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Selected Reference Books

Great for statistics, definitions, a general overview of the topic...

  • Literature & Criticism
  • Author-Specific
  • Writing & Style Guides
    		•
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    Literature & Criticism
  • African American Authors, 1745-1945: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
    		• Ref PS 153 N5 A32 2000
  • African American Dramatists: An A To Z Guide
    		•  Ref PS 338 N34 A69 2004
  • African American Poets: Lives, Works, and Sources
    		•  Ref PS 153 N5 P48 2002
  • African American Women Playwrights: A Research Guide
    		•  Ref PS 153 N5 G29 1999
  • African American Writers
    		•  Ref PS 153 .N5 A344 2001 (v.1-2)
  • American Short Fiction Criticism & Scholarship
    		•  Ready Ref Z1231 .F4 W43
  • American Women Writers
    		•  Ref PS 147 .A4 (v.1-4)
  • American Women Writers, 1900-1945: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
    		• Ref PS 151 A45 2000
  • American Writers
    		•  Ref PS 129 .A55 (v.1-4)
  • Black American Women Novelists
    		•  Ref PS 153 .N5 W313
  • British Writers
    		• Ref PR 85 .B688
    (v.1-8; suppl. v.1-7; suppl. retro. v.1-2)
  • Cassell's Encyclopedia of World Literature
    		•  Ref PN 41 .C3 1973 (v.1-3)
  • The Columbia Companion to the Twentieth-Century American Short Story
    		•  Ref PS 374 S5 C57 2001
  • The Columbia History of American Poetry
    		•  Ref PS 303 C64 1993
  • A Companion to the Literature and Culture of the American South
    		•  Ref PS 261 C555 2004
  • The Companion to Southern Literature: Themes, Genres, Places, People, Movements, and Motifs
    		•  Ref PS 261 C55 2002
  • A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms
    		•  Ref PN 44.5 Q56 1999
  • Dictionary of Literary Biography
    		•  Ref PS 221 .D55
  • Drama Criticism
    		•  Ready Ref Z5781 .B8
  • Encyclopedia of Literary Critics and Criticism
    		•  Ref PN 75 E53 E53 1999 (v.1-2)
  • Encyclopedia of Southern Literature
    		•  Ref PS 261 .S515 1997
  • The Essential Black Literature Guide
    		•  Ref PN 841 V3 1996
  • The Gay & Lesbian Literary Heritage: A Reader's Companion to the Writers and Their Works, from Antiquity to the Present
    		• Ref PN 56.H57 G365 2002
  • Harlem Renaissance: A Gale Critical Companion
    		•  Ref PS 153 N5 H245 2003 (v.1-3)
  • In Their Own Words: An Index of Interviews with American Authors, 1945-2000
    		•  Ref Z1227 M39 2002
  • The International Who's Who of Authors and Writers
    		•  Ref PN 451 I57 2003
  • The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory & Criticism
    		•  Ref PN 81 .J554 1994
  • Modern British Women Writers: An A-Z Guide
    		•  Ref PR 116 M63 2002
  • Nineteenth-Century British Women Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
    		•  Ref PR 115 N55 2000
  • The Oxford Chronology of English Literature
    		•  Ref PR 87 O98 2002 (v.1-2)
  • Oxford Companion to English Literature
    		•  Ref PR 19 .O87 1985
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
    		•  Ref PN 43 O94 2000
  • The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature
    		•  Ref PS 21 E537 2003 (v.1-4)
  • Poetry Criticism
    		•  Ref PN 1010 .P6
  • The Undergraduate's Companion to American Writers and Their Web Sites
    		•  Ref Z 1225 B67 2001
    Top of Page | Top of Reference Books

