English 335: Editing the Classics

Fall 2015

Identifying the Market for your Edition

• MLA Approaches to Teaching World Literature -- if your author is included in this series of books on pedagogies for the literature classroom, it may indicate a current appetite for teaching works by the author.
• Search OhioLINK for your author as "Subject". Look especially for and look for books with certain subheadings, e.g.:
  • "--Study and Teaching" : Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689 -- Study and teaching
  • "--Criticism and interpretation" : Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689 -- Criticism and interpretation
• Search Google for [Your author/work] syllabus to find recent course offerings including your author or work.

Finding Contemporary Reviews

• Gale Literary Criticism Series:
  • 19th Century Literature Criticism
  • 20th Century Literary Criticism
  • Contemporary Literary Criticism
  • Short Story Criticism
  • Poetry Criticism
  • and others.
• Ref. Indexes: Book Review Digest (1905-2014)
• Ref. Indexes: Book Review Index (1964-1984)
• 19th Century Masterfile
• New York Times (1851-present)
• Ref. Indexes: Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature
• OhioLINK: LCSH -- Appreciation

Identifying Scholarly Editions

• MLA Committee on Scholarly Editions -- Approved Editions -- list of scholarly editions; many authors are not included, but this is a good place to start.
• Search in the MLA Bibliography and limit to "Editions".
• The notes in the back of a Norton Anthology will often list scholarly editions for the authors included in the anthology.

Resources for Explication

Oxford English Dictionary

Gives chronological word definitions showing how word usage has changed over time.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

EZRA: Ref. PN 43 .B65 2005

Great source for explicating literary, folkloric, and mythological references