American Writers (American Biographies (Library)) - Hardcover

Oakes, Elizabeth H

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0816051585 ISBN 13: 9780816051588

Publisher: Facts on File, 2004

Synopsis

American Writers focuses on the rich diversity of American novelists, short story writers, poets, dramatists, essayists, and nonfiction writers whose reputations were built on the literary merit of their writing. Providing a genuine cross-section of these major literary genres, this book includes biographical profiles of writers from colonial times to the present and from all major literary movements. literary greats, with special effort made to include writers who have not often been represented in major reference works of this kind. Complementing the clear and engaging text are three subject indexes listing entries by birth, genre, and literary movement; further reading lists following each entry; a general bibliography; and 55 black-and-white photographs. development of the American literary tradition, whether they are writers of literary fiction or of science fiction, have been motivated by politics or inspired by nature, are poets or dramatists. Its expanded coverage of multiethnic writers and its attention to contemporary writers help American Writers stand out among other similar works.

About this title

About the Author:

Elizabeth Oakes is a professional writer who has published more than twenty books. She is a dedicated athlete who has competed as a member of Team Stampede

From Booklist:

American Writers is the newest title in the five-volume Facts On File series American Biographies. The other titles in the series are: American Religious Leaders (2003); American Inventors, Entrepreneurs, and Business Visionaries (2002); American Political Leaders (2002); and American Political Activists (2002). Like its predecessors, American Writers is geared toward high-school and undergraduate students seeking basic background information.

The volume has alphabetically arranged entries for approximately 260 authors from a variety of genres--poetry, fiction, drama, essay, and autobiography. Each straightforward, easily digested entry contains a short biography, critical analysis, and a bibliography of works about the author in both printed and Web formats. To demonstrate the diversity of American authors, emphasis is placed not only on the literary importance of the writers included but also on their ethnic and cultural backgrounds. For example, the article on nineteenth-century writer Mary Wilkins Freeman discusses not only her published works but also the conflict she experienced as an early feminist with a Puritan religious background. Ha Jin, one of the contemporary writers Oakes describes, has only been writing in English for a decade, yet he has been recognized with many awards, such as the PEN/Hemingway Award and the National Book Award. His entry describes his life in China during the Cultural Revolution and his life as a student immigrant to the U.S. Other features of the volume include a list of entries by literary genre; a list of entries by literary movement, region, subject, and style; a list of entries by decade of the authors' birth; and a general index.

Oakes states in her author's note that she aimed "to include writers who have not often been represented in major reference works of this kind" and that the volume stands out for its "coverage of multiethnic writers and its attention to contemporary writers." Although not innovative or flashy, American Writers offers a convenient introduction and is a worthwhile purchase for public, high-school, and undergraduate library collections. Lisa Johnston
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Facts on File
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0816051585
• ISBN 13: 9780816051588
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 448