Dictionary of Literary Biography
The Dictionary of Literary Biography is a specialist biographical dictionary dedicated to literature. Published by Gale, the 375-volume set covers a wide variety of literary topics, periods, and genres, with a focus on American and British literature.
Something about the author
examines the lives and works of authors and illustrators for children and young adults and is the preeminent source on authors and literature for young people. *After 2016 available online only
Contemporary Authors by
This biographical reference source provides information on over 100,000 modern novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists and scriptwriters. A typical entry includes the following headings: personal; address; career; writings; work in progress; and biographical/critical sources. Authors recently featured include Carrie Fisher, Amy Tan, Zeev Chafets and Sue Harrison.
Contemporary literary criticism
Each print volume in this long-standing series profiles approximately 6-8 novelists, poets, playwrights and other creative writers by providing full-text or excerpted criticism taken from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals. Among those profiled in this volume are: Stephen Jay Gould Sue Grafton Charles Johnson Modern African Literature. *As of 2014 - online only
Drama Criticism
Drama Criticism assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned playwrights and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each entry includes a set of previously published reviews, essays and other critical responses from sources that include scholarly books and journals, literary magazines, interviews, letters and diaries, carefully selected to create a representative history and cross-section of critical responses. *As of 2012, Online Only
Literature criticism from 1400 to 1800
Turn to this authoritative international resource for complete critical coverage of the careers and works of the greatest writers and thinkers of the late Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Restoration eras. Detailed entries offer students and other researchers access to a variety of important interpretations of historical periods, literary trends and topics, and the achievements of noteworthy individuals. *As of 2012 - Online Only
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism
Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism assembles critical responses to the works of 19th-century authors of all sortsâ??novelists, poets, playwrights, journalists, philosophers, political leaders, scientists, mathematicians and writers from other genresâ??from every region of the world. *As of 2014 - Online Only
Poetry Criticism
Poetry Criticism assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned poets and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each entry includes a set of previously published reviews, essays and other critical responses from sources that include scholarly books and journals, literary magazines, interviews, letters and diaries, carefully selected to create a representative history and cross-section of critical responses. *As of 2012, Online Only
Short Story Criticism
Short Story Criticism assembles critical responses to the writings of the world's most renowned short fiction writers and provides supplementary biographical context and bibliographic material to guide the reader to a greater understanding of the genre and its creators. Each of the more than 200 volumes in this series profiles approximately 3-6 writers of short fiction from all time periods and all parts of the world. Entries provide an introductory biographical essay, a primary bibliography, a selection of full-text or excerpted critical essays reproduced from books, magazines, literary reviews, newspapers and scholarly journals, and sources for additional research; many entries include an author portrait. A full citation and annotation precede each of the approximately 50 essays per volume. The series currently covers more than 500 authors and also includes numerous entries focusing on individual works and topics.
*As of 2012, Online Only
Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
This highly useful series presents substantial excerpts from the best criticism on the major literary figures and nonfiction writers, including novelists, poets, playwrights and literary theorists, of 1900 to 1999. Each volume presents overviews of four to eight authors with chronologically arranged criticism representing the entire range of response to each author. A typical excerpt is prefaced by an annotation that explains the critics reputation and critical philosophy and providing a synopsis of the excerpt. Approximately 90-95% of critical essays are full text. *As of 2014, available Online Only