Outline of this guide: Reference Works Works by Atwood, Morrison, & Plath Readings Interviews Reviews Criticism, Analysis, & Interpretation

Other useful links: Course Reserves/E-Reserves for this class Book Review Sources RefWorks RefWorks: A Guide Research Log Research Planner

• General Reference Works
  • The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. Ross Murfin and Supryia M. Ray. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.
    Reference R 801.95 M975b
  • Contemporary Novelists. Ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer. 7th ed. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 2001.
    Reference R 823.09 C7611 2001
  • The Continuum Encyclopedia of Modern Criticism and Theory. Ed. Julian Wolfreys. New York: Continuum, 2002.
    Reference R 801.95 C762
  • Credo Reference
    A collection of online reference books, including a selection of literature resources, such as The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English (3rd ed.), The Continuum Encyclopedia of American Literature, and the The Continuum Encyclopedia of British Literature.
  • Encyclopedia of Feminist Theories. Ed. Lorraine Code. New York: Routledge, 2000.
    Reference R 305.42 E56
  • The Feminist Companion to Literature in English: Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Present. Virginia Blain et al. New Haven, CT: Yale Univ. Press, 1990.
    Reference R 928 F329
  • A Handbook to Literature. William Harmon. 9th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2003.
    Reference R 803 H747h9
  • The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism. Ed. Michael Groden et al. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2005.
    Reference R 801.95 J65 2005
  • Literature Resource Center
    Contains full-text biographies, critical essays, journal articles, and excerpts of criticism and reviews about over 130,000 literary authors and their works; covers dramatists, essayists, novelists, poets, and other writers from all time periods.
    Includes:
    • Contemporary Authors
    • The Dictionary of Literary Biography
    • Feminist Writers
    • Scribner's American Writers
  • The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Ed. Alex Preminger and T.V.F. Brogan. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press, 1993.
    Reference R 809.1 P957 1993
  • The Oxford Companion to American Literature. Ed. James D. Hart. 6th ed. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.
    Reference R 810.3 O98c6
  • The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. Ed. Eugene Benson and William Toye. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1997.
    Reference R 810.3 O981 1997
  • The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Ed. Margaret Drabble. 6th ed. New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 2000.
    Reference R 820.3 H34o6
  • Reference Guide to Short Fiction. Ed. Thomas Riggs. 2nd ed. Detroit, MI: St. James Press, 1999.
  • The Routledge Critical Dictionary of Feminism and PostFeminism. Ed. Sarah Gamble. New York: Routledge, 2000.
    Reference R 305.42 R869
• Atwood Reference Works
  • Bibliographies
    Be sure to consult the bibliographies in the Literature Resource Center too.
    • Margaret Atwood: An Annotated Bibliography (Poetry). Alan J. Horne. [Downsview, Ontario:] ECW Press, 1980.
      Reference R 016.81 A887h
    • Margaret Atwood: An Annotated Bibliography (Prose). Alan J. Horne. [Downsview, Ontario:] ECW Press, 1979.
      Reference R 016.81 A887ho
    • Margaret Atwood: A Reference Guide. Judith McCombs and Carole L. Palmer. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall, 1991.
      Reference R 016.81 A887m
    • Margaret Atwood: A Reference Guide, 1988-2005. Shannon Hengen and Ashley Thomson. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2007.
      Reference R 016.81 A887he
    • O.W. Toad: Margaret Atwood Reference Site [Official site]
  • Internet Sources
    • O.W. Toad: Margaret Atwood Reference Site [Official site]
    • The Margaret Atwood Society
    • Atwood-L, the Margaret Atwood Discussion List, from the Margaret Atwood Society
      Description of the list, from the welcome message: "Atwood-L is a mailserv list dedicated to the consideration of the literary, political, and cultural works and ideas of the Canadian author Margaret Atwood .... This list seeks to provide an electronic forum for the exchange of ideas, opinions, and information related to Atwood with the aim of encouraging the teaching and reading of Atwood's works. In addition, Atwood-L hopes to foster more effective research on Atwood and disseminate that research more widely."
      To subscribe:
      send mail to: mailserv@cariboo.bc.ca
      leave subject line empty
      in content of message, enter: subscribe atwood-l [firstname lastname]
    • Margaret Atwood Papers [Finding Aid], Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto

