Reference Sources on Feminist Literary Criticism in the Clemson University Library

CUL designates Clemson call number

Abrams, M. H. A Glossary of Literary Terms. New York : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1988.
REF PN41 .A184 1988

Blaine, Virginia, Patricia Clements, and Isobel Grundy. The Feminist Companion to Literature in English: Women Writers from the Middle Ages to the Present. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 1990.
REF PR111 B57

Gilbert, Sandra and Susan Gubar. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. NY: W.W. Norton, 1985.
On Reserve: PS508.W7 N67 1985
Although now somewhat dated, still usually the best place to begin research on any women writer writing in English. Bibliographies in the back list all standard sources and highlight feminist essays.
EKS has new, 1996 edition.

Haber, Barbara. Women in America: A Guide to Books, 1963-1975. With an Appendix on Books Published 1963-1975 1981.
On Reserve: Z7964.U49 H3 1981

A standard reference in women's studies. Contents are arranged thematically; contains sections on Education, Feminism, History, Literature, the Fine Arts and Popular Culture, Psychology, and Sexuality--among others. Annotations are long and extremely informative. A good place to go to find summaries of feminist classics.

Humm, Maggie. The Dictionary of Feminist Theory. Columbus, Ohio State U P, 1990.

Focuses primarily on Anglo-American and French theory. Has entries for topics, terms, and people's names. Entries are short but mention main figures and sides in controversies; most entries cites at least three or four classic sources. Range of information is helpful to undergraduates but also useful for more advanced researchers. For example, A has entries on Abortion, Advertising, Louis Althusser, Androgyny, Anorexia, Architecture, Ti Grace Atkinson, among others.

Humm, Maggie, Modern Feminisms
On Reserve: HQ1190 .M63 1992

Jay, Gregory S., ed. Modern American critics since 1955. Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1988.
REF PN451 .D52 v. 67

Kramare, Cheris and Paula A Treichler. A Feminist Dictionary. Boston and London: Pandora Press, 1985.
CUL REF HQ1115 .K73 1985
This clearly political attempt to compensate for the masculinist biases of most available dictionaries can be useful to researchers for its compilation of citations from a wide range of women's writing. Entries not only give a thumbnail history of a given concept from the perspective of feminist scholarship but also quote liberally from the widest possible range of women's voices. Entries are often amusing and thought-provoking in their juxtaposition of points of view. Cross References are often very useful.
Lentricchia, Frank and Thomas McLaughlin, eds. Critical Terms for Literary Study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
On Reserve: PN81 .C84 1990

Salem, Dorothy C., Ed. African American Women: A Biographical Dictionary. NY: Garland, 1993.
CUL REF E185.96 .A45 1993

Searing, Susan E. Introduction to Library Research in Women's Studies. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1985.
CUL Z7961 S42 1985 (on reserve for class)
The first five chapters provide a useful guide to undergraduates on how to use the library, including a number of hints about how to find and narrow topics in Women's Studies; the rest of the book gets increasingly detailed and specific about sources in Women's Studies Research. A book that is useful to everyone from beginning student to experienced faculty.

Chapters 6 and 7 cover general sources, guides to reference works and broad bibliographies on Women's Studies. Chapter 8 breaks down interdisciplinary bibliographies and indexes according to the type of materials covered: books, articles in periodicals, newspapers, government publications, conference proceedings, and dissertations.

Chapter 9 is the longest section in the book, listing bibliographies and indexes in 17 special fields: Anthropology; the Arts; Business, Economics, and Labor; Education; Health and Medicine; History; Law and Criminology; Lesbian Studies; Linguistics; Literature; Minority Studies; National and Area Studies; Political Science; Psychology; Religion and Philosophy; Science and Technology; and Sociology.

The last seven chapters are about very specialized sources: library catalogues and guides to special collections and archives, special sources for locating biographical information, directories of organizations and services, and microform sources. The chapter on On-Line sources lists the most useful data bases for Women's Studies. The chapter on Periodicals lists only the names and dates of issue of major feminist periodicals, but does group them according to discipline. Particularly useful is Appendix C which lists all the review essays in Signs from Volume 1 (1975) to Volume 9 (1984). These omnibus review essays are frequently definitive descriptions of the literature in a given field.

