Merriam Webster's Dictionary of American Writers [Hardcover]

Merriam-Webster (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0877790221 | ISBN-13: 978-0877790228 | Publication Date: March 19, 2001 | Edition: 1

New! A guide to America's literary tradition. Over 1,600 articles on writer's literary works, movements, and influential periodicals. More than 170 black-and-white photographs. The companion volume to C-SPAN's series American Writer: A Journey Through History. Binding: jacketed hardcover. Pages: 560.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Published in conjunction with C-SPAN's American Writers series, this Dictionary of American Writers features capsule biographies of more than 1,100 American writers. Among them are "numerous American Indians, former slaves, and immigrants from every corner of the earth." There are writers of fiction, poetry, drama, history, essays, diaries, philosophy, and even screenplays. While some of these write-ups (on Emily Dickinson, Benjamin Franklin, and William Dean Howells, for example) are longer, most are around 150 words (and adapted from Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature). You can't say a lot in 150 words. There are dates and places to fit in, as well as titles of major works, and, in some cases, pronunciations (though why there are five listed for John Brougham's surname eludes us). The biographical sketches are, in other words, sketchy. Still, the book starts in with Edward Abbey and doggedly charts a path all the way to Louis Zukofsky.

If you're looking for a little information about an awful lot of American writers, this will suit your needs just fine. And there are interesting tidbits throughout: lawyer Louis Auchincloss, we learn, managed to pen 50 books in part because he would take a writing notebook to court; Frances Hodgson Burnett paid for writing paper by "gathering and selling wild grapes"; and Mary Higgins Clark worked as a flight attendant. Also included are more than 500 entries on literary works, and over 75 on groups, movements, and periodicals that have helped shape "the character of American literature." --Jane Steinberg

From Library Journal

the series' web site (www.americanwriters.org). The bulk of the work consists of 1000 biographical articles on influential American authors. Following is a section of briefer descriptive entries on over 500 literary works, including important novels, poems, plays, essays, and histories. The dictionary ends with a section that lists and describes 75 of the groups, movements, and periodicals that have shaped American literature. Each biographical entry includes full name, pronunciation (if necessary), birth and death dates and places, and a one-line pr?cis of the importance of the subject, in addition to the brief biographical article. Black-and-white thumbnail photos of the authors appear on alternating pages. As an accompaniment to the television series, this is a wonderful book, to be used for reference and read for enrichment. But as a comprehensive biographical dictionary for a library reference collection, it doesn't quite fit the bill. In size, shape, and format, it is like the line of dependable biographical, geographical, and other dictionaries produced by Merriam-Webster, but unlike those works, it is too selective. Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia of American Literature (LJ 1/92) is still a better choice at the reference desk. Nevertheless, this book will be handy for the millions of library patrons who will be watching C-SPAN's year-long series. APaul D'Alessandro, Portland P.L., ME
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Merriam-Webster; 1 edition (March 19, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877790221
• ISBN-13: 978-0877790228
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,177,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A STELLAR COLLECTION OF INFORMATION, July 31, 2001

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Merriam Webster's Dictionary of American Writers (Hardcover)

Did you know that John Grisham served for a few years in the Mississippi state legislature while he was practicing law? Or, that Walter Mosley worked as a potter and computer programmer before his first novel, "Devil In A Blue Dress" (1990) was published? Has anyone told you that Peter Matthiessen is a Navy veteran, that he attended Yale and the Sorbonne before joining forces with George Plimpton to form the Paris Review in 1953?

What about the early cowboy classic, "The Virginian"? Isn't it surprising that the author of this adventure, Owen Wister, was a Harvard Law School graduate who grew up among intellectuals? When reading the poetry of Ezra Pound, how many know that he was once returned to the United States from Italy and tried for treason?

All of that information and so much more is found in The Dictionary of American Writers, the official companion to the C-Span series "American Writers: A Journey Through History." It is a veritable treasure trove of information about authors from the early 1600s to the present day. Few of us read without wondering about our favorite writers - the facts are here in easily accessible form.

This volume includes over 1600 entries presented in alphabetized format. Divided into three sections, it begins with author biographies, and is followed by descriptions of significant literary works starting with "Abe Lincoln In Illinois" and concluding with "The Zoo Story." More than 500 works of literature are found in this division.

The final section, "Groups, Movements, and Periodicals" holds 75 entries and covers such landmark gatherings as the Algonquin Round Table, and many influential magazines including The New Yorker.

Students, teachers, and editors will, of course, relish the data found in this thoughtfully prepared volume. It holds equal fascination for literature aficionados - those who love to read will welcome this comprehensive collection of information about the authors who have affected their lives, and given them countless hours of pleasure.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superbly presented guide to a rich literary tradition, May 17, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merriam Webster's Dictionary of American Writers (Hardcover)

Merriam-Webster's Dictionary Of American Writers is a very highly recommended addition to any personal or academic literary studies reference collection. The more than 1600 entries are illustrated with more than 150 photographs and arranged in three principle sections: Biographies of over 1100 of America's greatest novelists, poets, playwrights, and historians; Synopses of more than 500 important literary works; and entries for 75 of the most important literary groups, movements, and influential periodicals. A superbly presented guide to a rich literary tradition, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary Of American Writers was created in cooperation with the Encyclopedia Britannica.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good only for a cursory look at American writers, February 29, 2004

By 

Debbie Lee Wesselmann (the Lehigh Valley, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Merriam Webster's Dictionary of American Writers (Hardcover)

This catalogue of American writers was published as a companion to C-SPAN's "American Writers: A Journey Through History" and unfortunately ends up feeling like something more suited to television than a reference book. Entries are brief and succinct, and are no more informative than a curriculum vitae. However, I was pleased to see some obscure writers listed, especially minorities, along with other, better known names. The editors have marked the entries for writers featured on the series with a line-drawing of a quill, a helpful touch for readers familiar with the show. The short section at the end on "Groups, Movements, and Periodicals" is perhaps the best part of this book, as it offers quick access to the historical aspects of American literature.

If you want a good research source of American literature, you'd be better off buying Benet's Readers Encyclopedia of American Literature or Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. But, if you enjoyed the C-SPAN series and want a book that complements it, you'll probably appreciate it for what it is.