Start with Reference Books

Find general, background information on your author and work, try searching Gale's online Literary Index. Use Title search to find your work; use Author search to find your author. This will retrieve a list of reference books in which your author and/or his work appears. Check Tri-C's online catalog to see if we own the books, or ask at the Reference Desk on the 4th floor of the Library.

You might also try the following:

1. Poetry for Students, REF 808.81 P745s, Vols. 1-29
   
2. Poetry Criticism, REF 809.1 P745c, Vols. 1-80
3. Novels for Students, REF 809.005 N939s, Vols. 1-29
   
4. Short Stories for Students, REF 809.3105 S559s, Vols. 1-20
   
5. Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism, REF 809.034 N714c
   

You will find biographical information about your author, themes used, context, and interpretations by other people.

Use the information that you find in these reference books to find additional books and articles on your author/work.

To cite the excerpts that you find in Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism, use these examples.