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Romantic Ameran Literature: Sources for Criticism. a Research Guide DOCUMENT RESUME ED 329 984 CS 212 734 AUTHOR Van Noate, Judith, Comp. TITLE Romantic Ameran Literature: Sources for Criticism. A Research Guide. INSTITUTION North Carolina Univ., Charlotte. J. Murrey Atkins Library. PUB DATE 90 NOTE 23p.; For other guides in this series, see CS 212 732-739. Small print on some pages may affect legibility. PUB TYPE Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055)-- Reference Materials - Bibliographies (131) -- Reference Materials - Directories/Catalogs (132) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Authors; English Literature; Higher Education; Library Guides; *Library Materials; Library Skills; *Literary Criticism; *Nineteenth Century Literature; *Reference Materials; *Romanticism; *United States Literature IDENTIFIERS University of North Carolina Charlotte ABSTRACT This handcut is a guide to library resources in the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University ofNorth Carolina-Charlotte for the criticism of Romantic (19th century) American literature. The guide explains important referencesources in the Atkins library reference collection and howto find biographical and critical information in books andperiodicals. The guide's sections cover three sources of criticism: (1)general reference works (biographical and critical information);(2) books on individual authors and their work; and (3) indexesto criticism in periodicals. (SR) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the bestthat can be made from the original document. ***************************************************%***A*************** ROMANTIC AMERICAN LITERATURE: SOURCES FOR CRITICISM SCOPE OF INTEREST NOTICE The ERIC Facility has assigned A RESEARCH GUIDE this document for processing In our ludgment. this document Compiled by Judith Van Noate is also of interest to the Clear . inghOuseS noted to the right Reference Librarian Indexing should reflect their Reference Unit, Atkins Library, UNC-Charlotte special points of view This guide is intended to help you findsources of criticism on Romantic (Nineteenth Century) American literature. It explains important reference sources in the Atkins library reference collection and how to find biographical and critical information in books and periodicals. It is arranged as follows: 1. General reference works - biographical and critical information. 2. Books on individual authors and their work 3. Indexes to criticism in periodicals "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY Office or Educefionei Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICA /Tilts document hail been reproduced as ivdni;ror the Person or organization : Mow changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Pomts of we e. or opinions Matnefh sdocu INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." ment do no necessar.iy represent officiai c") 01111 pos.fion or ooscv REST COPYAVAILABLE 2 REFERENCE BOOKS BACKGROUND INFORMATION If you are looking for information about an author and are not sure where to begin, or if you need somebasic information about a type or genre of literature, the following are good sources. Ref American Authors 1600-1900 PS 21 A one volume biographical dictionary. "Each K8 biographical sketch is followed by a list of the principal works. ." Entries are one-half to two pages long. References for further study are at the end of each article. Published in 1938. Use for Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, Poe, Stowe, Douglass, Melville, Hawthorne. Ref Literary History of the United States PS Vol. 1, History; Vol. 2, Bibliographies 88 L522 An important source for background information 1974 and discussions of an author's relationship to literary history. Narrative in format. Contains medium length biographical entries on major American authors. Use the index in the back of each volume to find entries on your subject or author. All of the authors are included except Douglass. Ref Oxford Companion to American Literature PS 21 Short "overview" type biographical sketches. A H3 particularly useful feature of this book is the 1983 "Chronological Index," pp. 861-896, which "is a year-by-year outline in parallel sequence of . .social and literary history..." Useful for all of the authors studied in this course. Entries are about one-half page long. 3 HISTORICAL SOURCES If you are choosing an historical approach to your topicyou can use the "Chronological Index" to The Oxford Companion to American Literature (see preceding page) to indentify subjects for additional research in one of the following historical dictionaries: Ref Dictionary of American History 174 "Covers political, economic, social, industrial, D52 and cultural history, but omits biography." There 1976 are 7200 entries. Use the analytical index to locate information on specific topics. 