Chapter 17. American Literature

Brogan, Martha L. A Kaleidoscope of Digital American Literature. Washington: Council on Lib. and Information Sources, Digital Lib. Federation, 2005. 176 pp. PS51.B76 025.06′81. <http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub132>.

An evaluative survey of electronic resources—databases, digital archives, gateways, Web sites, and pedagogical tools—for the study of American literature. Using extensive interviews with experts in the field, Brogan illustrates the potential, pitfalls, and lacunae in digital resources. The wealth of information and astute observations have led those working with other literatures to wish for a similar guide. Although dated, it is still useful and provides a history of early-twentieth-century digital humanities literary projects and tools.

Gohdes, Clarence, and Sanford E. Marovitz. Bibliographical Guide to the Study of the Literature of the U. S. A. 5th ed., rev. and enl. Durham: Duke UP, 1984. 256 pp. Z1225.G6 [PS88] 016.81.

A selective, interdisciplinary guide to reference works, histories, critical studies, and discussions of research methods (published through early 1983) important to the study of American literature and its historical background. Entries are organized in 35 divisions: general reference works, philosophy and methodology of literary and historical study, technical procedures in literary and historical research, definitions of literary and related terms, preparation of manuscripts for publication, national bibliographies, periodical indexes, American studies or civilization (including popular culture), general works on American history, specialized studies of American history, biography, periodicals, newspapers, book trade and publishing, history of ideas, psychology, philosophy (including transcendentalism), religion, women’s studies, general bibliographies of American literature, histories of American literature, poetry, drama (including theater and film), fiction, criticism, humor and other special genres (including children’s literature), seventeenth- and eighteenth-century literature, twentieth-century literature, themes and topics, regionalism, minorities, relations with other countries, American language, folklore, and comparative and general literature. The generally brief descriptive annotations frequently cite related works. An appendix lists the principal biographies of 135 authors. Two indexes: subjects; names. Many divisions would benefit from more refined classification or organization; some annotations have not been revised to reflect changes in scope or organization of serial publications or revised editions; and a few outdated works or superseded editions should be excised. Especially valuable for its interdisciplinary scope, this onetime standard guide to reference works and scholarship essential to research in American literature is now in need of wholesale revision and updating. Review: David Van Leer, Resources for American Literary Study 16 (1986–89): 49–52.

Less useful guides are the following:

Perrault, Anna H., and Ron Blazek. United States History: A Multicultural, Interdisciplinary Guide to Information Sources. 2nd ed. Westport: Libs. Unlimited, 2003. 661 pp. Z1236.P45 [E178] 016.973.

A guide to reference sources (through 2002) on American history and culture to c. 2002. The 1,250 entries are listed alphabetically by title in six classified divisions: general works; politics and government; economic history; diplomatic history and foreign affairs; military history; and social, cultural, and intellectual history (with sections for genealogy, ethnic and gender issues, education, theater, and popular culture). Indexed by authors and titles. The evaluative annotations are quite full and frequently cite related works.

Because the second edition of United States History emphasizes social history, a useful complement is Francis Paul Prucha, Handbook for Research in American History: A Guide to Bibliographies and Other Reference Works, 2nd ed. (Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1994; 214 pp.), which is organized by kind of reference work (with coverage extending through c. 1993). Works are described in chapters on electronic resources; library catalogs and guides; general bibliographies of American history; catalogs of books; book review indexes; guides to periodical literature; guides to manuscripts; guides to newspapers; dissertations and theses; biographical sources; oral history materials; printed documents of the federal government; the National Archives; state and local materials; legal sources; atlases, maps, and geographic guides; encyclopedias, handbooks, and dictionaries; statistics; and picture sources. Unfortunately, the second edition drops the coverage of specific topics such as political history, social history, ethnic groups, women, blacks, American Indians, religion, regional material, and travel accounts. Works are described in narrative fashion—but too rarely evaluated—a practice that makes scanning difficult; coverage of electronic resources is inadequate; and there are more errors and lapses in judgment than one would like in an introductory guide. Indexed by persons, titles, and subjects. The original edition of the Handbook was once the best guide to reference works on American history and included much of importance to literary scholarship; unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the new edition.

Sears, Jean L., and Marilyn K. Moody. Using Government Information Sources, Electronic and Print. 3rd ed. Phoenix: Oryx, 2001. 536 pp. Z1223.Z7 S4 [J83] 015.73′053.

A guide to searching United States government publications. Along with describing how to use the basic indexes, databases, and numerous Web sites, Sears and Moody explain the Superintendent of Documents Classification system and outline research strategies. Of particular interest to literary researchers are the sections on copyright, genealogy, and the National Archives. Indexed by subjects and titles. This work is the best introduction for those needing to search government publications. Prucha, Handbook for Research in American History (Q3185a), also has a useful chapter on locating printed documents of the federal government.

For a representative list of GPO publications on the humanities, see Donna L. Burton, “Government Document Resources for the Humanities: A Representative Bibliography,” Bulletin of Bibliography 49.2 (1992): 93–100.

American Literary Manuscripts: A Checklist of Holdings in Academic, Historical, and Public Libraries, Museums, and Authors’ Homes in the United States (ALM). Comp. and ed. J. Albert Robbins et al. 2nd ed. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1977. 387 pp. Z6620.U5 M6 [PS88] 016.81.

A finding list of manuscripts—including journals, diaries, correspondence, galley and page proofs, documents, audio and video recordings, books with marginalia, and memorabilia—held in about 600 institutions in the United States. Among the approximately 2,800 Americans are all the major authors, selected minor ones, and several quasi-literary writers such as editors, publishers, theatrical performers and producers, literary critics and scholars, and a few public figures also known (sometimes remotely) as writers. Following each author, holdings are listed alphabetically by institutional symbol, with manuscripts identified only by type and item count. (Symbols for libraries and types of manuscripts are identified on pp. xxvii–liii.) A few institutional holdings are keyed to a list (on pp. 367–77) of calendars, inventories, checklists, and other finding aids. Concludes with two appendixes (pseudonyms and alternative names; authors for whom no holdings were reported [both should have been integrated into the main list of authors]) and a bibliography of catalogs and guides, including ones listing American manuscripts held abroad. The introduction is refreshingly frank about the limitations of the checklist, with the Notes on Coverage (pp. xxii–xxvi) listing institutions whose holdings are not covered or are incompletely reported. Although the dense pages of symbols and numbers are initially forbidding, researchers soon appreciate how much drudgery this checklist can save them. Even so, much work is left for users: they must write or visit institutions that have no published or online finding aids to determine their exact holdings, and they must consult the works listed in section F: Guides to Manuscripts and Archives to locate additional American manuscripts. Review: John C. Broderick, Review 1 (1979): 295–300.

