright's critical reception, and a bibliography of primary and secondary works. The entries are written by expert contributors and reflect the ethnic diversity of the Asian American community. The volume closes with a selected, general bibliography, which includes anthologies, scholarly studies, and periodicals." (publisher)

"providing extended entries on 48 American poets of Asian descent. The entries are arranged alphabetically and each is written by an authority in the field. Each includes a brief biography, a discussion of major works and themes, a review of the poet's critical reception, and a bibliography of primary and secondary works. The volume concludes with a selected, general bibliography." (publisher)

Includes over 2000 black American writers, living and deceased, from Africa and the West Indies who live and/or publish in the United States. Includes biographical and bibliographical references.

Includes concise articles on 75 contemporary American poets representing a variety of ethnic backgrounds. Each entry contains a biographical summary followed by a thematic overview and bibliography. Provides indexes by theme and ethnicity.

"Each entry begins with a biographical sketch of the author, provides a judicious critical assessment of the author's major works and themes, gives a representative sample of the critical responses the author's novels have elicited, and concludes with a selected bibliography that lists the author's publications as well as useful secondary material." (publisher)

"Alphabetically arranged entries present 62 contemporary gay American poets and dramatists. A number of these writers are well known, including Edward Albee, Harvey Fierstein, and Allen Ginsberg. Others, such as Alan Bowne, Timothy Liu, and Robert O'Hara, merit wider recognition. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and includes a biography, a discussion of major works and themes, an overview of the author's critical reception, and primary and secondary bibliographies." (publisher)

Taken together, these two volumes constitute a working biographical dictionary of contemporary American gay and lesbian writers; the first is limited only to novelists, while the second includes both poetry and fiction writers. Each entry contains a biographical sketch, an outline of major works and themes, a summary of critical reception, and a bibliography of primary and secondary sources.

"...brings together more than 290 Native American writers. Brief biographies--often in the writers' own words--are furnished, along with background information such as tribal affiliations, birth dates and education, awards, and publication highlights. A broad range of fiction and nonfiction writers, poets, playwrights, storytellers, and writers of other genres who have published since 1961 are included." (publisher)

"...profiles the literary careers of 52 early American nature writers, such as John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Caroline Stansbury Kirkland, Thomas Jefferson, Henry David Thoreau, and Mabel Osgood Wright. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and discusses the writer's life and works. Entries close with primary and secondary bibliographies, and the encyclopedia ends with suggestions for further reading." (publisher)

"It is the purpose of this book to focus attention on black women writers whose work belongs primarily to the first half of the twentieth century and whose achievements or existence have been little recognized...." [Preface] One to four page biographies are followed by a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Includes an index to titles mentioned in the text and a general bibliography.

Index of interviews with "all fiction writers, poets, and essayists who are regularly anthologized, have won major literary awards, or are the subjects of critical essays" [author]that have been published in literary journals, magazines, and newspapers, primarily in American publications. Arranged alphabetically by author name. Appendices provide bibliographies of book-length interview collections.

"...provides in-depth biographical and critical essays on more than 50 Latino/Latina writers. Seven thematic essays consider each writer's works in relation to music, language, feminism and other key topics. Covering well-known writers, such as Sandra Cisneros and Luis J. Rodriguez, as well as lesser known but still significant authors, such as Tino Villanueva and Achy Obegas, this set gives researchers detailed coverage of the vibrant works of literature written by Cuban, Dominican, Chicano and Puerto Rican authors." [publisher]

Provides scholarly, biographical and critical articles on forty-one representative women writers who published in the United States since 1870. Articles also review important individual titles and place them in the context of each authors overall work. Each signed article includes a selected bibliography of critical and biographical studies.

"Expands earlier definitions of the 19th-century American Renaissance as represented by canonical writers such as Emerson and Poe, covering writers who published popular fiction and dominated the literary marketplace of the day. Included is generous coverage of women writers and writers of color." (publisher) Alphabetically arranged. Each entry supplies a bibliography of primary and secondary sources. Indexed.