Greenwood Press.

Greenwood Press

Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007

www.greenwood.com

Greenwood's publications include a wealth of college-level references on literature both modern and traditional, and these are some top picks. Sanford Sternlicht's MASTERPIECES OF MODERN BRITISH AND IRISH DRAMA (0313333238, $45.00) provides an overview of Modernist literature as well as 10 British/Irish dramatic masterpieces which illustrate it. A historical introduction leads to analysis of plots, discussions of major themes in plays, and a greater understanding of the Modernist influence in British and Irish works. For its American counterpart, choose Susan C.W. Abbotson's MASTERPIECES OF 20TH-CENTURY AMERICAN DRAMA (0313332231, $45.00): each chapter is devoted to a particular work, analyzing such classics as Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town', Arthur Miller's 'Crucible', and Edward Albee's 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' Each analysis not only summaries the plots, themes and characters, but gives historical background on setting and plot and includes a biography and critical overview. Joan Lord Hall's A WINTER'S TALE: A GUIDE TO THE PLAY (0313328188, $75.00) joins others in the 'Greenwood Guides to Shakespeare' series in narrowing the focus to one of Shakespeare's most unusual plays. The play blended tragedy and comedy and is still much-discussed in both high school and college classrooms: Hall's analysis is a 'must' supplement to the play and lends to classroom discussion of themes, characters and Shakespeare's intentions. Kirstin Olsen's COOKING WITH JANE AUSTEN (0313334633, $55.00) is a notable, different ' Feasting with Fiction' addition which shows how Austen drew upon her domestic experience to color her works. Readers of Austen know food is central to her novels: COOKING WITH JANE AUSTEN packs in not only recipes for the dishes featured in her works, but discusses their background, appearance in her writings, and importance to her times. A compelling, unique coverage. Richard T. Gray, Ruth V. Gorss, et.al.'s A FRANZ KAFKA ENCYCLOPEDIA (0313303754, $125.00) is a 'must' reference for any college-level colletion including Kafka studies: over 800 alphabetically arranged entries cover his works, characters, themes, and times. Many of the detailed entries include further bibliographic references, making A FRANZ KAFKA ENCYCLOPEDIA invaluable to in-depth papers. Teachers, parents, and any who would present literature to young adults will want to make FROM HINTON TO HAMLET, 2ND EDITION: BUILDING BRIDGES BETWEEN YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE AND THE CLASSICS by Susan K. Herz and Donald R. Gallo (0313324522, $39.95) part of their required reading. The second revised, expanded edition provides educators with thematic groupings built upon recent young adult literature which can be used as popular bridges to less-popular classic writings. The goal is to help teens become readers and confident critics of what they read: the pairing of required classics and young adult literature around themes enables educators to make important connections. Victoria Boynton and Jo Malin edit ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WOMEN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY (0313327378, $249.95), a 2-volume reference recommended for college-level collections strong in women's studies. The literary contributions of women across cultures as well as through the ages are revealed in a reference which juxtaposes literary and historical events with women's lives, considering writings from letters and memoirs to life narratives and autobiographical fiction. The result is an excellent, detailed reference packed with almost 200 entries contributed by over 130 experts. Bernard K. Duffy and Richard W. Leeman edit AMERICAN VOICES: AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CONTEMPROARY ORATORS (0313327904, $125.00), which follows the critical moments, issues, and writings of modern American speakers through the decades. Each entry covers both speaker and speech, providing historical background, biographical information, and insights on the orator's major speeches and their impact. As a survey of modern American speakers, it's a recommended pick for college-level collections. Melissa Simpson's FLANNERY O'CONNOR: A BIOGRAPHY (03332990, $29.95) deserves a place in any serious college-level O'Connor collection: it provides a survey of her life, her writings, and her influence as a Southern writer. The timeline and bibliography of books, articles and sources will aid vastly in student research, while the chapters surveying her publications and influences will help readers of O'Conner's works understand her approach. Nicole Howard's THE BOOK: THE LIFE STORY OF A TECHNOLOGY (031333028X, $45.00) surveys the fine art of the printed book, providing a review of the history of its development over the centuries and around the world, discussing early books and their differences from later productions, and reviewing all the technical skills needed to produce a book right up to modern times.