Cripe, Helen, and Diane Campbell, comps. and eds. American Manuscripts, 1763–1815: An Index to Documents Described in Auction Records and Dealers’ Catalogues. Wilmington: Scholarly Resources, 1977. 704 pp. Z1237.C89 [E195] 016.973.

An index to manuscript material written between 1763 and 1815 and described in catalogs of booksellers, autograph dealers, and auction houses in the United States. American Manuscripts covers selected dealers’ catalogs through 1970 but auction catalogs only before 1895, when publication of American Book Prices Current (U5415) began. Organized by date of manuscript, entries identify the catalog and note what kind of description it supplies (e.g., a summary, transcription, or reproduction). Dealers’ catalogs are keyed to a list in the back; auction catalogs are cited by the number used in McKay, American Book Auction Catalogues (U5400). Indexed by names. Although the bulk of the manuscripts are historical, Cripe and Campbell does index a considerable number of items of literary interest. Coverage of dealers’ catalogs is not comprehensive and the decision to omit auction catalogs after 1895 is unfortunate, since American Book Prices Current is far from thorough; nevertheless, American Manuscripts is an important work that will save researchers a few of the hours that must be spent in tracking down and poring through these scarce catalogs. Scholars need many more such indexes to manuscripts listed in catalogs.

Raimo, John W., ed. A Guide to Manuscripts Relating to America in Great Britain and Ireland. [Rev. ed.] Westport: Meckler for British Assn. for Amer. Studies, 1979. 467 pp. Z1236.C74 [E178] 016.973.

A guide to manuscripts and some rare printed works relating to the American colonies and the United States and held by libraries, county and local record offices, organizations, and some private collectors in Great Britain. Raimo excludes the Public Record Office, British Library, Oxford and Cambridge libraries, and London Archives, since all have separate guides (identified in the introduction). Organized alphabetically by country, then county, city, and owner, the descriptions of collections identify groups of papers or individual manuscripts and cite transcriptions, catalogs, and other finding aids. The descriptions vary in detail, but most are helpfully precise. Locations are not cited for collections identified through the National Register of Archives (F285a) to encourage scholars to consult the finding aids held there. Indexed by subjects, persons, and places. Users must remember that this work is not comprehensive and that inclusion of a collection does not mean it is accessible to researchers. Although the bulk of the papers are historical or political, Raimo locates a significant number of literary manuscripts and thus is an important preliminary source for tracking down items in British collections.

Women’s History Sources: A Guide to Archives and Manuscript Collections in the United States. Ed. Andrea Hinding and Ames Sheldon Bower. 2 vols. New York: Bowker, 1979. Z7964.U49 W64 [HQ1410] 016.30141′2′0973.

A guide to 18,026 collections in 1,586 repositories holding manuscripts by or related to women in the United States since colonial times. Organized alphabetically by state, city, repository, and then collection title, entries record types of documents, inclusive dates, size, information on access, repository, existence of finding aids, contents, and published guides. Based on printed descriptions, responses to questionnaires, or on-site inspections, the descriptions vary considerably in sophistication, specificity, and accuracy. Indexed in vol. 2 by persons (including all forms of a woman’s name), subjects, occupations, and places. Although many libraries were unable to provide a thorough description of their holdings, Women’s History Sources is the essential guide to a wealth of little-known material, a decent portion of which is of literary interest. A revised edition—or supplement—is needed. Review: Gerda Lerner, Library Quarterly 51.1 (1981): 102–04.

Blanck, Jacob, comp. Bibliography of American Literature (BAL). Completed by Michael Winship and Virginia L. Smyers. 9 vols. New Haven: Yale UP, 1955–91. Z1225.B55 [PS88] 016.81. <http://collections.chadwyck.com/marketing/home_bal.jsp>. CD-ROM.

Bibliography of American Literature: A Selective Index. Comp. Winship. Golden: North American–Fulcrum, 1995. 345 pp. Z1255.B55 016.81.

Epitome of Bibliography of American Literature . Comp. Winship. Golden: North American–Fulcrum, 1995. 325 pp. Z1255.B55 016.81.

A bibliography of works by 281 authors (from the Federal period to those who died before 1931) “who, in their own time at least, were known and read” and who primarily published belles lettres. Limited to separate publications (including books, broadsides, anthologies, and ephemera) and emphasizing initial appearances, BAL excludes altogether “periodical and newspaper publications, . . . unrevised reprints . . ., translations into other languages, [and] volumes containing isolated correspondence.” First American editions (along with variant issues and states) and English-language foreign editions preceding the first American one receive a full description; briefer descriptions are accorded volumes containing the first printing of a prose work (excluding letters) or poem, textually significant reprints or revised editions, nonbelletristic works, and edited texts. Authors are listed alphabetically, with works normally organized by date of publication in three parts: first or revised editions of books wholly or substantially by an author and books by others containing the first book publication of a work; reprints of an author’s own books; and books by others containing material by an author reprinted from earlier books, followed by a selection of bibliographies, biographies, and -ana. Some authors, because of the variety or complexity of their output, require a different organization (outlined in a headnote). A full entry includes title page, imprint, pagination, type of paper, size of leaf, collation, description of binding (including variants and notes on inserted ads, endpapers, binder’s and fly leaves), publication notes (citing copyright deposit date when possible and early advertisements), locations of copies examined, and miscellaneous notes, especially dealing with publishing history. These parts are repeated as necessary within an entry for each state or issue. The entry numbers have become the standard references for identifying an edition, state, or issue. Indexed by initials, pseudonyms, and anonyms in each volume. The Selective Index covers separately published works in three indexes: titles (with separate list of main titles and series titles); dates; publishers (organized by city). Entrants in vols. 1–8 are indexed in Biography and Genealogy Master Index (J565).

Users must study carefully the prefatory explanation of scope, limitations, organization, terminology, and parts of an entry (especially descriptive conventions); consult the headnote to an author for information on special limitations or organization; and remember that BAL does not list everything written by an author and is not a census of copies.

The online version allows users to browse the contents or search by a combination of keyword, title, imprint, author, location of copy, date of publication, and BAL number. Searches can be restricted to principal works, reprints and contributions, or references and -ana. Citations can be marked for e-mailing, printing, or downloading; full records can be printed or saved by screen capture one at a time. The CD-ROM version is obsolete since the search interface must be installed from 3.5-inch disks.

