Kate Chopin has emerged as one of the most significant American writers of the nineteenth century. Though her works typically reflect the language and customs of the Louisiana of her memories, they also make universal comments about women, men, and human relationships. Best known as the author of
The Awakening
(1899), she also wrote nearly a hundred short stories, essays, poems, reviews, and a play. While the contemporary response to her works was sometimes negative, much recent critical debate concerns her lasting place in the American literary canon, with some scholars placing
on the same level as Melville's
Moby-Dick.
The last thirty years have witnessed heightened interest in Chopin's works. This bibliography provides a comprehensive survey of critical work on Chopin published between 1976 and 1998, with some coverage of 1999. Included are annotated entries for books, articles, dissertations, biographical studies, and bibliographical works. Extensive indexes offer easy access to the entries. In addition, the volume includes a biographical sketch, a review of trends in Chopin scholarship, and a textual history.