Search Site | Library Home
Articles | Books & more | Help | Library Information  

American Literature - Biographical Sources
 

Table of Contents

Catalog Search Terms
General Biographical Works
Genre: Biographies
American Ethnic Writers:  Biographies

 

Subject Search Examples The following is a representational list of Subject Headings to use when searching the Library Catalog.
American fiction -- Male authors -- Dictionaries
American fiction -- Women authors -- Dictionaries

American Literature -- (19th) or 20th Century-- Bio Bibliography
American Literature -- Biography
American Literature -- Afro-American authors

   -- Indian authors
   -- Hispanic authors
   -- Mexican American authors
   -- Women authors

Poets American -- 20th Century -- Biography Dictionaries
American Drama -- 20th Century-- Bio Bibliography

For biographical works on a particular author, search the author's name by SUBJECT.

For example:
Angelou Maya -- Biography
Hemingway Ernest 1899 1961 -- Biography
Hurston Zora Neale -- Biography 

 

General Biographical Works
American Authors Includes timeline, literary movements, links to author sites, etc.

American Authors on the Web

American Biographical Archive
Wilson 2W-Microform Index CT 213 A5 and (microfiche)
An alphabetical accumulation of 367 original biographical reference works covering 300,000 individuals from the earliest period of North American history through the early twentieth century.

American Literature on the Web - alphabetical listing of authors

American Women Writers, 1900-1945:  A Bio-Biographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref. PS151.A45 2000

American Writers: A Collection of Literary Biographies
Ref.  PS 129 A55
A four volume set and supplemental editions includes a cumulated index. Essays arranged alphabetically by the writer's name, followed by bibliography. Biographical and critical studies listed.

American Writers to 1900. and American Writers Since 1900
Ref. PS 128 A4 V5,  Ref. PS 129 A56 V5
Contains biographies, and includes lists of published books, bibliographies, and critical studies about the writers.

Biography and Genealogy Master Index Online
A comprehensive index to current and retrospective biographical dictionaries. Indexes over 700 biographical reference sources.

Biography Index
Ref. CT 104 B54
"A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines."

Classic American Authors

Contemporary Authors
Contemporary Authors is a comprehensive source of biographical information on over 100,000 modern novelists, playwrights, poets, scriptwriters, non-fiction writers and journalists.

Contemporary Authors: A Bio-Bibliographical Guide to Current Writers
Ref. Z 1010 C64
More than 98,000 writers of fiction, nonfiction, drama, poetry, reporting, editing, and screen writing are included.  Provides personal and career information, addresses, awards, publication lists and critical sources.  Use the index to locate authors.

Dictionary of Literary Biography
A multivolume series that focuses n specific periods, genres, or literary movements. Includes biographical and critical essays for important figures of each era. Lists all major works, career, and bibliographies on each author.

Librarians Guide to the Internet - Literature
"The Librarians' Index to the Internet is a searchable, annotated subject directory of more than 6,600 Internet resources
selected and evaluated by librarians."

Modern American Women Writers
Ref. PS 151.M54 1991

New York Public Library Literature Companion
Ref. PN41.N49 2001

Nineteenth-Century American Women Writers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref.  PS 217.W64 N56 1997

 One Hundred Years Of American Women Writing, 1848-1948 : An Annotated Bio-Bibliography
Ref.  PS 151.B37 1997

The Oxford Companion to English Literature
Ref.  PR 19.D73 1995

The Oxford Companion to Twentieth Century Poetry in English
Ref. PR 601.O94 1996

Reader's Guide to Literature in English
Ref.  PR 85.R33 1996

Studies in the American Renaissance (periodical)
3 West / PS 201.S86

Voice of the Shuttle Literature (in English)
"Literature in English" includes works written in English taught in departments of English and American literature. Some authors are also cross-listed under separate national, regional, or ethnic categories (e.g., "Irish," "Australian," "Afro-American") on the Other Literatures Written in English and Minority Literatures pages."

Voices From the Gap:  Women Writers of Color

Women Writers / Biography - Includes biographies, links to author homepages, etc.

World Authors to 1980-1985.
Ref. PN 451.W672
Biographical and critical essays on 322 authors who became prominent from 1980-1984. Mostly North American and European but non-Western writers are included.  A continuation of World Authors to 1950-1970 (Ref. PN 451 W3), 1970-1975 (Ref. PN 451.W67), and 1975-1980 (Ref. PN 451. W672).
 


Genre

American Nature Writers
Ref.  PS 163.A6 1996

 American Radical and Reform Writers.  Dictionary of Literary Biography ; v. 303
Ref. PN451 .D54 v. 303

Contemporary Dramatists
Ref. PR 737.C57 1988
This biographical sources covers over 300 contemporary dramatists writing in English. Each author’s entry contains a brief
biography, a complete list of works published or produced, a critical essay, and occasional commentary from the dramatist.

