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American Literature Resources
To find resources on American Literature,
- Use a General Search of our collection for books, articles, videos, and more.
- Search specifically for works of literature.
- Search for literary criticism.
- Or try a specialized journal database to find scholarly articles.
Search Tip
Include a genre or theme of interest. For example:
- american satire
- beat generation poetry
- american dramatists
Browse the reference sources below to find author biographies, work summaries, overviews of literature topics, and more.
Online Reference Sources
The Oxford Companion to American Literature by Call Number: View Ebook Reference PS21 .H3 1995Publication Date: 1995Short entries on novelists, poets, playwrights, and critics, as well as summaries on important works, provide quick background information on key players and topics in American literature.
The Chronology of American Literature: America's Literary Achievements from the Colonial Era to Modern Times by Call Number: View EbookFind literary works grouped by genre, including fiction, essays, diaries, and more. This survey of American literature covers the colonial period, romanticism, modernism, and postmodernism.
Websites
- Modern American PoetryFind information about American poets and their work: biographies, reviews, criticism, bibliographies, and more.
Print Reference Sources
American History through Literature, 1870-1920 by Call Number: Reference PS217.H57 A843 2006 v.1–3Discover the historical social and cultural context for early American literature. See the Thematic Outline in v. 3, p. 1245, for places to start, or look for your topic in the index.
The Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States by Call Number: Reference PS147 .O94 1995Find biographical entries on women writers and information on wide-ranging literature topics, including genre, theory, and terms.
Southern Writers: A New Biographical Dictionary by Call Number: Reference PS261 .S595 2006Looking for a southern writer? This book has concise yet comprehensive information on writers who have ties to the South.