The books below are available for checkout in print from the library and contain an extensive collection of critical essays that pertain to the authors studied in LIT 2000.
Raymond Carver by
Book- Raymond Carver was the most beloved American short-story writer of the late twentieth century. Two decades after his death, this definitive biography tells the story of Carver's uncanny ambition, legendary life, and enduring work.When Raymond Carver died at age fifty, readers lost a distinctive voice in its prime. Carver was, theTimesof London said, "the Chekhov of middle America." His influence on a generation of writers and on the short story itself has been widely noted. Not so generally known are how Carver became a writer, how he suffered to achieve his art, and how his trou-bled and remarkable personality affected those around him.Carol Sklenicka's meticulous and absorbing biography re-creates Carver's early years in Yakima, Washington, where he was the nervous, overweight son of a kindly, alcohol-dependent lumbermill worker. By the time he was nineteen, Ray had married his high school sweetheart, Maryann Burk. From a basement apartment where they were raising their first child and expecting their second, they determined that Ray would become a writer. Despite the handicaps of an erratic education and utter lack of financial resources, he succeeded.Maryann's belief in Carver's talent was unshakable, as was her willingness to support the family and see her experiences transformed in his fiction. Sklenicka reveals the entwined histories of this passionate, volatile marriage and Carver's career. She describes his entry into the literary world via "little magazines" and the Iowa Writers' Workshop; his publication by Esquire editor Gordon Lish and their ensuing relationship; his near-fatal alcoholism, which worsened even as he produced many of the unforgettable stories collected inWill You Please Be Quiet, Please'andWhat We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The biography also depicts Carver's warmhearted friendships with scores of writers, including Richard Ford, Tobias Wolff, John Gardner, Joy Williams, Al Young, William Kittredge, Leonard Michaels, Chuck Kinder, and Hayden Carruth. Sklenicka shows how his stories about unemployment, drinking, marital trauma, divorce, troubled children, and suburban malaise, dubbed "minimalist" by critics, won readers with their precise and humane portrayal of ordinary lives. She examines the dissolution of his first marriage and his partnership with poet Tess Gallagher, who helped him enjoy the full measure of his success. Ever grateful that he'd been able to renounce alcohol, Carver shunned pity and considered himself a "lucky man" as he faced death from lung cancer in 1988.Carol Sklenicka draws on hundreds of interviews with people who knew Carver, prodigious research in libraries and private collections, and all of Carver's poems and stories forRaymond Carver, which took ten years to write. Her portrait is generous and wise without swerving from discordant issues in Carver's private affairs. Above all Sklenicka shows how Carver's quintessentially American life fostered the stories that knowing readers have cherished from their first publication until the present day.
Critical Companion to William Faulkner by
Book- Praise for the previous edition: "...provides a wealth of information...recommended..."—Booklist "Highly recommended..."—Library Journal "Will definitely help both students and staff members understand and appreciate one of America's great writers...Recommended."—The Book Report One of the greatest and most influential American writers, William Faulkner is remembered for novels and short stories that explore the complex culture and tragic legacy of the American South. Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Faulkner and his influential works—As I Lay Dying; Light in August; The Sound and the Fury; Absalom, Absalom!; "The Bear"; and many others—are studied all over the world. Critical Companion to William Faulkner—a major revision and expansion of William Faulkner A to Z—features more than 80,000 additional words. Character entries and Critical Commentary sections on Faulkner's major works have been significantly expanded, and entirely new sections providing excerpts from contemporary reviews have been added. Other new features include further reading lists for Faulkner's major novels and short stories as well as a detailed chronology of one of Faulkner's greatest and most complicated works, As I Lay Dying. Coverage includes: Faulkner's major works, including novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction Descriptions of characters in Faulkner's fiction, such as Benjy and Quentin from The Sound and the Fury Details about Faulkner's family, friends, colleagues, and critics Real and fictional places important to Faulkner's life and literary development, from Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi to Hollywood Interviews and speeches given by Faulkner Ideas and events that influenced his life and works, including slavery, the Civil War, World War I, and civil rights.
