Research Guide to American Literature

Gr 9 Up— An overview of the period; a study guide to genres and trends (feminist, African-American, and Vietnam War literature, etc.); and a section on specific works and authors comprise this resource. The authors/works section is wide-ranging, covering, for example, short stories by Raymond Carver, Joyce Carol Oates, and others; best sellers such as Phillip Roth's The Human Stain and Alice Walker's The Color Purple; poetry, including the work of Billy Collins and Rita Dove; and plays such as David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross and August Wilson's The Piano Lesson. Each entry contains a two- to three-page essay, a list of topics for discussion and research, and an annotated bibliography. The essays include a modicum of historical context and/or biographical data as well as a concise critical assessment of the author or works under consideration. However, on occasion the writing becomes a bit effusive and wandering. The lists of "Topics for Discussion and Research" give this book real value. Both the questions and prompts are inspiring. They will be useful in the classroom and to students, who will be able to mine them for research topics and as study aids. Unfortunately, the bibliographies are only a little better than what is available from Gale's Literature Resource Center or EBSCO's Literary Reference Center.—Herman Sutter, St. Agnes Academy, Houston, TX