Skip to Main Content

American Literature

Use this guide to identify research tools and strategies for the study of American Literature.

In the Stacks


Critical Series

  • The Cambridge Companion to... (also available online)

  • Critical Essays on American Literature

  • Modern Critical Interpretations

  • Twayne's American Authors (also available online)

  • Twayne's Masterwork Studies (about specific works)

  • Twayne's Studies in Short Fiction

Need a book the library does not own?

You can request the book through Interlibrary Loan.  Info and a downloadable form are available here!


To search for books available in other libraries, try using

WorldCat -- Search the holdings of more than 10,000 libraries to locate books and identify citation information.

OR

Library of Congress -- Access to the Library of Congress catalog and other online collections.


NOTE: Users do not need to identify a library that owns the book. Simply provide the appropriate information on the form and library staff will do the rest!

Is it a scholarly publisher?

Here are some of the scholarly publishers you'll find at Buhl Library:

  • Belknap
  • Blackwell
  • Gale
  • G. K. Hall
  • Praeger
  • Routledge
  • Sage
  • Salem
  • University Press (any)
  • Wiley
  • Wiley-Blackwell

In these eBook Collections

Introductory Criticism


Criticism by Author, Work, and/or Topic

Journal Article Databases

Journal articles are very specific. 

  • Finding articles is easier after you have read up on your topic.


Use more than one article database. 

  • No database searches everything.
  • For thorough research, use more than one database and try different search terms.

Need an article that isn't full text? Access the request form below.

Still unsure if a journal is scholarly, try Ulrich's.

Literary Criticism Websites

Sites By Author