Critical Essays on William Faulkner by
Book
Critical Companion to Kurt Vonnegut by
Book- Kurt Vonnegut is one of the most popular and admired authors of post-war American literature—famous both for his playful and deceptively simple style as well as for his scathing critiques of social injustice and war. Critical Companion to Kurt Vonnegut provides a reliable, up-to-date, and encyclopedic source of information on Vonnegut's life and work for high school and college-level students, teachers, libraries, and the general public. This new book covers all his works, including his novels, such as the unforgettable Slaughterhouse-Five; his short stories, such as "Harrison Bergeron"; and his lectures and essays. Detailed entries on his life, related people, places, and topics are also included in this comprehensive guide. Entries include: A concise but thorough biography of Vonnegut Synopses and critical assessments of all of Vonnegut's work Descriptions of Vonnegut's characters, including Kilgore Trout, Billy Pilgrim, and many more Descriptions of people, places, and topics important to Vonnegut's life and work, including Dresden, science fiction, Joseph Heller, postmodernism, Mark Twain, and much more Appendixes, including a chronology, a bibliography of primary and secondary sources, a bibliography and discussion of the works of Kilgore Trout, and more.
Critical Essays on Joyce Carol Oates by
Book
James Baldwin by
Book- Having true international appeal, James Baldwin was as well known in Istanbul and Paris as he was in Harlem. His reputation was made on incendiary and eloquent essays written and published to mass acclaim in the late 1950s and early 1960s as well as a trio of early novels dealing with racism, sexuality, violence, and religion. Among his lauded works are Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, and the controversial Giovanni's Room. James Baldwin, Updated Edition features an editor's note and introduction by Harold Bloom, who offers his own unique insights on the author and the critical essays included. A helpful chronology tracing the seminal events in Baldwin's life, and information on the renowned critics whose essays have been selected add further depth. Students will find that this completely updated study in the acclaimed Bloom's Modern Critical Views series is especially useful for essays and research papers.
James Baldwin by
Book- The lives of the greatest writers of the world are explored in depth. In addition to a lengthy biography, an extensive critical analysis of the writer's work, as well as critical views by important literary critics throughout history.
Tim O'Brien
Book- "Tim O'Brien, the recipient of many of America's most esteemed literary prizes, is best known for his writing about America's Vietnam experience. O'Brien's interest grows out of his tour of duty as an infantry soldier in the Vietnam War, his moral opposition to this war, and the guilt he felt after serving. If I Die in a Combat Zone, Going After Cacciato, The Things They Carried, Northern Lights, The Nuclear Age, and In the Lake of the Woods, all stem from O'Brien's own life stories, and are directly or indirectly about the Vietnam War. But to consider O'Brien only as a "war writer" would be to miss the depth and universality of his writing. The moral and physical terrain of Vietnam serves as a heightened setting in which O'Brien explores the nature of truth, the function of memory and imagination, the possibility of moral courage, and the power of love." "O'Brien doesn't try to provide answers to complex moral questions or human motivation. Instead, he uncovers mystery and ambiguity, and leads his readers to search for "story truth" - that is, emotional truth - and to explore his stories from different angles."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Alice Walker by
Book- A champion for African-American and women's rights, Alice Walker reflects her beliefs in her passionate writing. Walker is best known for her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Color Purple, a compelling work that boldly tackles the issues of racism and sexism in the rural South. Alice Walker, New Edition features a penetrating introduction by Harold Bloom that helps set the stage for this comprehensive critical portrait of one of the most influential writers of the last 30 years. A useful chronology and a concise bibliography further enhance this updated literary resource, which is perfect for student research.
Critical Companion to Alice Walker by
Book- Alice Walker is one of the few living writers whose work regularly appears in the high school curriculum. While she is known primarily for her best-selling novel and masterpiece The Color Purple, many of her other novels, essays, and poems are favorites of both students and teachers alike. In 1983 she became the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Critical Companion to Alice Walker is a one-stop resource for anyone interested in this prolific author's life, works, and achievements. Coverage includes: A concise but thorough biography of Walker Entries on all of Walker's major works, including such novels as The Color Purple, Meridian, The Third Life of Grange Copeland, and Possessing the Secret of Joy; essay collections and essays, such as "Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self"; poetry collections and poems; and short stories. Each entry on a major work of fiction contains subentries on the work's main characters Entries on related people, places, and topics, such as feminism, Zora Neale Hurston, Spelman College, Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and more Appendixes, including a chronology, a bibliography of Walker's works, a secondary source bibliography, and a list of recognitions and awards.
American Writers by
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.
Kate Chopin by
Initially known for her short stories and articles, Kate Chopin was considered to be little more than a regional writer. Published in 1899, her second novel, The Awakening, received little attention until the 1950s. Now, Chopin’s work is known for its play with narrative styles and its examination into the complexities of women’s interior lives. Updated and featuring supplemental materials such as a chronology, bibliography, and an index, this perceptive edition tackles Chopin's influence on contemporary literary forms and themes.
Short Stories for Students by
[PRINT]
The Art and Craft of the Short Story by
In his highly personal and compelling style, DeMarinis shares advice, classic examples and exercises in this definitive book on the short story.