Biographical Sources About Authors
Note: Items with REF in the call number can
be found in the Reference Collection on 1st floor.
To find biographical information about authors, do a subject search using the Library Catalog. Note: capitalization and punctuation are ignored. To locate biographical information about a specific author, use "author's last name first name biography" when doing a subject search. For example, to locate biographical materials about John Steinbeck, type:
steinbeck john biography
To perform a subject search for general biographical information, there are several resources found under subject headings like the following examples:
author biography
bio-bibliography periodicals
literature bio-bibliography
authors 20th century biography
biography dictionariesTo locate biographical information about authors who wrote in a particular country during specific time periods, the following subject headings are examples to use:
authors American 18th century
author English 20th century
authors Caribbean 20th centurySimilar subheadings may be applied to racial groups or other nationalities. Examples are as follows:
authors black
authors French
authors EnglishIt is also possible to locate biographical information about authors by examining the subject headings under a specific type of literature. Examples are as follows:
American literature Afro-American authors
American literature women authors
English literature 20th century bio-bibliography
American literature dictionaries
English literature dictionariesYou may also locate biographical information by examining subject headings under a specific type of author. Examples are as follows:
Afro-American authors biography
women authors English
women authors AmericanIndexes to Biographical Sources on Authors
Research Guide to Biography and Criticism
This reference work includes the author's chronology, a bibliography of the author's works, biographical sources, and critical sources.Abridged Biography and Genealogy Master Index
This index provides access to over 2,150,000 citations to biographical information and is an excellent place to start biographical research.Author Biographies Master Index
This is a guide to biographical information on authors both living and deceased.MLA International Bibliography
(Search MLA International Bibliography using EBSCOhost on Search for Articles)
This reference tool indexes scholarship in modern languages, literature, and folklore with bibliographic data for more than 3,000 journal and book titles. Author, subject, and title indexing are available. A print version (1969-1990 only) is also available under the call numberBiographical Information on American Authors
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American Literature
"It includes discussions of individual authors, notable texts,and literary movements, institutions and--for lack of a better term--aggregations (such as the academic novel or the production of "little magazines").American Writers
This resource provides information about the lives, careers, and works of American authors.American Writers Before 1800: A Biographical and Critical Dictionary
This work includes lengthy articles on the lives, careers, and works of American authors.Chicano Literature: A Reference Guide
A compilation of biographical and critical essays on Mexican-American writers, the guide includes a chronology of Chicano literature, a glossary, and a bibliography of general works.Fifty Western Writers
Biographical information, a survey of criticism, and a bibliography for further reading are included in this compilation of authors of Western American literature. Two volumes cover time periods before 1900 and 1900-present.Fifty Southern Writers
Biographical information, a survey of criticism, and a bibliography for further reading are included in this compilation of authors from the American South. Two volumes cover time periods before 1900 and 1900-present.Major Modern Black American Writers
This work includes information on major African-American authors.Dictionary of Native American Literature
Biographical and critical information is presented on many American Indian writers. The book covers the oral tradition as well as written literature.Biographical Information on Children's Authors
Black Authors and Illustrators of Children's Books: A Biographical Dictionary
Sketches of black authors and illustrators whose works have been published in the U.S., Africa, Canada or Great Britain are available here. Bibliographies are provided that include a selection of the author's or illustrator's works.Authors and Artists for Young Adults
This series bridges the gap between Something About the Author and Contemporary Authors by giving biographical information about authors of young adult literature.Writers of Multicultural Fiction for Young Adults: A Biocritical Sourcebook
Each entry consists of a biographical introduction to the author, an overview of major young adult works, a section on the critical reception of the author's writings, a bibliography of works by the author, and a selected bibliography of criticism.Something About the Author
Biographical sketches of contemporary authors and illustrators of children's books are included.Biographical Information on European Authors
European Writers
Biographical information is provided along with a survey of the principal writings and an assessment of the work as a whole. A bibliography includes biographical and critical publications. Each volume contains a list of included authors.Reader's Encyclopedia of Eastern European Literature
This covers biographical and critical information on writers from Eastern European countries, including Russia. Historical analyses and discussions of oral-tradition texts are presented.British Writers
Biographical information is provided, along with a survey of the principal writings and an assessment of the work as a whole. A bibliography includes biographical and critical publications. Each volume contains a list of included authors.A Biographical Dictionary of Irish Writers
This book provides biographical and critical information on many Irish writers. Sections on writers in English, Irish, and Latin are included.Biographical Information on Women Authors
Bloomsbury Guide to Women's Literature
This guide includes brief selected biographical sketches of women in literature and provides a history of women's literature.An Encyclopedia of Continental Women Writers
This reference work, in two volumes, details the lives of European women writers. Biographical and critical information is presented.Modern Women Writers
This four-volume set presents biographical and critical information on women writers throughout the world. Political motivations and the historical context are discussed.American Women Writers
Biographical essays and bibliographies for further research are included.The Oxford Companion to Women's Writing in the United States
This book presents biographical and critical information on American women writers both living and deceased. A social history is also included.Modern American Women Writers
Biographical essays are presented on 41 modern American women writers. Critical information as well as bibliographies are also included.British Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide
Included are short biographical essays on British women writers from various time periods.An Encyclopedia of British Women Writers
Women writers from all time periods are included if a significant portion of their lives were spent in the British Commonwealth.Great Women Mystery Writers: Classic to Contemporary
Entries are written by a scholar in the field and contain a biography and critical analysis. An author/pseudonym index is included.Biographical Information on World Authors
Larousse Dictionary of Writers
A compilation of information about an enormous number of authors, this source includes entries on familiar names as well as some of the most neglected figures in world literature.Cyclopedia of World Authors
These volumes provide brief introductions to the lives and works of 705 modern writers.Critical Survey of Long Fiction: Foreign Language Series (Authors)
This features sections on achievements, biographical information, analysis, and a bibliography for further reading.The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature
This book presents biographical entries for many Canadian authors.Fifty Caribbean Writers
This volume includes bio-bibliographical sketches for various Caribbean authors.Critical Survey of Poetry (Authors)
Critical Survey of Drama (Authors)
Critical Survey of Long Fiction: English Language Series (Authors)
These series feature sections on achievements, biographical information, analysis, and a bibliography for further reading.Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature
A short critical essay, biography, and bibliography are included for each Latin American author.Great Literature of the Eastern World
Biographical entries on authors of the major works of prose, poetry, and drama from China, Japan, Korea, and the Middle East are presented here.Modern Japanese Novelists: A Biographical Dictionary
This book contains lengthy biographical essays on modern Japanese novelists along with bibliographies of English-language sources on the author.Contemporary Authors
A guide to current writers of fiction, general nonfiction, poetry, journalism, drama, motion pictures, television, and more, the set includes brief biographical sketches, a list of writings, and sources for further biographical information. Contemporary Author's Guide is designed to help patron's use this series. There is a cumulative index.Dictionary of Literary Biography
This large set covers world literature from all time periods. Entries present biographical information, literary criticism, and a list of references for each author. Some entries are as short as 200 words, but major authors may have entries as long as 15,000 words.Twentieth Century Science-Fiction Writers
Included here are mainly 20th-century English language writers, but some important precursors to the genre are also covered.Interlibrary Loan
If a book or periodical article needed is not owned by Owens Library, click here to complete an online Interlibrary Loan form.
All quoted material is from the respective source.
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