The Concise Oxford Companion to African American Literature - Softcover

"Andrews, Foster Smith and Harris have come together again to co-edit this concise edition....It has...reproduced in full the excellent critical articles, entries on major works, synopses of novels that made the parent volume such a valuable reference tool, and has updated the bibliographies with the titles of works published since 1997....[A] pleasure to have, and consult over and over again."--Kliatt "This abbreviated version...retains the parent work's devotion to highlighting the writers and writings that have made African American literature valuable and distinctive."--Choice "A comprehensive collection of African American writers includes contributions from Frederick Douglass, Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, and many others."--Forecast "Here you'll find information on such well-known writers as Zora Neale Hurston, Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison, as well as summaries of major works....Character types such as Aunt Jemima are discussed, along with such literary characters as Kunta Kinte."--The Orlando Sentinel

This abridgement of The Oxford Companion to African American Literature will make the entries of the greatest general interest available to a wider audience, providing the same calibre of scholarship and information as the original volume. The Concise collects more than 400 biographies (authors, critics, literary characters and historical figures) of both well-known figures and the lives and careers of writers not found in other reference works. The abridgement also includes the 150 plot summaries of major works. The editors briefly update the biographic details for author entries to include mention of major new works, death dates, and awards since the Companion's 1997 publication. A revised introduction, contributors list, subject index, cross-references, and updated bibliographical notes are also included. The volume reprints in its entirety the five-part fifteen page essay, "Literary History", capturing the full sweep of African American writing in the U.S. from the colonial and early national eras to the present day.