Additions and corrections once regularly appeared in the notes section of Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America; published additions and corrections through 1969 are listed in vol. 1, pp. 163–64, in Tanselle, Guide to the Study of United States Imprints (U5290). On the form for reporting additions and corrections, see G. Thomas Tanselle, ““A Proposal for Recording Additions to Bibliographies”,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 62.2 (1968): 227–36; ““Additions to Bibliographies: With Notes on Procedure for BAL ”,” 73.1 (1979): 123–25. The BAL working papers and files, which contain much fuller descriptions and notes, additions, and corrections, can be consulted in the Manuscript Department, Houghton Library. Separately published main works are listed in the Epitome, but it does not incorporate additions or corrections to the original nine volumes.

Although not comprehensive (especially in listing reprints), inconsistent in treating some kinds of works (such as foreign editions and reprints), and emphasizing nineteenth-century authors, BAL remains—for writers not the subject of a more recent, separately published descriptive bibliography—an indispensable source for identifying and locating first editions and appearances as well as important revised editions, for obtaining details of publishing and textual history, and for dating publication. For a history of the work, see W. H. Bond, ““Jacob Blanck and BAL ”,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 86.2 (1992): 129–45. For the uses of BAL by those who are not primarily bibliographers, see Joseph R. McElrath, Jr., ““From the Bibliography of American Literature to ‘The Pittsburgh Series in Bibliography’: Our Progressive Tradition”,” Literary Research 14.1-4 (1989): 5–12; and Lawrence Buell, “The Bibliographical Conscience,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 86.2 (1992): 191–98. For the importance of BAL to British and American book-trade history, book collecting, and critical editing, see Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 86.2 (1992), a special issue that prints papers from a 1992 conference on BAL.

The meticulous examination of copies in public as well as private collections, extensive research in copyright records and publishers’ archives, and a remarkable degree of accuracy make BAL one of the monumental bibliographies of the twentieth century. Reviews: (vol. 1) John D. Gordan, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 50.2 (1956): 201–04; James D. Hart, American Literature 28.3 (1956): 378–81; (vol. 7) Joel Myerson, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 78.1 (1984): 45–56 (an important evaluation of the general strengths and shortcomings of BAL); (vols. 8–9) Richard Layman, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 87.2 (1993): 259–63.

Much less satisfactory is Matthew J. Bruccoli et al., eds., First Printings of American Authors: Contributions toward Descriptive Checklists, 5 vols. (Detroit: Gale, 1977–87), an ambitious but flawed, inadequately descriptive record of the first American and English printings of separate publications by some 336 collectible authors from the seventeenth century through the 1970s. Given the paucity of information and inconsistencies in its presentation, First Printings is only occasionally useful for those few authors not in BAL or the subject of an author bibliography. For a detailed critique of the work, see William Matheson, “American Literary Bibliography—FPAA Style,” Review 1 (1979): 173–81.

Literary Writings in America: A Bibliography. 8 vols. Millwood: KTO, 1977. Z1225.L8 [PS88] 016.81.

A reproduction of the card file prepared as a Works Progress Administration project whose goal was to compile a list of creative works and reviews published by Americans between 1850 and 1940. No record exists, however, of what or how many sources were actually examined. The approximately 250,000 cards are organized by author, then alphabetically by title within sections for bibliographies, collected works, separately published works, periodical publications, biographical sources, and critical studies (including reviews) about the author. Reviews are listed under both the reviewer and the author of the book reviewed. Each card usually records author, title, publication information (omitting publishers of books), and genre or type of work. Far from complete, haphazard in its coverage (especially of books), inconsistent in format, including numerous errors, and largely unedited, Literary Writings is only occasionally useful for identifying periodical contributions (especially of minor authors) that are not indexed elsewhere. Review: George Monteiro, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 73.4 (1979): 498–502.

Tanselle, G. Thomas. ““Copyright Records and the Bibliographer”.” Studies in Bibliography 22 (1969): 77–124. Z1008.V55.

A discussion of the value of copyright records in literary and bibliographical research. The focus is the United States, with a summary of major provisions of copyright law and description of surviving records, published and unpublished, from 1793 through the 1960s. Concludes with a brief commentary on English copyright law. A clear introduction to these underutilized records that are valuable for establishing publication dates, authorship of anonymous and pseudonymous publications, and details of nonextant works.

American Literary Scholarship: An Annual, [1963– ] (ALS, AmLS). Durham: Duke UP, 1965– . Annual. <http://als.dukejournals.org>. PS3.A47 810.

A selective, evaluative survey of important studies, editions, biographies, and reference works. Currently, the volumes are divided into 21 chapters, each by an established scholar: Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, and transcendentalism (Fuller was added in 1994); Hawthorne; Melville; Whitman and Dickinson (the latter was added in 1967); Mark Twain; James; Wharton and Cather (since 1997); Pound and Eliot (since 1974); Faulkner; Fitzgerald and Hemingway; literature to 1800; early-nineteenth-century literature; late-nineteenth-century literature (before 1994 a single chapter covered 1800–99); fiction, 1900 to 1930s; fiction, 1930s to 1960s; fiction, 1960s to the present; poetry, 1900 to 1940s; poetry, 1940s to the present; drama; foreign scholarship (since 1973, with separate essays on various countries); and general reference works (since 1977). Some earlier volumes include chapters on folklore (1965–74), Poe (1973–96), black literature (1977–88), and themes, topics, and criticism (1966–2009). The scope of some chapters has changed over the years, and the organization varies with the subject. Two indexes: scholars; subjects.

Judicious selectivity, currency, and frank, authoritative evaluations (usually much fuller and more critical than in typical surveys of research) make ALS an indispensable guide to the year’s important scholarship and an essential source for keeping abreast of the increasing number of publications, especially in areas outside one’s immediate fields of interest. Together, the volumes offer an incomparable source for studying trends in American literary scholarship and an important complement to MLAIB (G335) and ABELL (G340), especially for the superior coverage of books.

Since vol. 35 (for 1954), Year’s Work in English Studies (G330) includes American literature; however, ALS offers much fuller, more authoritative coverage.

Duke, Maurice, Jackson R. Bryer, and M. Thomas Inge, eds. American Women Writers: Bibliographical Essays. Westport: Greenwood, 1983. 434 pp. Z1229.W8 A44 [PS147] 016.81′09′9287.

Evaluative surveys of scholarship published through c. 1981 on 24 writers: Bradstreet, Rowlandson, Knight, Jewett, Freeman, Murfree, Chopin, Wharton, Stein, Barnes, Nin, Glasgow, Porter, Welty, O’Connor, McCullers, Hurston, Rourke, Buck, Rawlings, Mitchell, Moore, Sexton, and Plath. Each of the 14 chapters, which treat individuals or groups of authors, devotes sections to bibliographies, editions, manuscripts and letters (noting locations as well as scholarship), biographies, and criticism (with the last variously subdivided). Indexed by persons. The individual essays vary in selectivity and suggest topics for further research. The volume as a whole, however, would benefit from a statement of scope and policies governing the selection of scholarship and writers.

