Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics
Library Journal Review
This is a mixed bag. It reflects the scope of its parent, but not all entrants (Anthony Quinn, Joan Baez, Geraldo Rivera) are writers by vocation. ``Hispanic'' is defined by ancestry and not necessarily by literary language. The delimiter of the 20th century is death date, hence the moot inclusion of Alas, who died in 1901, and Hostos, in 1903. Personal data seem current, as the recorded deaths of both Alonso and Puig earlier this year attest, though in several cases the addresses of defunct writers remain intact. Glaring omissions from Spain include Baroja, Machado, Matute, and Sastre; 31 modern Spanish-American writers, omitted here, are included in the more selective Latin American Writers ( LJ 11/15/89). The listing of original writings is up to date, but the bibliographies of biographical/critical sources are older, cite other Gale tools heavily, and omit page references for collected works and periodicals. Since the index by country emphasizes the heavy representation from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the United States, this volume will be immediately useful for tracking down information on contemporary writers from those areas who are not yet covered adequately in English sources. Most of them will probably be included in future volumes of Contemporary Authors. -- Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC, Dublin, Ohio (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
School Library Journal Review
YA-- A much-needed volume that includes over 400 biographical sketches. The majority are from the United States, although Mexico, Argentina, and Spain are represented. While 40 percent of the entries come from previously published Contemporary Authors' volumes, over 250 are new. Major literary figures such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Carlos Fuentes are included, as well as lesser-known personages such as Elena Garro and Silvinia Bullrich. The format is typical of the Contemporary Authors series. There is a good nationality index that lists all of the writers by country. An excellent source for studying ethnic cultures.-- Pat Royal, Crossland High School, Camp Springs, MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
CHOICE Review
This Contemporary Authors-style biobibliographic and critical dictionary identifies 444 20th-century contributors to "Hispanic culture in the Americas." Listings include literary authors, historians (e.g., Madariaga), politicians (Oscar Arias), journalists (Timmerman), translators (Rabassa), philologists (Menendez Pidal), other academics (Sylvia Alicia Gonzales), filmmakers (Bunuel), actors (Anthony Quinn), and even a TV host (Geraldo Rivera). Birthdates range from 1832 to 1962; all but 125 are still living. A heavy country bias (128 from the continental US, some of whom write only in English, plus 46 from Puerto Rico) suggests an orientation to a US Hispanic readership, and this perhaps explains such omissions as Baroja, Blest Gana, Pedro Henriquez Urena, Antonio Machado, Mariategui, Martinez Estrada, Mariano Picon Salas, and Rodo. About 40 of the entries come from Contemporary Authors (albeit often updated). "A number" of the other 60 will appear in CA "eventually." Meanwhile, 13 of the 31 Spaniards are not in Modern Spanish and Portuguese Literature, ed. by M.J. Schneider and I. Stern (CH, Apr'89); 303 of the other entries are for persons not covered by the Biographical Dictionary of Hispanic Literature in the U.S., ed. by N. Kanellos, (CH, Feb'90), the Dictionary of 20th Century Cuban Literature, ed. by J.A. Martinez, (CH, Jun'90), or Latin American Writers, ed. by C.A. Sole (CH, Jan'90). Recommended for institutions concerned with Chicano studies, or serving a US Hispanic clientele, and to others aiming at comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of Spanish and Spanish-American literature. -L. Hallewell, University of Minnesota