Contemporary Novelists
Ref. PR 883.C645

Contemporary Poets

Ref. PR 603.C6 1996

Encyclopedia of Frontier Literature
Ref. PS169.F7 S65 1999

Facts on File Companion to the American Short Story
Ref. PS374.S5 F33 2000

Nineteenth-Century American Western Writers
Ref.  PN451.D54 v. 186

 Poets : American and British
Ref. PS303 .P64 1998 3 vols.

St. James Guide to Science Fiction Writers
Ref.  PS 374.S35 S68 1996

Supernatural Fiction Writers: Fantasy and Horror
Ref.  PN 3435 .S96 1985 2 vols.

A Sweet, Seperate Intimacy:  Women Writers of the American Frontier, 1800 - 1922
Ref. PS509.F7 S84 2000

Twentieth Century American Science-Fiction Writers
Ref. PN 451 .D54 vol. 8

Twentieth Century American Western WritersDictionary of Literary Biography, vol. 256. 
Ref. Ref. PN 451 .D54  vol. 256

Twentieth-century American Nature Writers: Prose.   Dictionary of Literary Biography v. 275.
Ref. PN451 .D54 v. 275 

20th Century Author Biographies Master Index
Ref. PN 451.T88
A consolidated index to more than 170,000 biographical sketches concerning modern day authors as they appear in a selection of the principal biographical dictionaries devoted to authors, poets, journalists and literary figures.

Twentieth Century Dramatists Dictionary of Literary Biography v. 249
Ref. PN451.D54 vol. 249

The Undergraduate's Companion to Women Writers and their Web Sites
Ref. PR111 .D43 2002

 

Multicultural American Writers - Biographical Works

New Immigrant Literatures in the United States : a sourcebook to our multicultural literary heritage
Wilson 3W   PS153.M56 N475 1996

African American Writers [see also African American Literature ]

African American Writers
Ref. PS153.N5 A344  2 vols, 2001

Antebellum Writers in New York.  Dictionary of Literary Biography second series, vol. 250.
Ref. PN451.D54 v.250

Black American Prose Writers Of The Harlem Renaissance
Ref. PS 366.A35 B58 1994

The Companion to Southern Literature:  themes genres, places, people, movements, and motifs
Ref. PS261.C55 2002

Contemporary African American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref. PS 374.N4 C658 1999

 The Harlem Renaissance:  A Gale Critical Companion
Ref. PS153.N5 H245 2003

Harlem Renaissance And Beyond: Literary Biographies of 100 Black Women Writers, 1900-1945
Ref. PS 153.N5 R65 1990

Index to Black American Writers in Collective Biographies
Ref. PS 153.N5 C3 1983

Selected Women Writers of the Harlem Renaissance
 

 

American Indian Writers [see also American Indian Literature ]

Native American Authors  Internet Public Library Web site
"Provides information on Native North American authors with bibliographies of their published works, biographical information, and links to online resources including interviews, online texts and tribal websites. Currently the website primarily contains information on contemporary Native American authors, although some historical authors are represented."

Native American Writers of the United States:  Dictionary of Literary Biography; v. 175
Ref. PN451 .D54 v. 175

Native North American Literature:  Biographical and Critical Information On Native Writers and Orators From the United States and Canada From Historical Times to the Present
Ref.  PS 508.I5 N38 1994

 

Arab American Writers

Arab American Encyclopedia
Ref. E184.A65 A48 2000

Arab American Literature

 

Asian American Writers [see also Asian American Literature ]

Asian American Autobiographers: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref.  PS366.A74 A85 2001

Asian American Novelists: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref. PS153.A84 A825 2000

Asian American Playwrights: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref. PS338.A74 A9 2002

Asian American Poets: A Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook
Ref. PS153.A84 A826 2002

Asian American Short Story Writers:  An A-Z Guide.  Huang, Guiyou, ed.  Westport CT:  Greenwood Press, 2003.
Ref. PS153.A84 A828 2003

 

Jewish American Writers [see also Jewish American Literature ]

Jewish American Literature

Jewish American Women Writers: a bio-bibliographical and critical sourcebook
Ref.   PS 153.J4 J48 1994


Twentieth Century American-Jewish Fiction Writers [Vol. 28 of Dictionary of Literary Biography]
Ref. PS221.D5 v.28

 

Latina & Latino American Writers  [see also Latina & Latino American Literature]

Biographical Dictionary of Hispanic Literature in the United States : the Literature of Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and other Hispanic Writers
Ref. PQ 7420.2 .K3 1989

Chicano writers, first series
Reference PN451 .D54 v.82

Chicano writers; second series
Reference PN451 .D54 v.122

Chicano writers; third series
Reference PN451.D54 v.209

Hispanic Writers:  A Selection of Sketches from Contemporary Authors
Ref. PQ7081.3.H58 1999

Latino and Latina Writers
Ref. PS153.H56 L39 2004 2 vols.

Return to Top


SEE ALSO:
Theater / Drama Resources; Film Resources

 

updated 02.03.2006
Compiled for Jeanne Armstrong, Librarian for English
by Robyn Adcox, Reference Specialist
(c) All rights reserved.
The Western Libraries