Harbert, Earl N., and Robert A. Rees, eds. Fifteen American Authors before 1900: Bibliographical Essays on Research and Criticism. Rev. ed. Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1984. 531 pp. PS55.F53 016.81′09.

Evaluative surveys of research by established scholars on H. Adams, Bryant, Cooper, Crane, Dickinson, Edwards, Franklin, Holmes, Howells, Irving, Longfellow, Lowell, Norris, Taylor, and Whittier. The original edition (1971; 442 pp.) included two additional essays, on southern literature. The surveys vary in selectivity, coverage of foreign scholarship and dissertations, currency (generally citing publications through 1980, with some as late as 1983), and organization. All have sections for bibliography, editions, manuscripts and letters, biographical studies, and criticism and offer suggestions for further research. The Dickinson essay treats recent studies separately; others incorporate new scholarship in the commentary. Unfortunately, citations do not provide full bibliographical information. Indexed by persons. An authoritative guide to winnowing the important studies from the mass published on the 15 authors. Review: David Timms, Notes and Oueries ns 33.2 (1986): 276–77.

For evaluative surveys of recent scholarship on these authors, see American Literary Scholarship (Q3265).

Kopley, Richard, ed. Prospects for the Study of American Literature: A Guide for Scholars and Students. New York: New York UP, 1997. 347 pp. PS25.P76 810.9.

Kopley and Barbara Cantalupo, eds. Prospects for the Study of American Literature (II). New York: AMS, 2009. 355 pp. AMS Studies in Mod. Lit. 28. PS25.P77 810.9.

Surveys of research that assess the current state of scholarship but emphasize studies—biographical, bibliographical, critical, historical, and archival—needed on Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, Melville, Douglass, Stowe, Whitman, Twain, James, Wharton, Cather, T. S. Eliot, Hemingway, Hurston, Faulkner, and Wright (vol. 1); Cooper, Hawthorne, Fuller, Dickinson, Alcott, Howells, Norris, London, Dreiser, Fitzgerald, O’Neill, Moore, Baldwin, Ellison, and Welty (vol. 2). Additional surveys appear in the ongoing Resources for American Literary Study “Prospects” essays (some of which are revised in these volumes). Two indexes in vol. 1: persons; subjects. A single index of persons and titles in vol. 2. Written for the most part by seasoned scholars, these essays offer invaluable guides for graduate students searching for dissertation topics and for junior faculty members ready to move beyond a dissertation; as a whole Prospects for the Study of American Literature serves as an admirable model for more such collections on American and British writers.

““Publications in American Studies from German-Speaking Countries, [1945– ]”.” Amerikastudien / American Studies 1 (1956)– . Title varies. Annual. E169.1 973.92′05.

An irregularly published list of German, Swiss, and Austrian scholarship on American culture. Since the bibliography for 2003 (49.2 [2004]), entries are organized alphabetically in 5 divisions: general works and bibliographies; literature and culture; history; politics, economics, and society; and education. Earlier installments included linguistics; the arts and the media; philosophy, psychology, and religion; culture; and geography. Indexed by scholars. A useful complement to American Literary Scholarship (Q3265) and the standard serial bibliographies and indexes in section G, which typically overlook much scholarship published in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

Among the defunct serial bibliographies of American literature are

Jones, Steven Swann. Folklore and Literature in the United States: An Annotated Bibliography of Studies of Folklore in American Literature. New York: Garland, 1984. 262 pp. Garland Reference Lib. of the Humanities 392: Garland Folklore Bibliogs. 5. Z1225.J66 [PS169.F64] 016.81′09′3.

A bibliography of books, articles, master’s theses, and doctoral dissertations through 1980 that explicitly examine the influence of folklore on American literature and demonstrate “clear folkloristic competence.” Jones includes a few works whose titles erroneously suggest that they treat folklore but excludes discussions of organized religions and general works on literary humor. Listed alphabetically by scholar, entries are accompanied by full descriptive annotations, a few of which point out shortcomings in folklore methodology. (Most theses are not annotated.) Six indexes: literary authors; folklore genres; general theoretical studies (a single list with no headings); regional and ethnic studies (with headings only for African American and general regional and ethnic studies); humor (a single list with no headings); dialect, themes, and characters (again, with no headings). Although selective, Folklore and Literature gathers and clearly annotates studies that are not readily identifiable in the standard serial bibliographies and indexes in section G and that are frequently omitted from folklore bibliographies. Unfortunately, the utterly inadequate subject indexing means that users in search of studies of other than specific literary authors must skim all entries.

Leary, Lewis. Articles on American Literature, 1900–1950. Durham: Duke UP, 1954. 437 pp. Comp. Leary, with Carolyn Bartholet and Catherine Roth. 1950–1967. 1970. 751 pp. Comp. Leary and John Auchard. 1968–1975. 1979. 745 pp. Z1225.L49 016.81.

A bibliography of periodical articles, significant reviews, and review articles compiled from “Articles on American Literature Appearing in Current Periodicals” (Q3285a), MLAIB (G335), other bibliographies, and some journals not covered by the preceding. The 1900–50 compilation is limited primarily to English-language studies; the later volumes admit more foreign language articles but are also more selective. Entries are listed alphabetically in divisions for individual authors; almanacs, annuals, and gift books (1900–50 only); American literature, aims and methods; serial bibliographies; other bibliographies; biography (in the 1968–75 edition, the four preceding divisions became subdivisions—along with ethnic groups—under American literature); fiction; foreign influences and estimates; frontier; humor; Indian literature (in 1968–75, a classified section under American literature); language and style (added in 1950–67); libraries and reading; criticism; literary history; literary trends and attitudes (added in 1950–67); Negro literature (in 1968–75, a classified section under American literature); newspapers and periodicals; philosophy and philosophical trends; poetry; printing, publishing, and bookselling; prose (1900–50 only); regionalism; religion; science; social and political topics; societies; theater; and women (added in 1968–75). Since each volume includes additions and corrections to the preceding one(s), all three must be used together. There are numerous errors and inconsistencies (especially in recording dates and essential issue numbers), and articles treating more than one author or topic do not always receive multiple entries. (Thaddeo K. Babiiha discusses these problems in ““The Faulkner Section in Leary’s Articles on American Literature, 1968–1975”,” Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 75.1 [1981]: 93–98, but his generalizations are not completely accurate.) Although access would be enhanced by a more refined and detailed classification system, the volumes are a time-saving compilation. Because of their limitations, however, they must be supplemented by American Literary Scholarship (Q3265) and the serial bibliographies and indexes in section G. Review: (1950–67) J. Albert Robbins, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America 65.4 (1971): 417–19.

