Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature [Hardcover]

Steven R. Serafin (Author), Alfred Bendixen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0826415172 | ISBN-13: 978-0826415172 | Publication Date: June 26, 2003 | Edition: Upd Sub

From John Smith to Jack Kerouac, Cotton Mather to Toni Morrison, Edgar Allan Poe to Stephen King, Francis Parkman to Alex Haley, the story of American literature is really many stories - of ancient indigenous peoples, early settlers, men and women enslaved and liberated, war and peace, and immigrants seeking better lives. America's multifaceted literary heritage reflects its deepest spiritual and material consciousness: rooted and rootless, rural and urban, timeless and ever-changing. Through a living literature, one comes to learn one's orientations, aspirations, and worldviews: where we have come from and where we may be going.More than ten years in the making, this comprehensive single-volume literary survey is for the student, scholar, and general reader. The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature represents a collaborative effort, involving 300 contributors from across the United States and Canada. Composed of more than 1,100 signed biographical-critical entries, this Encyclopedia serves as both guide and companion to the study and appreciation of American literature.A special feature is the topical article. There are 70 such essays in this volume, among them: AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE, CANADA, CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, THE DETECTIVE STORY, DRAMA, THE ESSAY, EXPATRIATES, FEMINISM, FILM AND LITERATURE, GAY MALE LITERATURE, HISTORY AND LITERATURE, HUMOR, JEWISH AMERICAN LITERATURE, LATINO/A LITERATURE, LESBIAN LITERATURE, LITERARY CRITICISM (before and since 1914), LITERARY JOURNALISM, LITERARY PRIZES AND AWARDS, MODERNISM, POLITICS AND LITERATURE, RELIGION AND LITERATURE, SCIENCE FICTION, THE SHORT STORY, THE SOUTH, THE SUPERNATURAL, TRANSCENDENTALISM, UTOPIA, and YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE. Wherever possible, references to authors of merit who do not receive individual articles are incorporated into the text of the most relevant topical essay. All topical and biographical-critical entries are cross-referenced and linked to the index. Select bibliographical material is included in most articles.Through American literature, we discover the imaginative and artistic expression of a multiplicity of people united by nationality, diversified by ethnicity and cultural identity, religion, social and economic class, political conviction, region. It is hoped that this Encyclopedia serves as a useful reference work and may itself be considered a lasting contribution to the very literature it surveys.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Particularly thorough in its coverage of contemporary authors." -Publishers Weekly

"A wise purchase as an update and complement to the Oxford Companion." - Library Journal

About the Author

Steven R. Serafin is a leading authority on modern world literature. He is general editor of The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature as well as general editor of the new edition of the Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20th Century and the supplement to Modern Black Writers, as well as the Dictionary of Literary Biography series. With Chukwuma Azuonye, Serafin is coeditor of The Columbia Anthology of African Literature. He is affiliated with Hunter College of The City University of New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1282 pages
• Publisher: Continuum; Upd Sub edition (June 26, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826415172
• ISBN-13: 978-0826415172
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 2.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,881,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)