• Morrison Reference Works
  Be sure to consult the bibliographies in the Literature Resource Center too.
  • The Toni Morrison Encyclopedia. Ed. Elizabeth Ann Beaulieu. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003.
    Reference R 813 M8821yb
  • The World of Toni Morrison: A Guide to Characters and Places in her Novels. Gloria Grant Roberson. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003.
    Reference R 813 M8821yr
• Plath Reference Works
  • Bibliographies
    Be sure to consult the bibliographies in the Literature Resource Center too.
    • Sylvia Plath: An Analytical Bibliography. Comp. Stephen Tabor. London: Mansell, 1987.
      Reference R 016.811 P716t
    • Sylvia Plath: A Reference Guide, 1973-1988. Sheryl Meyering. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1990.
      Reference R 016.811 P716m
      Supplements and continues Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton: A Reference Guide (see next entry).
    • Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton: A Reference Guide. Cameron Northouse and Thomas Walsh. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1974.
      Reference R 016.81 P716n
  • Concordance
    • A Concordance to the Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath. Ed. Richard Matovich. New York: Garland, 1986.
      Reference R 811 P716c-ym

• At Davidson
  The Library has most of the published works by Atwood, Morrison, and Plath; all of the titles in our collection are listed in the Library Catalog.
  Please note that signed editions, broadsides, limited editions, and fine press editions are kept in the Rare Book Room; be sure to check the Library Catalog for the location of a given item. If you wish to consult materials in the Rare Book Room, please let us know.
  • Author search in the Library Catalog [last name/first name; browse list]
    • Author search for works by Atwood
    • Author search for works by Morrison
    • Author search for works by Plath
  • Author keyword search in the Library Catalog
    Includes edited collections that may contain a work by one of the authors as well as books that contain forewords or introductions by the authors.
    • Author keyword search for works by Atwood
    • Author keyword search for works by Morrison
    • Author keyword search for works by Plath
• Works held by other libraries
  • WorldCat
    Indexes books, periodicals, and other materials held by libraries around the world. Search WorldCat to identify additional books on your topic and then order the books on interlibrary loan.
    Note: It can be helpful to identify relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Library Catalog first; you can then do a subject search in WorldCat to find additional items with these subject headings.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: insert a "w" between the words in a phrase (for example, "cold w war")
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Consult bibliographies in reference works; they may list items, such as articles or essays, that aren't in WorldCat.

• Atwood
  • Margaret Atwood. Introduction Paul Zwieg. Compact disc. New York: Academy of American Poets, [1978].
    Little Library Stacks 811 A887p-cd
    Recorded at the Guggenheim Museum, 11 April 1978.
  • Margaret Atwood: Reading from her Poems. Compact disc. London: Poetry Archive, [2005?].
    Little Library Stacks 811 A887r-cd
    Audio clips of Atwood reading four of these poems are also available online.
  • Margaret Atwood reading "Unearthing Suite." Audio cassette. Columbia, MO: AAPL, [1983].
    Little Library Stacks 813 A887u
  • Margaret Atwood: Queen of CanLit, from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Archives
    Includes audio clips of several readings, including Up and Coming Poet, in which Atwood reads two of her early poems, "The Green Man" and "It is Dangerous to Read Newspapers."
  • O.W. Toad: Margaret Atwood Reference Site [Official site]
    Includes sound clips of Atwood reading from her poetry.
• Plath
  • "Fever 103," from the Poetry Foundation
    Includes a clip from the NPR Program "Poetry: Off the Shelf," with analysis of the poem and a recording of Plath reading it.
  • "Lady Lazarus," from the BBC
    Recorded by the British Council.
  • Poetry on Record: 98 Poets Read their Work, 1888-2006. 4 discs. Los Angeles: Shout Factory, 2006.
    Little Library Stacks 808.81 P7456
    Includes a recording of Plath reading "Daddy" (disc 3).
  • The Poet's Voice: Poets Reading Aloud and Commenting upon their Works. Ed. Stratis Haviaras. 6 cassettes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press, 1978.
    Little Library Stacks 811.08 P7453
    Plath is on tape 6.
  • "Sylvia Plath," from the Poetry Archive
    Includes clips of Plath reading "The Applicant" and "Parliament Hill Fields."