Literary History of the United States: Bibliography (LHUS). Ed. Thomas H. Johnson and Richard M. Ludwig. 4th ed. New York: Macmillan; London: Collier, 1974. 1,466 pp. (The fourth edition consists of corrected reprints of the 1948 bibliography and the supplements of 1959 and 1972, with a cumulative index.) PS88.L522 810′.9.

A series of selective, usually evaluative bibliographical essays organized in four extensively classified divisions: general resources and reference works, general literature (with subdivisions for periods, background studies, American language, folk literature, Indian lore and antiquities, and popular literature), movements and influences, and 239 individual authors (covering primary works, editions, biographies, criticism, bibliographies, and public collections of manuscripts). Throughout, the emphasis is on guiding readers to the best editions and studies; in addition, many essays point out topics needing study. The supplements are keyed to the original volume, and the Bibliography must be used in conjunction with the History (Q3200), even though the organization frequently differs. Indexed by authors, titles, and some subjects. Confusingly organized, with numerous errors, badly dated, and largely superseded by author, subject, and period bibliographies, LHUS is now principally useful as a guide to older scholarship. Review: R. A. Miller, American Quarterly 1.2 (1949): 180–83.

Oxford Bibliographies Online: American Literature. Ed. Jackson R. Bryer, Richard Kopley, and Paul Lauter. Oxford UP, 2014– . 15 Jan. 2015. <http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/obo/page/american-literature>.

Oxford Bibliographies Online are peer-reviewed, concisely annotated, expertly selected bibliographic citations. Each of the articles within a bibliography, written by scholars in the field, consists of an introduction that covers the history behind the field or subfield, followed by a categorized list of useful academic publications (e.g., introductions, textbooks, journals, handbooks and guides, reference works, primary texts or documents) and secions on debates and controversies, criticism, genres, and more. The lists of citations are highly selective, chosen to represent the best scholarship in a given field. Some articles include links to full text or Web content.

American Literature includes articles covering the American Renaissance, Anne Sexton, Benjamin Franklin, copyright laws, Cotton Mather, the Dawes Severalty Act, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Jonathan Edwards, Native American oral literatures, realism and naturalism, westerns, and scores of other subjects.

Content is browsable, and users can search the database with the option of limiting by resource type. Searches can be saved, and users can receive e-mails alerting them to new additions.

America: History and Life. Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio, 1964– . 5/yr., including a cumulative index. Z1236.A48 016.917. <http://www.ebscohost.com>. Updated monthly.

Abstracts of articles and citations to book reviews and dissertations in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (H465) on the history and culture of the United States and Canada, including some studies of American, Native American, and Canadian literature and language. A retrospective volume (designated vol. 0) covers 1954–63 (1972), and a Supplement (2 vols., 1980) adds entries to vols. 1–10. Because of changes in organization over the years (especially beginning with vol. 26 [1989]), the online version offers the best approach to listings. For the EBSCO interface, see I512. An important source for identifying literary and language scholarship in historical journals, few of which are covered by the standard serial bibliographies and indexes in section G.

Howard, Patsy C., comp. Theses in American Literature, 1896–1971. Ann Arbor: Pierian, 1973. 307 pp. Z1225.H67 016.8109.

A list of baccalaureate and master’s theses accepted by American and some foreign institutions. Howard covers a limited number of institutions (whether completely is unclear) and apparently only theses devoted to an identifiable author. Entries are organized alphabetically under literary authors, with cross-references for studies of multiple authors. Two indexes: subjects (inadequate); thesis authors. Although marred by a completely inadequate explanation of scope and coverage, Theses in American Literature will save some hunting through elusive institutional lists. Theses on southern writers are more fully covered in Emerson and Michael, Southern Literary Culture (Q3630). A companion volume is devoted to Theses in English Literature (M1395).

Woodress, James. Dissertations in American Literature, 1891–1966. Rev. and enl. Durham: Duke UP, 1968. 185 pp. Z1225.W8 016.8109.

A bibliography of American, British, French, New Zealand, Indian, German, Austrian, and Canadian dissertations, completed or once in progress. The approximately 4,700 entries, most of which are taken from standard national dissertation bibliographies or other published lists, are organized alphabetically by author in 34 divisions: individual authors; almanacs, gift books, and annuals; American Revolution; Civil War; criticism; drama; economic studies; education and scholarship; fiction; fine arts; folklore; foreign relationships; humor and satire; Indians; language; libraries and reading; literary history; literary nationalism; lyceum; Negro literature; nonfictional prose; periodicals and journalism; philosophy and intellectual history; poetry; politics and government; printing, publishing, and censorship; psychology and literature; Puritanism; regionalism; religion; science and technology; transcendentalism; travel; and writers and writing. Those for genres, foreign relationships, language, literary history, periodicals and journalism, and regionalism are further classified. Each division or section concludes with cross-references to related dissertations. An entry cites author, title, institution, department (if other than English), and year and indicates when a dissertation has been published. Indexed by dissertation writers. Although not comprehensive and citing dissertations never completed, this is a time-saving compilation from standard bibliographies (especially because of the inclusion of studies accepted by departments other than English). It must be supplemented, however, by works listed in section H: Guides to Dissertations and Theses.

Basler, Roy P., Donald H. Mugridge, and Blanche P. McCrum. A Guide to the Study of the United States of America: Representative Books Reflecting the Development of American Life and Thought. Washington: Lib. of Congress, 1960. 1,193 pp. Basler and Oliver H. Orr, Jr. Supplement, 1956–1965. 1976. 526 pp. Z1215.U53 016.9173.

A selective, albeit extensive, annotated bibliography of books published through 1965 that are important to the understanding of the United States. The approximately 9,400 entries—most accompanied by extensive descriptive annotations that typically cite related works—are classified in 32 chapters covering all aspects of history; culture; the humanities; the arts; and social, natural, and physical sciences. The best approach to the contents is through the extensive index of persons, titles, and subjects. Although dated, this study remains the fullest general guide to works essential for investigating life and thought before 1965 in the United States. Review: Times Literary Supplement 8 Sept. 1961: 594.

Harvard Guide to American History. Ed. Frank Freidel. Rev. ed. 2 vols. Cambridge: Belknap–Harvard UP, 1974. Z1236.F77 016.9173′03.

A guide to important primary and secondary works published to 30 June 1970 on the political, social, constitutional, economic, cultural, and diplomatic history of the United States. The books and articles, selected on the basis of “potential usefulness,” are variously organized in divisions for research methods and materials (with sections on reference works, printed public documents, and unpublished primary sources), biographies and personal records (with sections on travels and descriptions and on biographies), comprehensive and area histories (with a section on regional, state, and local histories), and numerous subjects. The first division consists of a narrative interspersed with lists of works; the other divisions are made up of classified lists. Two indexes: authors (with titles following each author); subjects. Once a standard resource, Harvard Guide to American History is now useful primarily as a guide to studies published before mid-1970. Review: Justus D. Doenecke, History Teacher 8.2 (1975): 317–21.

