Overview
Notable African American Writers compiles approximately 80 essays on great novelists, poets, playwrights, short-story writers, and writers of nonfiction from colonial America to today. Students, librarians and teachers will find a comprehensive overview of each author\'s biography and literary career as well as ready-reference listings of their major works in all genres. Each essay identifies the writer\'s major genres (e.g., "Novelist and poet") and provides information about birth and death dates and places. Chronological listings of the author\'s works by genre follow. The text of each essay is divided into several sections: "Achievements" sums up the author\'s reputation and literary honors, while "Biography" offers details about background and personal life. "Analysis" provides a comprehensive discussion of the writer\'s literary career in one or more major genres, with subsections for various works and themes. At the end of every essay is an up-to-date annotated bibliography that suggests secondary sources for further study.