ENGN 481C - CONTEMPORARY ETHNIC AMERICAN DRAMA   

  Alderman Library Presentation

 

LIBRARY RESOURCES

Library Web Page (http://www.lib.virginia.edu/)

Links to VIRGO, journal indexes, dictionaries, encyclopedias, electronic texts, etc.

 

English Subject Page (http://www.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/English/resources.php)

Annotated list of links to important reference sources for English literature

 

VIRGO (http://virgo.lib.virginia.edu/)

Find what the library owns, including electronic materials. Use "Other Databases" to find journal and newspaper indexes, dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc. Renew and recall books that are checked out.

 

Sample Searches:      asian american drama; moraga cherrie

Truncation:                 theat$ for theater, theatre

Wildcard:                    latin? for latino, latina

Booleans:                   theater or drama; ‘indians of north america’ and drama

‘african american’ and (drama or theater) and bibliography

 

COMPREHENSIVE DATABASES

Literature Resource Center (LRC)

Includes the full text of articles from the Dictionary of Literary Biography and Contemporary Authors (wonderful sources for author biographies!) along with encyclopedia entries, journal articles and book chapters about literary works and topics.

 

Literature Online (LION)

The "Criticism and Reference" search includes the Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature and references from articles and books.

 

 

OTHER BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES

VIRGO

Use subject searches, e.g. amiri baraka and biography

 

Biography Resource Center (Web)

Includes full-text sketches, articles, and portraits.

 

Biography and Genealogy Master Index (Web)

Tells you where you can find biographical information.  Good for minor characters, as well as major.

 

 

THEATER REVIEWS AND POPULAR PRESS

LexisNexis

Lots of full-text newspaper coverage.  To find reviews, do a Guided News Search and select Arts & Sports News => Book, Movie, Music & Play Reviews.  Covers mostly 1990-present, but in some cases may go back further.

 

ProQuest Historical Newspapers

Full back runs of  the New York Times (1851-1999), Wall Street Journal (1889-1995), Chicago Tribune (1890-1969), and Washington Post (1877-1987).  For more recent coverage, use LexisNexis.

 

ARTICLE FINDERS

MLA International Bibliography

Best online index to scholarly articles in the literature of modern languages. Journal articles and multi-author works are listed. Coverage from 1963 to the present. (Also available through Literature Resource Center.)

 

Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature

Indexes "monographs, periodical articles, critical editions of literary works, book reviews, collections of essays and doctoral dissertations published anywhere in the world." Coverage from 1920 to 2000. Good supplement to MLA. (Also available through Literature Online).

 

InfoTrac OneFile

Very general – includes articles in popular magazines as well as scholarly journals, covering a broad range of subject areas. Can be useful for reviews.

 

 

ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND DICTIONARIES

Encyclopedia Britannica

Fully searchable and browsable; contains many links to related external web sites.

 

Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.)

Updated quarterly; features both simple and advanced search interfaces.

 

 

STYLE MANUALS

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing  PN147.G444 1998 (Ref Desk)

MLA Style: Documenting Sources from the World Wide Web

 

 

A FEW REFERENCE BOOKS

 

Contemporary Authors (series): Z 1224 .C6

 

Dictionary of Literary Biography (series): PN466 .D52

 

Liu, Miles Xian. Asian American Playwrights : A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2002. PS338 .A74 A9 2002

 

Nelson, Emmanuel S. African American Dramatists : An A-to-Z Guide. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2004. PS338 .N4 A69 2004

 

Peterson, Bernard L. Contemporary Black American Playwrights and their Plays : A Biographical Directory & Dramatic Index. New York: Greenwood Press, 1988.                         PS 153 .N5 P43 1988

 

Peterson, Jane T. Women Playwrights of Diversity : A Bio-Bibliographical Sourcebook. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 1997.  PS338 .W6 P48 1997

 

 

Chris Ruotolo   |   ruotolo@virginia.edu   |   982-2652

http://www.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/English/guides/ENGN481.html   |   last updated 1 September 2005