Salzman, Jack, ed. American Studies: An Annotated Bibliography. 3 vols. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1986. 1984–1988. 1990. 1,085 pp. Z1361.C6 A436 [E169.1] 016.973.

An annotated bibliography of English-language books and collections of essays through 1988 on the culture of the United States. Salzman excludes journal articles, theoretical and methodological studies, and reference works, as well as most studies of single authors and, in 1984–1988, books published outside the United States. In the three-volume compilation, the 7,634 entries are listed alphabetically by author in 11 variously classified divisions: anthropology and folklore (including sections on minorities, ethnic groups, and linguistics); art and architecture; history (with sections on women, ethnicity, black history, and Native Americans); literature (with sections on general surveys, historical periods, and themes); music; political science; popular culture (with sections on general studies, literature, various genres and types of popular fiction, comics, entertainment, film, media, and material culture); psychology; religion; science, technology, and medicine; and sociology. Introducing each division are a brief overview of important reference works (including some published as late as 1986) and, in too few instances, a discussion of criteria determining scope and selection. All but a few annotations are full and accurate descriptions of content. Three indexes in vol. 3: authors; titles; subjects.

The supplement for 1984–88 separates anthropology and folklore, adds a division for autobiographies and memoirs, omits science, lacks the introductory overviews of reference sources, offers a brief statement of general editorial policy but an inadequate explanation of the scope of individual divisions, and inexplicably omits several entries that appeared in the continuation of the original bibliography in Prospects: An Annual of American Cultural Studies 10–11 (1987). Two indexes: scholars; titles (with numbers referring to pages rather than entries). The lack of a subject index is inexcusable, especially since so many of the books (each of which is listed in only one section) cover several topics. The volumes for journal articles and books published outside the United States never appeared. Although divisions vary considerably in quality and authoritativeness (with many lacking a clear focus and effective organization), the work offers the most extensive general guide to books through 1988 on several aspects of American culture. Review: (1986 ed.) Lawrence H. Fuchs, American Quarterly 39.2 (1987): 292–95.

Salzman’s compilation does not completely supersede its parent, Murray G. Murphey, gen. ed., American Studies: An Annotated Bibliography of Works on the Civilization of the United States, 4 vols. (Washington: US Information Agency, 1982), which lists articles in several divisions but which is not widely available in the United States. Basler, Mugridge, and McCrum, Guide to the Study of the United States of America (Q3325), remains useful for its breadth and inclusion of many earlier books. The same cannot be said for David W. Marcell, American Studies: A Guide to Information Sources (Detroit: Gale, 1982; 207 pp.; Amer. Studies Information Guide Ser. 10), which is incomplete, poorly organized, and uninformatively annotated.

Writings on American History, [1973–90]: A Subject Bibliography of Articles. Washington: Amer. Historical Assn.; Millwood: Kraus, 1974–91. Annual. Z1236.L331 016.97.

Writings on American History, 1962–73: A Subject Bibliography of Articles. 4 vols. Washington: Amer. Historical Assn.; Millwood: KTO, 1976. Z1236.W773 [E178] 016.973.

Writings on American History, 1962–73: A Subject Bibliography of Books and Monographs. 10 vols. Washington: Amer. Historical Assn.; White Plains: Kraus, 1985. Z1236.W773 [E178] 016.973.

Writings on American History, [1902–61]. Millwood: KTO, 1904–78.

A bibliography of scholarship on all aspects of American history. Until the volumes for 1962–73, the work annotated books, articles, and dissertations, but subsequent volumes are unannotated and limited to journal articles and dissertations (with the majority of the former taken from Recently Published Articles [Washington: Amer. Historical Assn., 1976–90], which originally appeared in various forms in each issue of American Historical Review 1–80.3 [1895–1975]). The volumes for 1904–05 and 1941–47 were never published. In the volumes for 1962–1985/86, entries are listed by scholar in three classified divisions: periods (including a section for bibliographies), regions, and subjects (including sections for literature, theater, and popular culture). Later volumes have an additional division for general works (with the bibliography section relocated to here) and a section for language in the subjects division. Several works receive multiple listings. Indexed by authors. Earlier volumes are variously organized, with the later ones having a tripartite division: the historical professions; national history (with literature, theater, and folklore sections in the cultural history subdivision); and regional, state, and local history. Indexed by names, places, and subjects (although not all volumes have subject indexing); cumulative index, 1902–40: Index to the Writings on American History, 1902–1940 (Washington: Amer. Historical Assn., 1956; 1,115 pp.). Although the post-1961 volumes would benefit from a more refined classification system in the first two divisions as well as subject indexing, this work includes literary studies from periodicals not covered by the standard bibliographies and indexes in section G. For historical studies, it must be supplemented by the other bibliographies and abstracts in section U: Literature-Related Topics and Sources/Social Sciences and Literature/History and Literature/Guides to Scholarship.

ABELL (G340): See the Dialect section of the English Language division in the volumes for 1920–26, the American English section in the volumes for 1927–33, the English Dialects section in the volume for 1934, the American English section in the volumes for 1935–72, and the Dialects/Dialects of [North] America section in later volumes.

MLAIB (G335): English Language and Literature division in the volumes for 1922–25; American Literature I: Linguistics in the volumes for 1926–40; English Language and Literature I: Linguistics in the volumes for 1941–55; English Language and Literature I: Linguistics/American English in the volumes for 1956–66; Indo-European C: Germanic Linguistics IV: English/Modern English/Dialectology in the volumes for 1967–80; and Indo-European Languages/Germanic Languages/West Germanic Languages/English Language (Modern)/Dialectology in later volumes. Researchers must also check the headings beginning “American English” in the subject index to volumes since 1981 and in the online thesaurus.

Leary, Articles on American Literature (Q3295).

Literary History of the United States: Bibliography (Q3300).

McMillan and Montgomery, Annotated Bibliography of Southern American English (Q3635).

Salzman, American Studies: An Annotated Bibliography (Q3335).

Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE). Ed. Frederic G. Cassidy and Joan Houston Hall. 6 vols. Cambridge: Belknap–Harvard UP, 1985–2013 . PE2843.D52 427′.973. <http://dare.wisc.edu/>. An online version is now available at http://www.daredictionary.com/.