• Interviews are indexed in the following databases:
  • Academic Search Premier
    For Atwood and Morrison. Search for the author's name and add the word "interviews."
  • Biography Reference Bank
  • LexisNexis Academic
    For Atwood and Morrison.
  • Reader's Guide
    Search for the author's name and add the word "interview."
  and in the following print index:
  • Interviews and Conversations with 20th-Century Authors Writing in English: An Index. Stan A. Vrana. 3 vols. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow, 1982-1990.
    Reference R 016.82 V978i
• See also:
  • Interviews with Atwood
    • BBC Four: Audio Interviews: Margaret Atwood, from the BBC World Service (1996)
    • Interview (with Jan Castro). Audio cassette. Columbia, MO: AAPL, [1983].
      Little Library Stacks 813 A887xa
    • Margaret Atwood. Directed by Gillian Greenwood. DVD. Princeton, NJ: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 2002.
      Little Library Circulation Desk VC 1887g
      Originally broadcast as an episode of the British television program The South Bank Show in 1993. Includes both an interview with Atwood and a reading, by actress Nadia Cameron, of selections from The Robber Bride and Cat's Eye.
    • Margaret Atwood. Interviewer Hermione Lee. Videocassette. ICA Video, 1989.
      Little Library Circulation Desk VC A887
    • "Margaret Atwood." In Writers & Company: In Conversation with CBC Radio's Eleanor Wachtel. Toronto: Knopf Canada, 1993. 190-203.
      Little Library Stacks 810.9 W114w
    • Margaret Atwood: Conversations. Ed. Earl Ingersoll. New York: G. Braziller, 1990.
      Little Library Stacks 818 A887xi
    • Margaret Atwood: Once in August. Directed by Michael Rubbo. Videocassette. New York: Wombat Film & Video, 1987.
      Little Library Circulation Desk VC A887r
    • Margaret Atwood: Queen of CanLit, from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
      A collection of sound and video clips.
    • ... and many more on the Web.
  • Interviews with Morrison
    • Conversations with Toni Morrison. Ed. Danille Taylor-Guthrie. Jackson, MS: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 1994.
      Little Library Stacks 813 M882xt
    • Toni Morrison: Conversation. Ed. Carolyn Denard. Jackson, MS: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2008.
      Little Library Stacks 813 M882xd
    • ... and many more on the Web.

