Portions of this book appeared in a somewhat modified form in The Reader's encyclopedia of American literature (T.Y. Crowell, 1962) and in Benet's reader's encyclopedia, 3d ed. (Harper & Row, 1987). Some 1,500 entries are new; those that are not new have been revised and updated. The scope is American literature from the period of European exploration to the 1990s, with emphasis on the US but including extensive coverage of Canada and Latin America. Entries include writers and writings, literary groups and movements, newspapers and other periodicals, and literary terms; also within the alphabetical arrangement are broad historical and topical essays. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. Read Less