8 volumes. All authors are discussed except Poe. Fuller is briefly mentioned. Ref The Oxford Companion to American History 174 Arranged alphabetically by subject ina single J6 volume. As with all of the "Oxford Companions," this one is authoritative and well written. 4 SOURCES OF BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL INFORMATION Gale Literary Criticism Series This group of reference works providesa comprehensive source for biographicl and critical informationon authors. Atkins Library owns all of the titles on this listexcept Authors in the News. The various volumes in the series cover Antiquity to the present. AAYA:Authors & Artists for Young Adults,Volume 1 CAAS:Contemporary Authors Autobiography SeriesVolumes 1-8 CA:Contemporary Authors(original series), Voltuaes 1-126 CABS:Contemporary Authors Bibliographical Series.Volumes 1.2 CANR:Contemporary Authors New Revision Series.Volumes 1-26 CAP:Contemporary Authors Permanent Series.Volumes 1-2 CA-R:Contemporary Authors(revised editions), VolumPs 1-44 CDALB:Concise DictionaryofAmerican Literary Biography,Volume 1-3 CLC:Contemporary Literary Criticism.Volumes 1-54 CLR:Children's Literature Review.Voiumes 1-18 CMLC:Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism,Volumrs 1-3 DLB:DictionaryofLiterary Biography.Volumes 1-78 DLB-DS:DictionaryofLiterary Biography Documentary Series,Volumes 1-6 DLB-Y:DictionaryofLiterary Biography Yearbook,Volumes 1980-1988 LC:Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800, Volumes 1-10 NCLC:Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism.Volumes 1-22 SAAS: Something about the Author Autobiography Series,Volumes 1-7 SATA:Something about the Author, Volumes 1-54 SSC:Short Story Criticism, Volumes 1-2 TCLC: Tventieth-Century Literary Criticism.Volumes 1-33 YABC: Yesterday's AuthorsofBooks for Children. Volumes 1-2 Those that may be most useful forresearch in colonial and revolutionary literature includc Ref Dictionary of Literary Biography PN 451 Biographical--this series is the bestsource for D52 background and biographical informationon the 1978 authors studied in thiscourse. Articles are fairly long. Selected volumes of the Dictionary of Literary Biography deal withauthors of specific literary movementsand genres. Use the index in the back of thelatest volume or the "Index to Authors" in thelast volume of CLC. 5 The volumes of the Ric.LiaalLy_11L_Lit2E,ary_ Biography which may be most useful foryour research are: Vol. 1 The American Renaissance in New England Use for Douglass, Emerson, Fuller, Hawthorne, Stowe, Thoreau. Vol. 3 Antebellum Writers in New York and the South Use for Melville and Poe. Vol. 12 American Realists and Naturalists Use for Stowe. Vol. 42 American Writers for Children Before1900 Use for Stowe. Vol. 43 American Newspaper Journalists,1690-1872 Use for Douglass. Vol. 50 Afro-American Writers Beforethe Harlem Renaissance Use for Douglass. Vol. 59 American Literary Criticsand Scholars, 1800-1850 Use for Emerson and Poe. Vol. 73 American Magazine Journalists,1741-1850 Use for Emerson, Fuller and Poe. Vol. 74 American Short Story WritersBefore 1880 Use for Hawthorne, Poe and Stowe. 6 6 A new title in the Galeseries is: Ref Short Story Criticism PN 3373 Each entry consists ofexcerpts of criticism with full citations (youmay then go to P.A.S.L. or ALADDIN to locate the completetext of the criticism). Entries are severalpages long. There is a story title indexand a cumulative index which cross referencesto the entire Gale series. Includes Melville and Poe. Of special importance forthese authors is: Ref Nineteenth-Century LiteratureCriticism PN 761 Subtitled: "Excerpts fromCriticism of the Works N5 of Novelists, Poets,Playwrights, Short Story Writers, Who Died between1800 and 1900, from the First Published CriticalAppraisals to Current Evaluations." Covers a variety ofgenres and nationalities. An entry on an author consistsof the following: author heading, biographicaland critical introduction, principalworks, excerpts of criticism (with citations)and adflitional bibliography. Entries are extensi.e. Use for all of these authors. Ref Something About the Author 1224 Approaches authorsas writers for childern and S656 young adults. The information is personaland factual. Includes portraits andillustrations. Use for Douglass,Fuller--as Ossoli, S. M. (Fuller, marchessa d'),Poe. Ref Yesterday's Authors ofBooks for Children PN 451 This bio-bibliography"focuses on early authors Y4 from the beginnings ofchildren's literature through 1960, whosebooks are still beingread by children today." Two volumes. Illustrated. Use for: Hawthorne. 7 The Chelsea House Library of Literary Criticism A thirty-seven volume series designed tocover "the entire range of British and American literature." Entries include brief
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