Handbook of American-Jewish Literature: An Analytical Guide to Topics, Themes, and Sources

New York: Greenwood Press, 1988. First printing. Hardcover. g to vg. Quarto. XII, [2], 539, [1]pp. Original blue cloth with gold lettering on spine and front cover. Jewish American literature holds an essential place in the literary history of the United States. It encompasses traditions of writing in English, primarily, as well as in other languages, the most important of which has been Yiddish. While critics and authors generally acknowledge the notion of a distinctive corpus and practice of writing about Jewishness in America, many writers resist being pigeonholed as 'Jewish voices'. Also, many nominally Jewish writers cannot be considered representative of Jewish American literature, one example being Isaac Asimov. Focusing on the Jewish contribution to American writing, this guide offers a comprehensive view of Jewish identity and experience in American society, together with important bibliographic information for the scholar or researcher. In 18 essays written by a distinguished group of specialists, it provides a wealth of fact, interpretation, and commentary relating to American-Jewish literature, criticism, and other writing published since the 1880s. Ex-library copy (Waldor Memorial Library) with stamp on inside of front cover, and bookplate on front free endpaper.