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How to Find
Literary Criticism
Using the Library Catalog
| Knowing the
answers to these basic questions about your author and the work will
help you make the most of your search: 1) The author's birth and death dates (usually the century will be enough) 2) Is the author known for writing novels, short stories, dramatic works, poetry? 3) What is the author's nationality? American, English, Scandinavian etc.? |
Finding Material the Library Owns:
Biographies of Authors
| Characters in Literary Works
| Author Letters (Correspondence)
| Critical
Essays in Collections (the most efficient method)
| Criticism of Specific Works
| Author's Influence on Other Writers
| Interviews with Authors |
Political and Social Views of Authors
Finding Materials the Library May Own:
Lists of Journal Articles and Books (Bibliographies)
Lists (Bibliographies)
of Journal Articles and Books the Library May Own
WHAT IS A BIBLIOGRAPHY? A
bibliography is a list of sources, usually journal articles and book titles, on
a given topic. You may find references to useful articles and books about your
author in two kinds of lists (bibliographies):
1) bibliographies devoted to a single author
2) bibliographies covering the time-period, kind of work, or nationality of
the author.
WHAT ARE THE
ADVANTAGES OF USING BIBLIOGRAPHIES?
Using a bibliography allows you take advantage of the work others
have done in collecting sources relevant to a topic.
*Remember that you may find additional selective
bibliographies at the ends of journal articles, chapters, books, or encyclopedia
entries.
ARE THERE DRAWBACKS TO USING BIBLIOGRAPHIES? Possibly
Because bibliographies are usually meant to be fairly comprehensive lists,
it may not be possible for the library to own all of the journals or books
listed. Check the library catalog to determine whether or not a particular
journal title or book is available in your library.
LISTS
(BIBLIOGRAPHIES) OF ARTICLES AND BOOKS ABOUT YOUR AUTHOR AND WORK
BY TYPE OF WORK (GENRE), COUNTRY, OR TIME-PERIOD
FORMAT:
[nationality] [type of work] [century] Bibliography
Examples:
American poetry bibliography
Short story bibliography
Women authors bibliography
English fiction bibliography
American drama 20th century bibliography
French literature bibliography
LISTS
(BIBLIOGRAPHIES) OF ARTICLES AND BOOKS ABOUT SINGLE AUTHORS
FORMAT
[author's last name, first name] Bibliography
Examples:
Hemingway, Ernest Bibliography
Yeats, W. B. Bibliography
Shaw, Bernard Bibliography
Hopkins, Gerard Manley Bibliography
Connect to Library
Catalog
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Critical
Essays in Collections
Using the library on-line catalog to find essay collections is probably the
most efficient and reliable way to find literary criticism in the library. The
library on-line catalog helps locate materials the library owns.
Unless the essay collection is checked-out or on "reserve" it should
be available.
HOW TO FIND CRITICISM ABOUT SPECIFIC AUTHORS
For collections of critical essays devoted entirely to specific authors which
the library owns, use the heading "criticism and interpretation."
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Criticism and interpretation
Examples:
Rossetti, Christina Criticism and Interpretation
Jackson, Shirley Criticism and Interpretation
Chopin, Kate Criticism and Interpretation
Hurston, Zora Neale Criticism and Interpretation
HOW TO FIND
CRITICISM ABOUT SPECIFIC AUTHORS USING "CONTEXT"
Authors do not write in a vacuum. Often, excellent essays can be found in
books of critical essays about literary movements the author may have been a
part of. Discussion of your author or work may also be found in books about
types of literary works (genre), literatures of specific countries or literature
from specific time periods.
To find criticism using context, use "history and criticism."
FORMAT:
[nationality] [type of work] [century] History and
criticism
Examples:
American drama 20th century History and criticism
Greek drama tragedy History and criticism
American literature Afro-American writers History and criticism
English fiction 20th century History and criticism
American fiction 19th century History and criticism
Epic poetry History and criticism
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Biographies
of Authors (use also for autobiography)
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Biography
Examples:
Hawthorne, Nathaniel Biography
Austen, Jane Biography
Suarez, Clementina Biography
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Catalog
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Characters
in Literary Works
WHAT WILL I FIND USING THIS HEADING? Using
"characters" will find works about an author's characters in general,
or, in a some instances, works about a specific character available in the
library.
*Use this heading with caution. You will generally not
find books about characters for everything you study.
You are likely to find books about characters in the case of major works or when
a character is an important "archetypal" character.
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Characters
Examples:
Shakespeare, William Characters
Flaubert, Gustave Characters
Miller, Arthur Characters
Eliot, T. S. Characters
Walker, Percy Characters
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Influence (Use for
an Author’s Influence on Other Writers)
WHAT WILL I FIND USING THIS HEADING? Using
"influence" will find books in the library which discuss an author's
impact on specific persons, groups, literary movements or literature of a
nation.
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Influence
Examples:
Joyce, James Influence
Frost, Robert Influence
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Criticism of Individual
Works
In certain instances, you may find books in the library about a particular
novel, dramatic work, or epic poem.
Unfortunately, if you are looking for material about other poems, your best
course of action would be to use the strategies above in "Essays
in Collections" or use:
Go back
to the table of contents
HOW TO FIND
CRITICISM OF INDIVIDUAL NOVELS, DRAMATIC WORKS, EPIC POETRY
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] [title of work]
Examples:
Shakespeare, William Othello
Williams, Tennessee Glass Menagerie
Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman
Twain, Mark Puddnhead Wilson
Homer Iliad
Beowulf
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Political
and Social Views of Authors
WHAT WILL I FIND USING THIS HEADING? There are times when a
literary work is a commentary on existing social or political conditions. Using
"political and social views" is an excellent strategy to find books in
the library that discuss the specific ways an author comments on social
conditions, usually with specific passages as examples.
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Political and social views
Examples:
Austen, Jane Political and social views
Dickens, Charles Political and social views
Whitman, Walt Political and social views
Stevens, Wallace Political and social views
Shelley, Percy Bysshe Political and social views
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Interviews
With Authors
WHAT WILL I FIND USING THIS HEADING? Using
"interviews" will find transcripts of interviews or conversations with
an author on one or many occasions.
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Interviews
Examples:
Updike, John Interviews
also
Dramatists, American Interviews
Authors, American Interviews
Poets, American Interviews
Afro-American women authors Interviews
Connect to Library Catalog
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Author Correspondence
WHAT WILL I FIND USING THIS HEADING? Using
"correspondence" will find collections of letters from or to an author
which the library owns.
FORMAT:
[last name, first name] Correspondence
Examples:
Wheatley, Phyllis Correspondence
Faulkner, William Correspondence
Nabokov, Vladimir Correspondence
Eliot, T. S. Correspondence
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Catalog
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Revised: 04/20/00 |