Vaughn Library

Literary Criticism Resources

• Resources that can provide literary criticisms include:
• Books—found via the online catalog.
• Journal articles in 3 formats:
• Print—found in our Current Periodicals section (the Library retains issues for the most recent 2 years),

• Microfilm—specific articles found using literary indexes in conjunction with the Library’s Periodical List. Coverage spans numerous years.

• Electronic—accessed via the Library databases.

• To find books with criticisms:
• Use the online catalog.

• Often searching for the author of a particular work (whether short story, poem, play,etc.) rather than the work’s title is the best method.

• Default search screen in the online catalog is for a keyword search. A better option is to select the Advanced option and from the dropdown menu choose Subject Browse.

• Enter the author’s last name then first name.

• From the results returned, select those classified as Criticism and Interpretation.

• Use the Call no. for the books listed to find the book in the stacks.  You’ll need to check a book’s index and/or table of contents to see if a particular literary work is discussed.

• NOTE:  If you remove a book from the shelf, please do not reshelve it.  Place it on one of the carts at the ends of the stacks.

• To find journal articles discussing literary works:
• Articles in print--browse relevant  journals in our Current Periodicals section, such as:

American Literature                         Commentary

Comparative Literature                     English Journal

Explicator                                       The Kenyon Review

Renascence

Texas Studies in Literature and Language

• Microfilm copies of journal articles-- use the literary indexes on the first floor of the Library just east of the main staircase.

These indexes provide bibliographic information on articles (the article title, journal title, date of publication, and page numbers), not the actual article itself.  All of this information needs to be noted in order for you to find the proper reel of microfilm containing your article.  In addition to journal articles, these indexes will often indicate books that contain criticism on a particular work.

Many of the index entries have been annotated to let you know whether we have the microfilm or the book listed in the citation. For those that don’t have this indicated, you will need to refer to the Periodical List notebook to see whether the Library has microfilm for a specific journal titles. 

• For short stories use:

• Twentieth-Century Short Story Explication
• Critical Survey of Short Fiction—shelved with the indexes, this resource actually provides essays written by various scholars which include analysis of an author’s works.  Also available for poetry and drama.
• Additional Bibliography for Selected Short Stories

• For poetry use:
• Poetry Explication

· Critical Survey of Poetry

§ For plays use:

· Dramatic Criticism Index

· Modern Drama

· Drama Criticism

· Critical Survey of Drama

§ Additional Resources:

The following cover short stories, poetry, drama, and novels within specified time frames.  They act as indexes but do contain “significant passages” from published essays/articles that are referenced.  NOTE:  Some instructors permit use of the excerpted material, but others do not—be sure to check with your instructor.

· Contemporary Literary Criticism (CLC)—early volumes cover writers who died after 1959, more current volumes cover those still living or who died after 1999.

· Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism (TCLC)—authors who died between 1900-1999

· Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism (NCLC)—authors who died between 1800-1899.

· Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800—authors died 1400-1799

· Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism—authors from antiquity-14^th century

Microfilm holdings of journals are located on the 2^nd floor and are shelved alphabetically.  Four microfilm readers are available.  Help operating them may be obtained at the 2^nd floor Information Desk.

• Electronic copies of journal articles—use the online databases available at http://www.tjc.edu/library/webresources.htm Coverage spans many years.

Pertinent databases include:

§ Academic Search Complete (EBSCO)

§ Literary Reference Center (EBSCO)

Search the database using the author’s name and the name of the literary work (omitting all leading articles such as The or A or An).  For example:  Eudora Welty AND  Worn Path.  Long titles or those containing a number of articles within the title should be placed in quotation marks.

                  Questions or Comments:

Robin Insalaco Candy Dyson

rins@tjc.edu   903-510-2549          cdys@tjc.edu  903-510-2308