20th Century Contemporary

1946 - 1990s

Literature of this period reflects the social activism and social change characteristic of the times.

Featured author for this period...

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller


Even more writers to explore...

James Baldwin

    • American Masters: James Baldwin- a great resource from PBS

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Short Story: "The Rock Pile" -p. 1184

Gwendolyn Brooks

    • Modern American Poetry: Gwendolyn Brooks - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

    • Gwendolyn Brooks- from the Academy of American poets, biographical information and links to some of her works

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "The Explorer" -p. 1218.


Diana Chang

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Most Satisfied by Snow" -p. 1133


Eugenia Collier

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Short Story: "Marigolds" -p. 1012


E.L. Doctorow

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

      • Short Story: "The Writer in the Family" -p. 1012


Rita Dove

    • Rita Dove's Homepage

    • Modern American Poetry: Rita Dove - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

    • Rita Dove- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Essay: "For the Love of Books" -p. 1169


Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun

Robert Hayden

    • Modern American Poetry: Robert Hayden - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

    • Robert Hayden- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Frederick Douglass" -p.1219

        • Poem: "Runagate Runagate" -p. 1220


John Hersey

    • A Life in Writing: John Hersey, 1914- 1993- from Yale University's Alumni Magazine.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Excerpt from Nonfiction: "Hiroshima" -p. 1198


Tony Hillerman

Dance Hall of the Dead


Randall Jarrell

    • Modern American Poetry: Randall Jarrell - from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism

    • Randall Jarrell- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

    • Featured Author: Randall Jarrell- from the New York Times on the web.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Losses" -p.1209

        • Poem: "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner" -p. 1210


John F. Kennedy


Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Bernard Malamud

    • The Natural

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Short Story: "The First Seven Years" -p.998


Carson McCullers

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Essay: "Loneliness...An American Malady" -p. 1153

Colleen McElroy

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "For My Children" -p. 1240.


Flannery O'Connor

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Short Story: "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" -p. 983


Simon J. Ortiz

    • Native American Authors: Simon J. Ortiz- from the Native American Authors Project of the Internet Public Library

    • Simon J. Ortiz- biographical information from the Academy of American poets.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Hunger in New York City" -p. 1134

Sylvia Plath

    • Sylvia Plath- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

    • Modern American Poetry: Sylvia Plath- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Mirror" -p. 1216


Adrienne Rich

    • Adrienne Rich- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

    • Modern American Poetry: Adrienne Rich- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "In a Classroom" -p. 1217


Thoedore Roethke

    • Theodore Roethke- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

    • Modern American Poetry: Theodore Roethke- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "The Light Comes Brighter" -p. 1052


William Safire


William Stafford

    • William Stafford- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets

    • Modern American Poetry: William Stafford- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/ criticism.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Traveling Through the Dark" -p. 1053

John Updike


Robert Penn Warren

    • Robert Penn Warren- biographical information and much more from the Academy of American poets.

    • Modern American Poetry: Robert Penn Warren- from the Department of English at the University of Illinois, this site offers biographical information as well as links to selected works and analysis/criticism.

    • Prentice Hall Literature: The American Experience - Selected Textbook Resources:

        • Poem: "Gold Glade" -p. 1050.


Overall "Text to World" & "Text to Text" Connections for this Literary Period