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Critical Essays on American Literature Series - African-American Literary Criticism, 1773-2000

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Dynamic, stimulating, and accessible are all adjectives that showcase the collection of essays included in African American Literary Criticism, 1773 to 2000. This work serves as text that allows scholars, critics, and students to access pertinent information on African American Literary Criticism in one fine collection.

Ervin's succinct and straightforward explanation of the central idea in each anthologized essay is what makes this book different from others, and what makes its content accessible to anyone--undergraduate and graduate students, professors and independent scholars--interested in viewing the history of the African American literary tradition through a critical lens.

1. AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERARY CRITICISM,1773 to 2000 documents the full range of black cultural criticism, from Phillis Wheatley's aesthetic statements to the poetics of hip-hop. The collection reveals that African American criticism, like the expressive culture it examines, is a "long black song" of many and varied voices. -- Keith Byerman, Indiana State University

2. A first-rate reader and reference whose thoughfully chosen selections are unprecedentedly inclusive and judiciusly representative of theoretical and applied criticism. Cross-referencing in the table of contents--by historical chronology, genre, and critical approaches--encourages dimensional consideration of the selections. The generous introduction is an excellent survey of Afro-American criticism that provides an illuminating frame of reference for exploration of the texts. --Theodore R. Hudson, Former Graduate Professor of English, Howard University

3. AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERARY CRITICISM,1773 TO 2000 is the best kind of scholarship: comprehensive, stimulating, and accessible. Every serious student of African American literature will want to own this book. --Hilary Holladay, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

4. A valuable and long overdue text which is ideally suited to the needs of both students and instructors. For far too long, sustained focus on African American literary theory as a subject area has been subsumed to the chronicling of African American literary history. I am particularly pleased to see the publication of this collection, and I celebrate the endof many tedious trips to the photocopy machine. --Carol P. Marsh-Lockett, Georgia State University

Hazel ERvin's African American Literary Criticism is a compelling addition to African American/American studies. The text is unique, because it charts the dynamic course that African American literaary criticism has taken during the last two centuries. Archetypally, the book foregrounds the artifice of "criticism" in literature, and it is a must-read for both graduate and undergraduate students of literature.

Hazel Ervin's anthology should be required reading in graduate literary criticism courses. Future scholars should no longer pretend that African American literary critical tradition is an echoing footnote for mainstream trends. Nevertheless, the likelihood of the anthology's being widely adopted depends on its being available in paperback. I do hope the publisher will see the wisdom of issuing a paperback edition very soon.

This book, a comprehensive collection of "Thoughts" on African American Literature, presents a dynamic discussion of the search for both a clear delineation of the organizing principles underlying African American literary art, and an identification of the purposes of such art. The lively debate among creative writers and critics is intellectually enriching. These past and present writers and critics take the reader on a refreshing conducted tour of the varied corridors of African American literary criticism and history, from Philis Wheatly to Alexs Pate. Intertextuality is a blessing to this text. It is an excellent read for everyone, especially students and scholars of literature, and literary theory.

the book was very interesting on how the critics think toward other books and authors.