• Books
  • Library Catalog
    Includes information about books, government documents, and journals, magazines, and newspapers in the Library.
    • To locate videos, do a keyword search and limit your search by the format "video materials (VHS/DVD)."
    • To locate appropriate Library of Congress Subject Headings, start with a keyword search and then browse records.
    • To locate works about a person, do a subject search for the person's name (last name first).
    • To locate bibliographies on an author, literary work, or topic, do a keyword search and add the following: su bibliography.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use a dollar sign $
    • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • ebrary
    A collection of over 38,000 e-books published by over 220 academic, trade, and professional publishers; covers all subject areas. Also includes tools that allow you to create your own virtual bookshelf, bookmark pages, and add and save notes and highlights.
    Note: To read ebrary books, you need the ebrary Reader. This plugin is on all library and ITS computers, but if you are using your own computer, you can download it from the ebrary home page.
  • WorldCat
    Indexes books, periodicals, and other materials held by libraries around the world. Search WorldCat to identify additional books on your topic and then order the books on interlibrary loan.
    Note: It can be helpful to identify relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings in the Library Catalogue first; you can then do a subject search in WorldCat to find additional items with these subject headings.
    Search Syntax:
    • Truncation: use an asterisk *
    • Phrase searching: insert a "w" between the words in a phrase (for example, "cold w war")
    • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
• Articles
  Starting Points | Core Resources for English | Other Resources
  • Starting points
    • Academic Search Premier
      (1975 to present) Indexes popular and scholarly articles in a broad range of subject areas; also includes citations to book reviews and citations to articles in several national newspapers.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
      • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
    • OmniFile Full Text Mega
      (1982 to present) Indexes articles from over 3,000 scholarly and popular periodicals in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences; also includes the full text of selected articles from over 1,650 of these periodicals.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
  • Core Resources for English
    Print Sources | Online Sources
    • Print Sources
      • Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism
        • New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985-1990.
          Reference R 809 C5162
        • The Major Author's Edition of the New Moulton's Library of Literary Criticism. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985- .
          Reference R 809 C5163
        • Twentieth-Century American Literature. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985-1988.
          Reference R 809 C5166
      • Poetry Explication
        • Poetry Explication: A Checklist of Interpretation since 1925 of British and American Poems Past and Present. Joseph Marshall Kuntz. Rev. ed. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1980.
          Reference R 016.82 K96p3
        • Guide to British Poetry Explication. Nancy C. Martinez and Joseph G.R. Martinez. 4 vols. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1991-1995.
          Reference R 016.82 M385g
      • Short Fiction Criticism: A Checklist of Interpretation since 1925 of Stories and Novelettes (American, British, Continental) 1800-1958. Jarvis Thurston et al. Denver, CO: Alan Swallow, 1960.
        Reference R 016.8 T54s
      • Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication. Comp. Warren S. Walker. Hamden, CT: Shoestring Press, 1977- .
        Reference R016.8 W186t
        Includes supplements.
    • Online Sources
      • Annual Bibliography of English Language & Literature (ABELL)
        Indexes journal articles and books published from 1920 to present; also includes citations to book reviews. Covers all literatures in English as well as the English language, bibliography, textual studies, and the history of publishing.
        ABELL is a particularly good source of information about books published in the U.K. Many of these works do not appear in the MLAIB.
      • Literature Resource Center
        Contains full-text biographies, critical essays, journal articles, and excerpts of criticism and reviews about over 130,000 literary authors and their works; covers dramatists, essayists, novelists, poets, and other writers from all time periods.
        Includes nearly all of the content in the following series:
        • Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism
        • Literature Criticism from 1400-1800
        • Shakespearean Criticism: Excerpts from the Criticism of William Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry, from the First Published Appraisals to Current Evaluations
          Note: the Library has older print volumes of this series in Reference at call number R 822.33 DS5275.
        • Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism
          Note: the Library has older print volumes of this series in Reference at call number R 809.03 N714.
        • Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism
          Note: the Library has older print volumes of this series in Reference at call number R 809.04 T971.
        • Contemporary Literary Criticism
          Note: the Library has older print volumes of this series in Reference at call number R 809.04 C761.
        • Drama Criticism
        • Poetry Criticism
        • Short Story Criticism
          Note: the Library has older print volumes of this series in Reference at call number R 809 S559.
      • MLA International Bibliography
        (1926 to present). Indexes journal articles, books, and doctoral dissertations in the fields of English, American, European, Asian, African, and Latin American linguistics, modern languages and literatures, film studies, and folklore.
        For more information, see the MLAIB Search Planner.
        Search Syntax:
        • Truncation: use an asterisk *
        • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
        • Wildcard: use a question mark ?
  • Other Resources
    • Contemporary Women's Issues
      (1992 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, books, newsletters, and reports on all aspects of women's studies, including gender, sociology, education, political science, and health.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: automatic
      • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Essay & General Literature Index
      (1900 to present) Indexes chapters and essays in edited collections.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
    • Humanities Abstracts
      (1907 to present). Indexes articles in over 500 English-language journals in the fields of archaeology, art, classics, communication, film, folklore, history, languages and literatures, music, philosophy, religion, and theatre. Also includes citations for book, theatre, and film reviews as well as interviews, obituaries, and some original creative works. Includes the full text of selected articles from 1995 to the present.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: unnecessary when using "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks ""
      • Wildcard: do not use with "All - Smart Search"; otherwise, use a question mark ?
    • JSTOR
      Includes pdf copies of scholarly articles from a core collection of journals; also includes book reviews. Note:JSTOR does not contain articles from the most recent 3-5 years.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use a plus sign +
      • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Periodicals Index Online
      (c. 1665-1995) Indexes journal and magazine articles as well as book reviews in a broad array of humanities, social sciences, and science subjects.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: automatic
    • Project Muse
      Includes pdf and HTML copies of journal articles published by university and scholarly presses.
      Search Syntax:
      • Truncation: use an asterisk *
      • Phrase searching: use double quotation marks " "
    • Women Studies Abstracts
      Reference Index Area R 050 W872
      (1972 to present) Indexes popular articles, scholarly articles, and books on all aspects of women's studies, including history, education, gender, literature, religion, and art.