Description:
This collection of critical and biographical articles covers hundreds of notable authors from the 17th century to the present day. Signed essays, 12-15 pages in length by noted scholars, provide thought-provoking insights into the lives, careers and works of American writers. Each Supplement covers approximately 20 additional authors.
Review Quotes: American writers classics, v.1. "The first in a new Scribner's/Gale series that intends to provide close readings of classics of American literature, this volume covers 20 works, including novels, short story and poem series, plays, long poems, autobiographies, and nonfiction pieces. Arrangement is alphabetical by work title in Gale's standard page layout; the index lists personal names and work titles. The 15- to 20-page critical essay for each work includes a chronology of significant events in the author's life and a select bibliography that cites at least the first edition, the edition being quoted, and some secondary references. Some bibliographies include references to other editions of the work as well as a list of other works by the author. In a few cases some citations to the secondary literature include brief, helpful annotations. The future of this projected series is unclear, but the editor expects it to "continue for a long time." No information is provided as to whether the set will be indexed in Gale's "Literary Index" or reproduced electronically in "Literature Resource Center" (CH, Dec'99; both available at (http: //www.galenet.com/)). Since the essays deliberately cover "the classics," this set does not fill an otherwise empty niche. Public libraries might be more likely purchasers than academic libraries; however, not all contributors write at a general readership level. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduate and public libraries."
-- "Choice" (July/August 2003)