A dictionary of more than 60,000 words and phrases of folk usage or whose form or meaning is confined to a region or regions of the United States or to a social group. Includes Black English, Gullah, Hawaiʻian pidgin, and the language of children’s games, but excludes artificial forms, criminal argot, trade jargon, and restricted occupational vocabularies. Information is drawn from 1,002 lengthy DARE questionnaires, other oral sources, and written works, with the heaviest reliance on the last. A typical entry consists of headword, part of speech, pronunciation, variant spellings, etymology for words not treated in standard dictionaries, geographic distribution, usage labels (including frequency, currency, type of user, and manner of use), cross-references, definition, and illustrative quotations from printed and oral sources. Some entries are accompanied by maps that illustrate regional distribution. The admirably clear introduction in vol. 1 outlines the history of the dictionary; explains the editorial policy, maps, and regional labels; discusses language changes especially common in American folk speech; provides a guide to pronunciation; and prints the questionnaire and data about the informants. Vol. 6 includes a series of maps illustrating social and geographic distribution, a summary of data from the questionnaires, the DARE questionnaire, and an index by region, usage, and etymology. For explanations of the regional and social labels, see Luanne von Schneidemesser, ““Regional Labels in DARE ”,” Dictionaries 18 (1997): 166–77, and George H. Goebel, ““Social Labels in DARE ”,” Dictionaries 18 (1997): 178–89; for a comparison of DARE and Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles (R4675), see Stefan Dollinger and von Schneidemesser, “Canadianism, Americanism, North Americanism: DARE and DCHP as Dialectological Research Tools,” American Speech 86.2 (2011): 115–51. Invaluable access to DARE entries is offered by An Index by Region, Usage, and Etymology to the Dictionary of American Regional English, Volumes I and II (Tuscaloosa: U of Alabama P for Amer. Dialect Soc., 1993; 178 pp.; Pub. of the Amer. Dialect Soc. 77) and von Schneidemesser, An Index by Region, Usage, and Etymology to the Dictionary of American Regional English, Volume III (Durham: Duke UP for Amer. Dialect Soc., 1999; 82 pp.; Pub. of the Amer. Dialect Soc. 82); a combined index for vols. 1–5 is available on the DARE Web site (as are copies of DARE Newsletter). Justifiably praised by reviewers for its substantial scholarship, DARE is a major contribution to dialect studies, sociolinguistics, and areal linguistics in the United States; an essential source for the explication of regional and folk terms in American literature; and a delight to browse. On the myriad uses of DARE and its underlying data, see Hall, “DARE: The View from the Letter Z,” Dictionaries 31 (2010): 98–106. On the future of DARE, see Goebel, “DARE—on beyond Zydeco,” Dictionaries 33 (2012): 156–63. Reviews: (vol. 1) Hugh Kenner, TLS: Times Literary Supplement 9 May 1986: 490–91; Walt Wolfram, American Speech 61.4 (1986): 345–52; (vol. 2) Thomas L. Clark, American Speech 69.3 (1994): 306–11; (vol. 3) Natalie Schilling-Estes, Dictionaries 21 (2000): 125–35.

Although the entries online are the same as those in the printed volumes, the online dictionary includes such enhancements as interactive maps, audio recordings for over 4,000 terms, and the ability for users to browse by region. The search feature can search headwords as well as definitions, etymologies, and regions.

For a survey of the status (as of 1983) of the regional linguistic atlas projects in the United States, see Raven I. McDavid, Jr., “Linguistic Geography,” Needed Research in American English (Q3345), and William A. Kretzschmar, Jr., “Linguistic Atlases of the United States and Canada,” in Needed Research in American Dialects (Q3345).

A Dictionary of American English on Historical Principles (DAE). Ed. William A. Craigie and James R. Hulbert. 4 vols. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1938–44. PE2835.C72 427.9.

A dictionary of words originating in the United States, having greater currency in that nation than elsewhere, or “denoting something which has a real connection with the development of the country and the history of its people.” Slang and dialect terms are limited to early or prominent examples. Although the cutoff date for new words is the end of the nineteenth century, illustrative quotations extend to c. 1925. A typical entry consists of headword, definitions arranged by part of speech, illustrative dated quotations from printed sources for each meaning, combined forms, and, occasionally, pronunciation and etymology. Vol. 4 concludes with a bibliography of sources. Although far from complete, this pioneering work remains an essential source for the history of American English and the explication of American literary works. It must be complemented by Dictionary of Americanisms (Q3360), which is more current and accurate, and Dictionary of American Regional English (Q3350). Supplemented by Joseph A. Weingarten, Supplementary Notes to the Dictionary of American English (New York: n.p., 1948; 95 pp.); additions, corrections, and antedatings are also indexed in Wall and Przebienda, Words and Phrases Index (U6025).

For an account of the genesis, compilation, and editing of DAE, see Craigie, ““Sidelights on the Dictionary of American English ”,” Essays and Studies 30 (1944): 100–13. For a different perspective, however, see M. M. Mathews, ““George Watson and the Dictionary of American English ”,” Dictionaries 7 (1985): 214–24, with a response by Allen Walker Read, ““Craigie, Mathews, and Watson: New Light on the Dictionary of American English ”,” 8 (1986): 160–63.

A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles (DA). Ed. Mitford M. Mathews. 2 vols. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1951. PE2835.D5 427.9.

A dictionary of words originating in the United States, other words with a particular American meaning, and foreign terms adopted in American English through c. 1950. A typical entry consists of headword, pronunciation and etymology for words originating in the United States and foreign terms, definitions organized by part of speech, dated illustrative quotations from printed sources for each meaning, combined forms, and occasionally a line drawing. Vol. 2 concludes with a bibliography of sources. Some additions, corrections, and antedatings are indexed in Wall, Words and Phrases Index (U6025). More restrictive than other dictionaries in defining “Americanism” (and unfortunately vague in delineating criteria governing inclusion of certain kinds of words), this work corrects several attributions of Americanisms in Dictionary of American English (Q3355), Oxford English Dictionary (M1410), and English Dialect Dictionary (M1415). Although DA is generally more accurate in recording Americanisms than the preceding, these dictionaries are complementary and, along with Dictionary of American Regional English (Q3350) and updates in The Barnhart Dictionary Companion (Q3365a), essential sources for the historical study of American English and explication of American literary works. Much remains to be done, however, before we have an adequate record of Americanisms. Reviews: Norman E. Eliason, Modern Language Review 47.4 (1952): 565–67; Archibald A. Hill, Virginia Quarterly Review 28.1 (1952): 131–35.

The abridgment as Mathews, Americanisms: A Dictionary of Selected Americanisms on Historical Principles (Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1966; 304 pp.), is of little value for scholarly research.

Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged (Webster’s Third). Ed. Philip Babcock Gove. Springfield: Merriam, 1961. 2,662 pp. PE1625.W36 423. (New edition in progress, with new and revised entries incorporated into the online edition.) Online through Literature Online (I527) and as Merriam-Webster Unabridged (http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com); CD-ROM.