    Author-Specific
  • All Things Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World
    		•  Ref PR 2892 O56 2002 (v.1-2)
  • Annotated Chaucer Bibliography 1986-1996
    		•  Ref Z 8164 B69 2002
  • The Brontës A to Z: The Essential Reference to Their Lives and Work
    		•  Ref PR 4168 P28 2003
  • Chaucer A To Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Works
    		•  Ref PR 1903 R67 1999
  • The Chinua Achebe Encyclopedia
    		•  Ref PR 9387.9 A3 Z459 2003
  • Dictionary of Shakespeare
    		•  Ref PR 2892 M398 2000
  • Edgar Allan Poe A To Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work
    		•  Ref PS 2630 S68 2001
  • Ernest Hemingway A To Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work
    		•  Ref PS 3515 E37 Z7484 1999
  • The Greenwood Companion to Shakespeare
    		•  Ref PR 2976 G739 2005 (v.1-4)
  • Herman Melville A To Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work
    		•  Ref PS 2386 A24 2001
  • Marge Piercy: An Annotated Bibliography
    		•  Ref Z 8690.2 D64 1997
  • Oxford Reader's Companion to Dickens
    		•  Ref PR 4580 O94 1999
  • Shakespeare A To Z: The Essential Reference to His Plays, His Poems, His Life and Times, and More
    		•  Ref PR 2892 B69 1990
  • A Shakespeare Concordance
    		•  Ref PR 2892 .S6 (v.1-6)
  • The Toni Morrison Encyclopedia
    		•  Ref PS 3563 O8749 Z913 2003
  • William Faulkner A To Z
    		•  Ref PS 3511 A86 Z459 2002
  • William Shakespeare: His World, His Work, His Influence
    		•  Ref PR 2976 W5354 1985 (v.1-3)
  • William Shakespeare: The Complete Works
    		•  Ref PR 2754 .W45 1986B
    Top of Page | Top of Reference Books

    Writing & Style Guides
  • The Chicago Manual of Style
    		•  Ready Ref Z 253 .U69 1993
  • The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing: For Writers, Editors, and Speakers
    		•  Ready Ref PN 218 M5 2000
  • Hodges' Harbrace Handbook (15th ed.)
    		•  Ready Ref PE 1112 H6 2004
  • MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed.)
    		• Ready Ref PE 1478 M57 2003
  • On Compiling An Annotated Bibliography
    		•  Ref Z 1001 H33
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.)
    		•  Ready Ref BF 76.7 P83 2001
  • A Short Guide to Academic Writing
    		•  Ready Ref PE 1408 J68 2003
  • Strunk & White: The Elements of Style
    		•  Ready Ref PE 1408 .S772 1979

    Top of Page | Top of Reference Books

    Suggested Subject Headings and Location of Books in Our Library

    Search the Library Catalog by keyword, subject, title, or author. Edens Library offers books and other materials on a variety of English and Literature subjects, including:
    Afro-American Authors
    American Literature
    Authorship
    Christianity and Literature
    Classical Literature
    Criticism
    Drama
    English Literature (History and Criticism)
    Fiction
    Harlem Renaissance    		 Literature
    Music and Literature
    Poetry
    Psychoanalysis and Literature
    Satire
    Scottish Literature
    Short Story
    Women and Literature
    Young Adult Literature

    ...Or, you can browse the following sections in the library's General Collection and Reference areas:

    P -- Philology and Linguistics
    PA -- Classical Languages and Literature
    PE -- English Language
    PN -- Literature, General Literary History and Collections, Performing Arts
    PQ -- Romance Literatures
    PR -- English Literature
    PS -- American Literature

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    Databases for Research

    Take me to the Arts and Humanities Databases page.


    *For additional databases, see the Databases for Research page.

    Top of Page

    Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)

    The following periodicals, held by Edens Library, are excellent resources for exploring current topics in English and Literature. Check the Library Catalog for holdings.

  • General
  • Author-Specific
  • Literary Periods
    		•
  • Poetry
  • Southern Literature
    		•
    Top of Page

    General
    American Literature
    Arizona Quarterly (American literature)
    The CEA Critic (College English Assoc.)
    The CEA Forum (College English Assoc.)
    Christianity and Literature
    CLA Journal (College Language Assoc.)
    Colby Quarterly
    College Composition and Communication
    College English
    Comparative Literature
    English Journal
    English Language Notes
    English Literary Renaissance
    The Explicator
    The Georgia Review
    Huntington Library Quarterly    		 JEGP: Journal of English and Germanic Philology
    Latin American Literary Review
    New England Quarterly
    New Orleans Review
    Notes and Queries
    Novel: A Forum on Fiction
    PMLA (Modern Language Assoc.)
    Prairie Schooner
    Resources for American Literary Study
    Sewanee Review
    South Atlantic Review
    South Carolina Review
    Southern Humanities Review
    Studies in Short Fiction
    Western Humanities Review (WHR)
    Top of Page | Top of Periodicals

