A reference guide to American literature, with more than four hundred entires devoted to aspects of American history, literary movements, influential writers and key texts. It is suitable for students of American literature at any level, and it is also relevant to those interested in American history and American Studies.

Stephen Matterson is Senior Lecturer in English Studies, Trinity College, University of Dublin. He has taught at Sunderland Polytechnic an at the University of Minnesota. He is one of the co-authors of Studying Poetry (Arnold, 2000)