Showalter, Elaine, consulting ed., Lee Baechler and A. Walton Litz, eds. Modern American Women Writers. NY: Scribner, 1991.
REF PS151 M54

Shult, Linda, Susan Searing, and Elli Lester-Massman, eds. Women, Race, and Ethnicity: A Bibliography. Madison: U of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian, 1991.
REF HQ1421 W6

Stineman, Esther. Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1979.
CUL REF Z7961 .S75 1979.
Another standard reference in the field; particularly useful coverage for those interested in literary topics. Contains sections on Anthropology, Autobiography, Business, Education, Fine Arts (including Photography, Film, and Music), History, Language and Linguistics, Law, Medicine (including Health, Sexuality, Biology), Politics and Political Theory, Religion and Philosophy, Sociology, Sports, and the Women's Movement and Feminist Theory. There are six separate sections on literature covering Anthologies, Drama, Essays, Fiction, History and Criticism, and Poetry; four separate sections on Reference cover Audiovisual resources, Bibliographies, Biographical materials, and General reference sources. Finally, there is a section describing 17 of the best, recent, women-related periodicals, including the offerings of some of the alternative presses.

Coverage only overlaps slightly with Haber. Annotations are very long and informative, often describing key debates in the field.

Loeb, Catherine.Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography, 1980-85.Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1987.
CUL REF Z7963 .F44 L63 1987
Update of previous Entry.

Tierney, Helen, ed. Women's Studies Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Views From the Sciences. Vol. 2. Literature, Arts, and Learning. New York: Greenwood Press, 1989.
CUL REF HQ1115 .W645 1989

Tuttle, Lisa. Encyclopedia of Feminism. NY: Facts on File, 1986.
CUL REF HQ115.T87 1986

This page has been accessed times since August 17, 1997.

Back to Feminist Lit Crit Home Page
Back to Elisa Sparks' Home Page

Website designed and maintained by Dr. Elisa Kay Sparks
sparks@hubcap.clemson.edu
Last update: 8/14/97

Reference Sources on Feminist Literary Criticism in the Clemson University Library

Gilbert, Sandra and Susan Gubar. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. NY: W.W. Norton, 1985. On Reserve: PS508.W7 N67 1985

Although now somewhat dated, still usually the best place to begin research on any women writer writing in English. Bibliographies in the back list all standard sources and highlight feminist essays. EKS has new, 1996 edition.

Haber, Barbara. Women in America: A Guide to Books, 1963-1975. With an Appendix on Books Published 1963-1975 1981. On Reserve: Z7964.U49 H3 1981

Kramare, Cheris and Paula A Treichler. A Feminist Dictionary. Boston and London: Pandora Press, 1985. CUL REF HQ1115 .K73 1985

Searing, Susan E. Introduction to Library Research in Women's Studies. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1985. CUL Z7961 S42 1985 (on reserve for class)

Stineman, Esther. Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1979. CUL REF Z7961 .S75 1979.

Loeb, Catherine.Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography, 1980-85.Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1987. CUL REF Z7963 .F44 L63 1987

Update of previous Entry.

Gilbert, Sandra and Susan Gubar. The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women. NY: W.W. Norton, 1985.
On Reserve: PS508.W7 N67 1985

Although now somewhat dated, still usually the best place to begin research on any women writer writing in English. Bibliographies in the back list all standard sources and highlight feminist essays.
EKS has new, 1996 edition.

Haber, Barbara. Women in America: A Guide to Books, 1963-1975. With an Appendix on Books Published 1963-1975 1981.
On Reserve: Z7964.U49 H3 1981

Kramare, Cheris and Paula A Treichler. A Feminist Dictionary. Boston and London: Pandora Press, 1985.
CUL REF HQ1115 .K73 1985

Searing, Susan E. Introduction to Library Research in Women's Studies. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1985.
CUL Z7961 S42 1985 (on reserve for class)

Stineman, Esther. Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1979.
CUL REF Z7961 .S75 1979.

Loeb, Catherine.Women's Studies: A Recommended Core Bibliography, 1980-85.Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1987.
CUL REF Z7963 .F44 L63 1987