    Author-Specific Literary Periods
    Chaucer Review
    Dickens Quarterly
    The Dickensian
    The Emily Dickinson Journal
    Flannery O'Connor Bulletin
    Langston Hughes Review
    Poe Studies
    The Shakespeare Newsletter
    Shakespeare Quarterly
    Thomas Wolfe Review
    Walt Whitman Quarterly Review     		Journal of Modern Literature
    Modern Fiction Studies (MFS)
    Nineteenth-Century Literature
    Notes on Contemporary Literature
    Studies in Romanticism
    The Victorian Newletter
    Victorian Studies
    Top of Page | Top of Periodicals

    Poetry Southern Literature
    The American Poetry Review
    Southern Poetry Review
    Victorian Poetry
    		 Southern Humanities Review
    Southern Poetry Review
    Southern Quarterly

    Top of Page | Top of Periodicals

    Recommended Internet Sites for English and Literature

  • English & Literature (General)
  • Women in Literature
  • American Literature
  • Poetry
  • Author-Specific
    		•
  • Writing
    		•
    Top of Page | Return to the Sites by Subject index
    English and Literature (General)
    Critical Reading: A Guide...... (Dept. of English, Brock Univ., Canada)
    "This is a guide to what you might look for in analyzing literature, particularly poetry and fiction" and contains the following major sections: analysis of poetry, analysis of fiction, analysis of prose in fiction, writing an analytical essay.
    Librarian's Index to the Internet: Literature & Books
    "Information You Can Trust. . . The mission of Librarians' Index to the Internet is to provide a well-organized point of access for reliable, trustworthy, librarian-selected Internet resources. . ."
    The Nobel Prize Internet Archive
    "Since 1901, the Nobel Prize has been awarded annually as per Alfred Nobel's last will and testament. This site maintains information on all winners in all categories." . . . Click on the Literature category "to see an annotated, hyperlinked list of all Nobel laureates in that category."
    The Pulitzer Prize
    "The Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners is more than simply a roster of names and biographical data. It is a list of people in journalism, letters, and music whose accomplishments enable researchers to trace the historical evolution of their respective fields and the development of American society." - Seymour Topping, 'Pulitzer Prizes History'
    Voice of the Shuttle: Literature (in English)
    Voice of the Shuttle's "mission has been to provide a structured and briefly annotated guide to online resources that at once respects the established humanities disciplines in their professional organization and points toward the transformation of those disciplines as they interact with the sciences and social sciences and with new digital media."
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    Women in Literature
    African American Women Writers of the 19th Century (The Digital Library Program of the New York Public Library)
    "African American Women Writers of the 19th Century is a digital collection of some 52 published works by 19th-century black women writers. A part of the Digital Schomburg, this collection provides access to the thought, perspectives and creative abilities of black women as captured in books and pamphlets published prior to 1920. A full text database of these 19th and early 20th- century titles, this digital library is key-word-searchable."
    British Women Romantic Poets, 1789-1832
    "An electronic collection of texts from the Shields Library, Univ. of California, Davis"
    Dickinson Electronic Archives (DEA) (IATH: Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, Univ. of Virginia)
    "Welcome to the Dickinson Electronic Archives (DEA), a website devoted to the study of Emily Dickinson, her writing practices, writings directly influencing her work, and critical and creative writings generated by her work. The DEA is produced by the Dickinson Editing Collective, with four general editors working collaboratively with one another and with numerous coeditors, staff, and users."
    The Edith Wharton Society (Gonzaga Univ.)
    "Offers Wharton scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of the life and works of this author."
    Jane Austen Information Page (The Republic of Pemberly)
    Society for the Study of American Women Writers (Lehigh Univ.)
    "The Society for the Study of American Women Writers was established to promote the study of American women writers through research, teaching and publication. It is the goal of the Society to strengthen relations among persons and institutions in this country and internationally who are devoted to such studies, and to broaden knowledge among the general public about American women writers."
    Voices From the Gaps: Women Writers of Color (Univ. of Minnesota)
    "Voices From the Gaps is a World Wide Web project that focuses on the lives and works of women writers of color in North America. ... Each author page presents biographical, critical and bibliographical information about the writer, as well as images and quotes pertinent to her life and works. Each page also includes links to other resources on the web that provide information about the writer."
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    American Literature
    The Academy of American Poets (poets.org)
    "The Academy was founded in 1934 to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. To fulfill this mission, the Academy administers a wide variety of programs, including National Poetry Month (April)...; the Online Poetry Classroom...; the Poetry Audio Archive...; and Poets.org, our award-winning website which provides a wealth of content on contemporary American poetry."
    Native American Authors (Internet Public Library)
