African-American writers /

One of ten volumes so far in Facts on File's "A to Z of African Americans" series, this volume covers 151 writers, including the expected novelists, poets, and dramatists, but adding essayists, literary critics, and abolitionists, among others. Entries are alphabetical and range from relatively unknown poets of the 18th century (Jupiter Hammon, Lucy Terry) to the novelists of today's generation (Colson Whitehead, Edwidge Danticat). Entries generally run from one to three pages, are well written and concise, and are followed by a handful of further readings. The text is preceded by a three-page introduction that briefly outlines the intricate history of African American literature. The work includes over 50 black-and-white photos and clear cross-references. It concludes with the useful but brief "Bibliography and Recommended Sources," as well as helpful lists of entries by genre, subject ("Expatriates," "Folklore," "Harlem Renaissance," "Jazz," "Protest"), and author's year of birth. The index helps locate titles of works when the author is unknown. Although very useful, this source might better be termed a "concise" encyclopedia. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. General readers; undergraduates. M. P. Tosko University of Akron

Part of Facts On File's "A to Z of African Americans" series, which highlights the lives of notable African Americans in a variety of fields (e.g., athletics, business, politics, and science), this volume features biographical entries on 145 African American authors. Emphasizing writers whose works are still in print and are regularly part of high school and college curricula, it covers novelists, poets, journalists, children's and young adult authors, nonfiction writers, and critics. Among them are well-known figures like Ralph Ellison and Countee Cullen and contemporary voices like Suzan-Lori Parks and Edwidge Danticat. Ranging from one to three pages, the entries include basic biographical data, a discussion of major works and their impact, a list of titles for further reading, and, in some cases, black-and-white photos. All of the entries are clear and focused and manage to be comprehensive. In the introductory essay, Bader, the author of three works of nonfiction and countless entry contributions to other references, briefly introduces the major movements in African American writing. Most impressive is the choice of indexes: authors are listed alphabetically as well as by literary genre, movement, subject matter, style, and year of birth, which will prove extremely helpful to students and researchers. While both The Norton Anthology of African American Literature, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay, and The Oxford Companion to African American Literature, edited by William L. Andrews and others, provide more comprehensive lists of authors, they are somewhat old. This volume's longer entries, illustrations, and indexes make it a worthwhile addition to high school, public, and academic libraries. [Bader is an LJ audio reviewer. Ed.] Michele McGraw, Hennepin Cty. P.L., Edina, MN (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.