University Librarian
General Reference
- BrowzineA nice interface for scholarly journals licensed by the Library.
- Literary Research GuideAnnotated guide to essential reference sources for literary study. Fully searchable and updated quarterly.
- The Oxford Companion to American Literature (6th ed.)Brief entries on American authors and American literature.
- Scribner Writers OnlineContains biographical and critical essays on the work of important writers.
- Twaynes Authors OnlineReference source that provides in-depth analysis of the life, works, career, and critical importance of prominent authors.
Citation management
- ZoteroA tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share your research sources. Documentation is available on the Zotero website, or on this comprehensive guide.
General Resources on Bestsellers
- Churchwell, Sarah Bartlett, and Thomas Ruys Smith. Must Read: Rediscovering American Bestsellers From Charlotte Temple to the Da Vinci Code. Continuum, 2012.It's on reserve, and it has a chapter on Peyton Place.
- Hackett, Alice Payne, and James Henry Burke. 80 Years of Best Sellers, 1895-1975. R. R. Bowker Co, 1976.This is an essential cumulative overview of American Bestsellers for much of the 20th century. It is engagingly written, well organized, and well documented, with cumulative sales figures you can't get anywhere else, which is why this edition is on reserve.
- Loudermilk, Kim A,. Fictional Feminism: How American Bestsellers Affect the Movement for Women's Equality. Routledge, 2004.Also available in print in the stacks: PS374 .F45 L68 2004
- Sutherland, John. Bestsellers : A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, UK, 2007. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uva/detail.action?docID=415119.Also available in print, in the stacks: PS371 .S86 2007
- Wikipedia page on BestsellersWikipedia is a fine place to start, but this entry (like many others) is uneven in quality. The sections on Descriptions and Types of Bestsellers is pretty good; the section on Early Bestsellers is pretty bad. Caveat Lector.