A dictionary “of the current vocabulary of standard written and spoken English,” especially in the United States. The approximately 450,000 words blend entries from the second edition with new words and meanings, but unlike its predecessor the third edition omits proper names that are not generic, terms obsolete before 1775, and “comparatively useless or obscure words.” A typical main entry includes selected variant spellings; pronunciation, with variants used by educated speakers; part of speech; inflectional forms; a note on capitalization practices; etymology; status label; subject label; definitions, in historical order; illustrative quotations largely from twentieth-century sources; usage notes; cross-references; synonyms; and combined forms. Those consulting the third edition for more than a quick definition must study the detailed prefatory explanation of parts of a main entry. The preliminary matter also includes a section on forms of address.

Some later printings list additions before the main alphabet. These words are incorporated into the online versions and into occasional supplements, the most recent of which is 12,000 Words: A Supplement to Webster’s Third New International Dictionary (Springfield: Merriam, 1986; 212 pp.). Other sources for new words and meanings include the following:

Webster’s Third has received a decidedly mixed reception, with the popular press generally condemning the work but linguists and lexicographers considerably more positive toward many of its innovations (especially definition style) and departures from the venerable second edition. Features that have drawn the most criticism include the typographical design; the lowercasing of all proper names (except one sense of God) used as headwords, with some confusing notes on capitalization practices; unnecessary citations; deletion of obsolete words; flaws in etymologies; omission of usage labels (the major criticism of those who mistakenly think that a dictionary should arbitrate usage); a confusing system for recording pronunciation; and definitions that are frequently too abridged.

However one judges its lexicographical practices, Webster’s Third is an essential, if flawed, source for the study of the vocabulary of its time (especially in the United States). For the explication of American literary works, it must be used with the unsuperseded second edition, Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language (Webster’s Second), ed. William Allan Neilson, 2nd ed., unabridged (Springfield: Merriam, 1934; 3,210 pp.). Reviews: R. W. Burchfield, Review of English Studies ns 14.55 (1963): 319–23; Robert L. Chapman, American Speech 42.3 (1967): 202–10; Albert H. Marckwardt, “The New Webster Dictionary: A Critical Appraisal,” Readings in Applied English Linguistics, ed. Harold B. Allen, 2nd ed. (New York: Appleton, 1964) 476–85; James Sledd, College English 23.8 (1962): 682–87. Several reviews in the popular press are reprinted in James Sledd and Wilma R. Ebbitt [eds.], Dictionaries and THAT Dictionary: A Casebook on the Aims of Lexicographers and the Targets of Reviewers (Chicago: Scott, 1962; 274 pp.). Reviews and responses to Webster’s Third are listed in Ted Haebler, ““The Reception of the Third New International Dictionary ”,” Dictionaries 11 (1989): 165–218. For an overview of the controversy, of its place within the history of lexicography, and of the editorial decisions underlying the edition, see Herbert C. Morton, The Story of Webster’s Third: Philip Gove’s Controversial Dictionary and Its Critics (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1994; 332 pp.); on changes in language and attitudes to it, developments in linguistic theory, and conception of the function of a dictionary that occasioned the controversy, see David Skinner, The Story of Ain’t: America, Its Language, and the Most Controversial Dictionary Ever Published (New York: Harper–Harper Collins, 2012; 351 pp.).

As an authority for spelling, most American publishers and style manuals (including Chicago [U6395] and MLA [U6400]) recommend Webster’s Third and the latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (currently the 11th ed. [Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 2003; 1,623 pp.; also published on CD-ROM and searchable online at http://www.m-w.com/home.htm]).

Important complementary dictionaries and other works include the following:

Mencken, H. L. The American Language: An Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States. 4th ed., corrected, enl., and rewritten. New York: Knopf, 1936. 769 pp. Supplement I. 1945. 739 pp. Supplement II. 1948. 890 pp. The fourth edition and its supplements are abridged and updated by Raven I. McDavid, Jr. (New York: Knopf, 1963; 777 pp.). PE2808.M4 427.9.

A detailed account of the development of American English and its divergence from British English. The multitude of examples are loosely organized in chapters on historical developments, influences on American English, its relationship with British English, pronunciation, spelling, the common speech, proper names, slang, and the future of American English. Supplement I updates chapters through the relationship with British English; Supplement II, from pronunciation through slang. Non-English dialects are briefly discussed in an appendix to the fourth edition. Two indexes in each volume: words and phrases; persons, subjects, and titles. Stylistically entertaining but hardly impartial, full of errors, weak in organization, and emphasizing description and accumulation of examples rather than analysis, American Language has had a mixed reception. (For the origins, evolution, and reception of the work, see Raymond Nelson, ““Babylonian Frolics: H. L. Mencken and The American Language ”,” American Literary History 11.4 [1999]: 668–98.) It remains the fullest account of American English, even if one disagrees with Mencken’s argument for its status as a language. Reviews: (supplements) Raven I. McDavid, Jr., Language 23.1 (1947): 68–73; 25.1 (1949): 69–77.

Mott, Frank Luther. A History of American Magazines, [1741–1930]. 5 vols. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1930–68. PN4877.M63 051′.09.

A history of the development of English-language periodicals in the United States to c. 1905, with individual studies of important magazines through 1930. Excludes newspapers and annuals but otherwise surveys a representative sample of magazines. Vols. 1 through 3 include a chronological list of periodicals mentioned in the text. Indexed in each volume by persons, titles, and subjects; however, the cumulative index in vol. 5 is more thorough. For a history of the project, see “Unfinished Story; or, The Man in the Carrel” (vol. 5, pp. 341–50). Justly praised for its erudition and style, Mott is the monumental history of periodicals in the country. Vols. 2 and 3 were awarded the Pulitzer Prize in History (1939). Some literary magazines are more fully described in Chielens, American Literary Magazines (Q3410).

For a more succinct and current history, especially of mass market publications, see John Tebbel and Mary Ellen Zuckerman, The Magazine in America, 1741–1990 (New York: Oxford UP, 1991; 433 pp.), which emphasizes social and cultural history in chapters on such topics as magazines for women, African American periodicals, male audiences, and pulp and science fiction magazines.

Sec. K: Periodicals/Union Lists.

Kelly, Children’s Periodicals of the United States (U5510).

Literary Writings in America (Q3255).

Leary, Articles on American Literature (Q3295).

Revels History of Drama in English (M1530).

For an evaluative survey of histories and general studies (mostly after 1950), see Charles A. Carpenter, “American Drama: A Bibliographical Essay,” American Studies International 21.5 (1983): 3–52.

Wearing, American and British Theatrical Biography (L1175).

Brogan, English Versification, 1570–1980 (M1600).