    "This website provides information on Native North American authors with bibliographies of their published works, biographical information, and links to online resources including interviews, online texts and tribal websites. Currently the website primarily contains information on contemporary Native American authors, although some historical authors are represented. The website will continue to expand, adding additional authors, books and web resources."
    Post WWII American Literature and Culture Database (U.C. Berkeley English Dept.)
    Includes: Genres with hotlinks; Bibliographies; Libraries and Special Collections; Dissertation Gallery; and Online Resources.
    Society for the Study of American Women Writers (Lehigh Univ.)
    "The Society for the Study of American Women Writers was established to promote the study of American women writers through research, teaching and publication. It is the goal of the Society to strengthen relations among persons and institutions in this country and internationally who are devoted to such studies, and to broaden knowledge among the general public about American women writers."
    Writers on America (U.S. Dept. of State International Information Programs)
    "Presents 15 essays by a diverse group of contemporary American writers, poets, essayists, and intellectuals, on how being an American has affected their decision to write and what they have written during successful careers. Their meditations illuminate in an interesting way certain American values — freedom, diversity, democracy, in the context of individual development."
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    Poetry
    The Academy of American Poets (poets.org)
    "The Academy was founded in 1934 to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry. To fulfill this mission, the Academy administers a wide variety of programs, including National Poetry Month (April)...; the Online Poetry Classroom...; the Poetry Audio Archive...; and Poets.org, our award-winning website which provides a wealth of content on contemporary American poetry."
    British Women Romantic Poets, 1789-1832
    "An electronic collection of texts from the Shields Library, Univ. of California, Davis"
    Poetry Foundation
    "The Poetry Foundation...is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in our culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation works to raise poetry to a more visible and influential position in American culture. Rather than celebrating the status quo, the Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry."
    The Pulitzer Prize
    "The Who's Who of Pulitzer Prize Winners is more than simply a roster of names and biographical data. It is a list of people in journalism, letters, and music whose accomplishments enable researchers to trace the historical evolution of their respective fields and the development of American society." - Seymour Topping, 'Pulitzer Prizes History'
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    Author-Specific
    allshakespeare.com
    "Our Shakespeare section contains thousands of pages of content on the life and work of the world's greatest author, including eNotes to more than 20 titles."
    The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (The Tech Newspaper, MIT)
    "Welcome to the Web's first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. This site has offered Shakespeare's plays and poetry to the Internet community since 1993."
    Dickinson Electronic Archives (DEA) (IATH: Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, Univ. of Virginia)
    "Welcome to the Dickinson Electronic Archives (DEA), a website devoted to the study of Emily Dickinson, her writing practices, writings directly influencing her work, and critical and creative writings generated by her work. The DEA is produced by the Dickinson Editing Collective, with four general editors working collaboratively with one another and with numerous coeditors, staff, and users."
    The Edith Wharton Society (Gonzaga Univ.)
    "Offers Wharton scholars and other interested persons an opportunity to share in the study and appreciation of the life and works of this author."
    Jane Austen Information Page (The Republic of Pemberly)
    The John Milton Reading Room (Dartmouth College)
    "The Reading Room, like most websites, is (and will always be) a work in progress. The site now contains most of Milton's major poetry in English and some of his prose. Many, but not all of the works presented here have been fully annotated. I hope that within two years, the site will present fully annotated and hyperlinked versions of all of Milton's English works."
    Picturing Hemingway: A Writer in His Time (Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery)
    "This exhibition marks the one-hundredth anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's birth with photographs, paintings, letters, first editions, manuscripts, and personal memorabilia."
    Shakespeare Bookshelf (Internet Public Library)
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    Writing
    Get It Write Online
    Columbia College's very own Nancy Tuten is the founder and owner of Get It Write, a site that is "designed for people who realize that the written word makes a powerful and lasting impression."
    Guide to Grammar and Writing (Capital Community College)
    MLA (Modern Language Association)
    "Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of America provides opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy. . . . For over a hundred years, members have worked to strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature."
    Top of Page | Top of Internet Sites

    *NOTE: The date at the end of each "Recommended Internet Sites" entry indicates when the entry was added or modified.

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    Page last modified by Sarah Hood
    Date: 2/16/08
    [Columbia College]
    [Edens Library, Columbia South Carolina]