LibGuides: English 222.01: American Short Fiction: Finding Criticism

Using the Library Catalog

The first place to check for books on your topic is the UR Library Catalog. Here are some quick tips for effective catalog searches:

If you are looking for books by a writer, use the Author search.

If you want books about an author, use the Subject search..

Most books by and about an author are shelved together, so once you have a few call numbers, you can browse.

If you're looking for a particular short story or an essay, a Keyword search works best. It may be in an anthology, far away from other books by or about its author.

Some useful subject headings are:

Short stories, American--Women authors

Short stories, American--African American authors

Short stories, American--Indian authors

If you discover a book, chapter, or essay by using the MLA Bibliography, search the catalog for the title of the book to see if we own it.

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Top 10 Resources for Short Story Criticism

Academic Search Complete This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on most topics. This multi-disciplinary database is a good place to start if you don't know where else to begin. (EBSCO)
MLA International Bibliography with Full Text This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on topics related to the study of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric/composition, and folklore. (EBSCO)
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
Search for biographies, overviews, and critical analysis of literary topics, authors, and their works. (Gale)
Humanities International Complete This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on topics related to the humanities. (EBSCO)
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on topics in the arts, humanities, social sciences and some math/science. Most journals have volumes/issues dating from the 19th century to within 3-5 years of present day. (ITHAKA)
Project Muse This link opens in a new window
Search for journal articles on topics related to the arts, humanities, and social sciences. (Project MUSE)
Short Story Criticism (Literature Criticism Online) This link opens in a new window
Search for literary criticism on short stories. (Gale)
Gale Literature: Scribner Writer Series This link opens in a new window
Access biographical and critical essays on the lives and works of important authors from around the world. (Gale)
Gale Literature: Twayne's Author Series This link opens in a new window
Access critical introductions to the lives and works of writers, to the history and influence of literary movements, and to the development of literary genres. (Gale)

The Cambridge Companion to the American Short Story by Michael J. Collins (Editor); Gavin Jones (Editor)
ISBN: 9781009292818
Publication Date: 2023-04-30
This Companion offers students and scholars a comprehensive introduction to the development and the diversity of the American short story as a literary form from its origins in the eighteenth century to the present day.
The Cambridge Companion to Nineteenth-Century American Women's Writing by Dale M. Bauer (Editor); Philip Gould (Editor)
ISBN: 1139000195
Publication Date: 2006-05-28
Providing an overview of the history of writing by women in the period, this 2001 Companion establishes the context in which this writing emerged, and traces the origin of the terms which have traditionally defined the debate.