Subject Expert
Ielleen Miller
she/her
Contact:
Office: JFK Library, U02C
Email: imiller@ewu.edu
Text or phone: 509.818.0559
Meet with Me (Office Hours):Wednesdays & Thursdays 3-5pm or by appointment, in person or via zoom.
Use the Schedule Research Consultation button above, for Mon-Fri 9-6pm. If you need to meet during the evening or weekend, please email me.
Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
- Oxford English Dictionary (OED) This link opens in a new windowOnline version of the most comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Offers definitions over time and contextual examples of usage, including the first written usage.
- Help with the OED OnlineNot sure how to do X and want to look through their documentation? Use this link to access quick guides as well as detailed information.
Find Biographical Info and Standard Literary Criticism
The library has a number of reference works online and in print that offer biographical information and general interpretations of major works. Gale Literary Sources is the largest online collection, but I have listed a few others to give you a taste of what we have in the Reference collection in the JFK Library.
- Gale Literature This link opens in a new windowSearch a wide variety of literature reference sets. While there are lots of articles, it's strength is biographical information on authors.
- Dictionary of Literary Biography (Gale Literature) This link opens in a new windowBiographical and critical essays covering (mostly) American and British authors. Essays range from 10-20 pages long and include lengthy suggested readings.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [British Authors]Call Number: EWU-Cheney Main Level Reference DA28 .O95 2004Publication Date: 2004To see if person X is in it, you can search https://www.oxforddnb.com/. It says if they are in the print (2004) or online. If it says there’s an updated entry online, you could do an interlibrary loan request for it.
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a collection of 50,000 specially written biographies of men and women who have shaped all aspects of the British past, from the earliest times to the end of the year 2000.
Encyclopedia of Feminist LiteratureCall Number: EWU-Cheney Main Level Reference PN471 .W455 2004Publication Date: 2004This reference includes alphabetically arranged entries on roughly 70 women writers whose works are widely read in English, and on some 20 related topics. The writers selected are feminist, in that their works have challenged traditional gender roles, explored female oppression, or critiqued patriarchal social structures. In addition to providing biographical information, the entries include interpretative summaries of major works.
Latino and Latina WritersPublication Date: 2004Provides in-depth biographical and critical essays on more than 50 Latino/Latina writers. Covering well-known writers, such as Sandra Cisneros and Luis J. Rodriguez, as well as lesser-known but still significant authors, such as Tino Villanueva and Achy Obegas, this new set gives researchers detailed coverage of the,vibrant works of literature written by Cuban, Dominican, Chicano and Puerto Rican authors. In addition, seven thematic essays consider each writers works in relation to music, language, feminism and other key topics.
African WritersPublication Date: 1997eBook version of 2-volume set focusing on biographical information
The Encyclopedia of African-American WritingPublication Date: 2018"Covers the role and influence of African American cultural leaders, from all walks of life, from the 18th century to the present."
Keeping Up with What Was Published on X Author
- American Literary ScholarshipUse the Project MUSE version. And they are a few years behind in publication. Want to read up on the latest scholarship on major American authors or specific timeframes? Bibliographic, evaluative essays on the scholarship for the prior two years. Each essay is around 15-20 pages long.
Find Background Info for History, Culture, etc.
If you'd like an overview of an event or culture. Think Wikipedia-like, but entries are written by scholars. We have a number of specialized encyclopedias in print as well -- ask Ielleen for recommendations.
- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowScholarly encyclopedias and reference works on a wide variety of topics: business, ASCD publications in education, environment, history, law, literature, medicine, sciences, and the social sciences. Formerly named Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL).
- EWU Library Catalog This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Along with books and articles, the Library Catalog includes encyclopedia entries. Type in your general topic and use the limiter Reference Entries under Format
But I'd rather watch a video...
For contemporary authors, you can easily find interviews, readings, or talks given via YouTube.
We also have two databases with thousands of streaming documentaries.
- Academic Video Online (AVON) This link opens in a new windowDocumentaries, feature films, performances, interviews, news programs and newsreels, demonstrations, and raw footage.
- Kanopy Streaming Videos This link opens in a new windowThousands of streaming videos. Please note whether title is "in collection" or "request access." The latter is for faculty to request a video for their class.
Resources for Critical Theories, Literary Terms, Etc.
We have a mix of eBook and print reference books for defining critical theories, literary terms, etc.
- Excerpts from Longman Dictionary of Literary TermsOffers concise (1-4 paragraph) definitions of some of the critical theories assigned by Dr. Torgerson.
Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory, 5th EditionPublication Date: 2013Can download as a PDF the entire book.
"With new entries and sensitive edits, this fifth edition expands on the previous edition to incorporate the most recent literary terminology. New material is particularly focused in areas such as gender studies and queer theory, post-colonial theory, post-structuralism, post-modernism, narrative theory, and cultural studies. Existing entries have been edited to ensure that topics receive balanced treatment."
Encyclopedia of Literature and CriticismPublication Date: 1990ProQuest eBook, so you'll have to log in first.
"Offers lengthy discussions of the major literary criticism lenses: Marxist, New Criticism, Structuralism & Post-Structuralism, Feminist, Psychoanalytic, Deconstruction, and New Historicism. In 90 essays by leading international critics and scholars, the volume covers both traditional topics such as literature and history, poetry, drama and the novel, and also newer topics such as the production and reception of literature."
New Dictionary of the History of IdeasPublication Date: 2004Gale 6-volume online encyclopedia
Offers concise entries on all aspects of academic thought, not just literary methodologies. But the major methodologies are present.Literary Movements for Students: Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Literary Movements by
Publication Date: 20092-volume online encyclopedia offering concise entries on major literary movements (absurdism to transcendentalism), with an introduction to the movement; discussion of representative authors and works; analysis of predominant themes; and an explanation of related literary techniques. Includes a glossary of literary terms.
Encyclopedia of Themes in LiteraturePublication Date: 2011Presents an encyclopedia of themes in literature in an alphabetical format listing authors and their works.
Print Reference Works
The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference - PN44.5 .M86 2003Publication Date: 2003"The Bedford Glossary presents definitions of more than 700 literary and critical terms for today's student."
Longman Dictionary of Literary TermsCall Number: JFK Main Level Reference - PN44.5 .K46 2006Publication Date: 2006
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference - PN81 .J554 2005Publication Date: 2004"While concentrating on the explosion of contemporary critical and theoretical works, the Guide presents a comprehensive historical survey of ideas and individuals ranging from Plato and Aristotle to twentieth-century scholars. It includes more than 240 alphabetically arranged entries on critics and theorists, critical schools and movements, and the critical and theoretical innovations of specific countries and historical periods."
Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference - PN44.5 .H37 2000Publication Date: 2000"Now in its fourth edition, the critically acclaimed Glossary of Contemporary Literary Theory has been thoroughly revised and expanded to include over 70 important new terms and usages from this volatile and fast-changing field."
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory by Call Number: JFK Main Level Reference - PN98.W64 E53 1997Publication Date: 1997"Features-in quick and convenient form-precise definitions of important terms and concise summaries of the salient ideas of critics working in the field who have made significant contributions to feminist literary studies, and points out how a feminist perspective has affected the development of emerging ideas and intellectual practices."
