A Bibliographical Guide to African-American Women Writers: (Bibliographies and Indexes in Afro-American and African Studies) [Hardcover]

Casper LeRoy Jordan (Compiler)

Book Description

Series: Bibliographies and Indexes in Afro-American and African Studies | Publication Date: May 30, 1993

The most complete record of the literary achievement of black American women, this bibliography documents the works of and works about 900 writers from Theresa Williams Abram to Sister Zubena. Chronologically spanning the output from Lucy Terry's poem of 1746 to best sellers and obscure publications of 1991, it includes such stellar figures as Phillis Wheatley, Frances E. W. Harper, Jessie Redmon Fauset, Zora Neale Hurston, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lorraine Hansberry, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Terry McMillan. Considerable effort has been made to seek out products of small presses and unindexed periodicals. The thousands of primary sources are complemented by thousands of secondary sources. These appear directly with each author's entry, with cross references to separate sections for "General Works" and "Anthologies." A comprehensive author index brings together primary and secondary sources.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Approximately 900 African American women writers are documented in this bibliography compiled by the retired deputy director of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library. Jordan states in his preface that he has "sought to expand and revise resources and to organize them in a reference tool that would be useful in black studies as well as women's studies and American studies." The guide provides citations to both primary and secondary sources and to small-press, subsidized, and self-published works as well as more mainstream productions.

The writers are presented in alphabetical order with their publications listed by title and then works about them arranged by author. There are no annotations. Coverage ranges from such early writers as Phillis Wheatley to Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Terry McMillan, with hundreds of lesser-known writers included as well. Except for dates, which are not always provided, no information is given about the authors. In the preface, Jordan explains that the work was originally to have had a cutoff date of 1988, but that it was expanded to 1991. However, since the indexing had been completed, the 1988-91 information is included as supplements. For writers in the main body of the book, new works are listed immediately after the main listing of primary and secondary works. Newer writers who aren't in the body of the book, such as Lorene Cary, are listed in an addendum. Tacking on citations and writers rather than integrating them into the rest of the text makes the book somewhat awkward to use.

A number of other sections support the main body of the work. Preceding the list of writers is a list of codes used for collected works that are cited in the bibliography. Following the author entries is a list of anthologies and a list of general works. An index lists both primary and secondary authors and cites item, rather than page, numbers.

There are several comparable bibliographies, such as Black American Women Novelists: An Annotated Bibliography by Craig Werner (Salem, 1989) and Black American Writers Past and Present: A Biographical and Bibliographical Dictionary by Theressa Gunnels Rush and others (Scarecrow, 1975). Werner covers only 33 writers, all of whom are included in Jordan. Listings include only critical, not primary, sources, but all the citations are annotated. Rush covers 2,000 writers, both men and women, and gives biographical information as well as bibliographic citations. A good many writers appear in both books, but Jordan's, being more current by nearly 20 years, has many writers not found in Rush. However, some women in Black American Writers Past and Present cannot be found in Jordan.

Though not definitive or comprehensive, A Bibliographical Guide to African-American Women Writers is an important research tool because it provides access to so many writers and is recommended for academic and large public libraries.

Review

“The only work that covers so vast an array of African American women writers; highly recommended for all libraries.”–Choice

“. . . Since this spans more than two centuries and because it treats many more writers than . . . much of its useful information augments bibliographic access to these creative women's works and to readers' responses to those works. . . . students of African American women writers . . . should be grateful for the timesaving guidance it offers.”–Wilson Library Bulletin

“A Bibliographical Guide to African-American Women Writers is an important research tool because it provides access to so many writers and is recommended for academic and large public libraries.”–Booklist Reference Books Bulletin

“...This compilation provides access to an array of primary and secondary source materials by and about 900 African-American women, writers. Inclusiveness is the hall-mark of this bibliography. Jordan lists authors of all genres-poetry, novels, essays, memoirs, and plays-from more than two centuries of American literary history. ...a commendable effort to organize useful, but often hard to find, material on a large number of famous and little-known African-American women writers. This book belongs on the reference shelf of academic and large public libraries.”–RQ Spring 1994

“. . . the most complete record of the literary achievement of black American women, this bibliography documents the works of and about 900 writers from Theresa Williams Abram to Sister Zubena.”–BCALA News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (May 30, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313276331
• ISBN-13: 978-0313276330
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,266,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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