This American Literature guide has been developed to help you find works by American authors, as well as, information about American authors and the historical context of the author and their work. This guide will help you find the short stories, novels, poems, and plays written by Americans. If you seek analysis, criticism, or explication of literary works, see the Literary Criticism guide.
Many examples of classic literature are freely available on the internet. These books, stories and poems can be published online because the copyright terms of the works have expired and they are in the Public Domain. Note that online versions of texts may not match republished print editions.
Helpful Meta-Site
Meta-Sites are sites that contain links to a large number of other websites. Usually Meta-Sites are designed to connect users to a multitude of websites in a specific area of study.
Finding Books, Videos and More in the Library
To find materials BY an author, enter as an Author Search [Twain, Mark]
To search the Title of a novel or short story collection, enter as a Title Search or Keyword. Also, if you are certain of the title, use quotation marks (" ") around the title. ["adventures of huckleberry finn"]
To find materials ABOUT an author or his or her works, enter as a Subject Search [Twain, Mark]
Take a look at InfoBase ebooks to find classic literature.
See Literary Crticism for more information.
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Searching by Subject Headings
To identify materials about a particular type of literature, consider the following subject headings:
|
Novelists, American American Drama American Fiction Authors, American Poets, American |
American Essays American Poetry American Literature-History and Criticism Dramatists, American Short Stories, American |
Call Number Range
Use these call number ranges to browse the General Collection and the Reference Collection.
| PS700-PS893 American literature, Colonial period, 17th and 18th centuries |
| PS991-PS3390 American literature, 19th century |
| PS3500-PS3549 American literature, 1900-1960 |
| PS3550-PS3576 American literature, 1961-2000 |
| PS3600-PS3626 American literature, 2001- |
Literature on the Web
Many examples of classic literature are freely available on the internet. These books, stories and poems can be published online because the copyright terms of the works have expired and they are in the Public Domain. Note that online versions of texts may not match republished print editions.
Checking out Materials
Most books, videos and software in the general collection can be checked out and brought home with you for free.
- DVDs, Videos, and audio CDs can be checked out for 14 days.
- Most books can be checked out for 28 days.
The only books that cannot be checked out have the letters REF on the label on the side or front of the book. REF means the book is a Reference book and can only be used in the Library. Some items in the CCIC (College and Career Information Collection) may also be in-Library use only.
You need a COD Library Card to check things out of the library. You can get a Library card at the Circulation Desk located near both entrances to the Library.
Search the Library's Catalog
Find author biographies in the Library's Online Catalog. Start by searching for the author's name followed by biography. For example:
To further narrow your search, use the limiters on the left-hand side of the screen. The most helpful limiters for this search are under Format (limit to Books) and Content (limit to Biography).
To check out books, or access ebooks online, you will need a COD Library Card.
Browse the Shelf
Reference Books
Reference books are located on the first floor of the library (second floor of the SRC).
- American Writers; A Collection of Literary Biographies
Leonard Unger and Jay Parini : PS129 .A55 - Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook
PN451 .D52 - Author Biographies Master Index
PN 452 .A8x
Call Numbers
American author biographies are spread throughout the American Literature Section of the collection. Biographies of individual authors tend to be located close to their actual works.
| PS126-138 American literature, Biographies |
| PS700-PS893 American literature, Colonial period, 17th and 18th centuries |
| PS700-PS893 American literature, Colonial period, 17th and 18th centuries |
| PS991-PS3390 American literature, 19th century |
| PS3500-PS3549 American literature, 1900-1960 |
| PS3550-PS3576 American literature, 1961-2000 |
| PS3600-PS3626 American literature, 2001- |
Databases
Biographical information for American authors can be found in the following Library Databases. They can be accessed on the Databases webpage. To access these databases off-campus, use your COD Library card.
- Credo Reference
- Encyclopedia Britannica
- History Study Center
- Literature Resource Center
- Project Muse
- Salem Literature
Helpful Websites
Use the websites below to search for American Author biographies. Often, more prominent authors have individual websites dedicated entirely to their life and work. Try a Google search with "author name" in quotes, then browse for organizations, foundations, educational (.edu), or government (.gov) websites on that author. Check out the Evaluating Websites Guide for more information on choosing appropriate web resources.
- Perspectives in American Literature
Includes biographical information on American Authors from Puritanism to Postmodernism. - The American Writers Museum
- American Writers
- Poets.org
- Poetry Foundation