World Musicians

Library Journal

The "Wilson Author" series, begun in 1942, has now reached its 14th installment. This hefty single volume covers authors who obtained prominence in the early to mid-1990s. It differs from previous volumes in that it includes introductory overviews for each of the 320 writers and 130 autobiographical essays written by the authors themselves. These improvements are an asset to the work, allowing both a better understanding of scope and providing a sense of the writing style and personality of each author. Entries range from a single page to several pages, and many include a photograph of the writer. Also included is an in-depth essay on the author's body of work, often book by book (play or poem), and a sense of the critical reception of the work. Each entry concludes with suggested reading and a short list of selected works. The criteria for inclusion is a bit elusive ("critical attention and acclaim"), and thus authors range from John Grisham and Brad Meltzer to E. Annie Proulx, Pico Iyer, and Jonathan Raban. The lack of defining scope aside, this work captures many of the writers shaping the literary decade and should be of particular use to those seeking an overview of an author's work. Recommended for academic libraries and large public libraries.--Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield Cty. P.L., VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Booknews

In biographies ranging from one to five pages, this encyclopedia chronicles living performers (with the sad, unintentional exception of Robert Shaw) from many genres who have been influential with either originality, popularity, or brilliance in their particular fields. The lives of 404 performers, composers, conductors, and bandleaders are profiled, and each subject's contribution to his or her area of music is defined. Most entries include expert commentary and have a suggested reading and discography. The index cross references the musicians, citing their mention in other subject's entries. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknew.com)