One of the best known and most widely read of early African American writers, Charles W. Chesnutt published more than fifty short stories, six novels, two plays

The American short story has always been characterized by exciting aesthetic innovations and an immense range of topics. This handbook offers students and resea

Provides a wide-ranging entry point and intervention into scholarship on nineteenth-century American letter-writingThis comprehensive study by leading scholars

This essential volume provides an overview of and introduction to African American writers and literary periods from their beginnings through the 21st century.

Throughout history, creative writers have often tackled topical subjects as a means to engage and influence public discourse. American authors—those born in t