If you are looking to brush up on your literary knowledge, check a favorite authors work, or see a years bestsellers at a glance, The Chronology of American Literature is the perfect resource. At once an authoritative reference and an ideal browsers guide, this book outlines the indispensable information in Americas rich literary past--from major publications to lesser-known gems--while also identifying larger trends along the literary timeline. Who wrote the first published book in America? When did Edgar Allan Poe achieve notoriety as a mystery writer? What was Hemingways breakout title? With more than 8,000 works by 5,000 authors, The Chronology makes it easy to find answers to these questions and more. Authors and their works are grouped within each year by category: fiction and nonfiction; poems; drama; literary criticism; and publishing events. Short, concise entries describe an authors major works for a particular year while placing them within the larger context of that writers career. The result is a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of some of Americas most prominent writers. Perhaps most important, The Chronology offers an invaluable line through our literary past, tying literature to the American experience--war and peace, boom and bust, and reaction to social change. Youll find everything here from Benjamin Franklins "Experiments and Observations on Electricity," to Davy Crocketts first memoir; from Thoreaus "Civil Disobedience" to Edith Whartons Ethan Frome; from meditations by James Weldon Johnson and James Agee to poetry by Elizabeth Bishop. Also included here are seminal works by authors such as Rachel Carson, Toni Morrison, John Updike, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Lavishly illustrated--and rounded out with handy bestseller lists throughout the twentieth century, lists of literary awards and prizes, and authors birth and death dates--The Chronology of American Literature belongs on the shelf of every bibliophile and literary enthusiast. It is the essential link to our literary past and present.