A guide to literature by and about African Americans organizes entries into historical periods, and provides information on individual authors and genres.
Besides being of use to readers seeking to locate the significant works of individual authors such as Rita Dove (e.g., her 1989 poetry collection, A L'Opera ) or Jawanza Junjufu ( Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys , 1983), this volume also places the literature of and by African Americans in the context of authors, genres, and historical periods from 1750-1860, 1860-1900, 1900-1940, and 1940 to the present. Entries within each period each with an introduction on its dominant themes cover a diverse range of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and literary criticism. Alas, there are no photos. Richards teaches English at Colgate U.; Schlager heads a Chicago-based editorial services company he founded. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
