World Authors 1995-2000: 0

Representing a broad range of ethnic diversity, these in-depth profiles present fascinating accounts of lives and careers, the circumstances under which works were produced, and their literary significance. Each profile also includes critical evaluation, a list of the author's principal works with date first published, a list of major critical works, and a portrait or photograph where available.

In library school, many of us learned to refer to Twentieth Century Authors as "Kunitz and Haycraft" after its editors, Stanley J. Kunitz and Howard Haycraft. The review of Twentieth Century Authors in the January 1943 issue of Subscription Books Bulletin (as RBB was then called) contains this biographical nugget: "Mr. Kunitz began writing for the Wilson Library Bulletin in 1928 under the pseudonym 'Dilly Tante.' He was editor of that publication until he recently went into the service." For years, Kunitz and Haycraft and its supplement, published in 1955, were library staples. World Authors, 1950-1970: A Companion to Twentieth Century Authors was published in 1975 and followed by regular updates, beginning with World Authors, 1970-1975 (1980). In 1996, Wilson produced a much needed revision to the foundation set, the four-volume World Authors, 1900-1950, which profiles just over 2,500 individuals.

The recently released World Authors, 1995-2000 treats 336 poets, dramatists, essayists, novelists, biographers, and other writers "who have published significant work within the time period." Articles, ranging in length from 1,000 to 3,000 words, contain a short overview of the author's work, the biographical article, suggested reading, and selected works. Some also have rather grainy photographs. Many of the entrants supplied brief autobiographical pieces specifically for this book. There is diversity in both the ethnic and writing backgrounds of the authors represented. Among the writers who appear here are journalist Hilton Als, historian Michael Beschloss, historical novelists Bernard Cornwell and Dorothy Dunnett, children's author Lemony Snicket, and Gao Xingjian, the first Chinese writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature (2000). Some inclusions, such as Dave Eggers and Jhumpa Lahiri, are up-to-the-minute. Entries for fewer than 5 percent of the authors, among them Maya Angelou, John Irving, and Philip Roth, are revisions of material that appeared in previous volumes.

Work on World Authors is ongoing. Approximately 120 profiles are added to the database each year and appear in the online version (and also in the larger online Biography Reference Bank) before they appear in print. In electronic form, World Authors profiles are kept fresh by links to reviews, articles, obituaries, and other material that provides more current information.

Is World Authors still a necessary title? Kunitz and Haycraft was just about the only thing of its kind back when the first supplement appeared, but since then, and especially in the last few years, we have been swamped with reference sources that have a similar mission. These range from Gale's behemoth Contemporary Authors to more thinly sliced works on poets, or women, or African Americans, or lesbians, or all of the above. Still, the World Authors profiles are unique to it, and it remains a good choice for larger collections that need to offer multiple resources on authors as well as for smaller libraries that want broad coverage without investing space and dollars in either larger series or numerous specialized volumes. RBB
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