A Resource Guide to Asian American Literature

An informative and original collection of twenty-five essays, the Resource Guide to Asian American Literature offers background materials for the study of this expanding discipline and suggests strategies and ideas for teaching well-known Asian American works.

The volume focuses on fifteen novels and book-length prose narratives (among them Meena Alexander’s Nampally Road, Louis Chu’s Eat a Bowl of Tea, Monica Sone’s Nisei Daughter, Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club) and six works of drama (including David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly). Each essay contains information about the work (e.g., its publication or production history), its popular and critical reception, a biographical sketch of the author, the historical context, major themes, critical issues, pedagogical topics, a list of comparative works, an assessment of resources, and a bibliography. The Resource Guide concludes with four essays that present themes and approaches for the study and teaching of short fiction, poetry, and panethnic anthologies.

This volume provides a fresh look at what Asian American literature means and serves as an introduction to the study and teaching of this flourishing field. It is an essential collection for students, teachers, and scholars of all American literatures.