BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Isabel Allende is the most well known female author from Latin America.  Allende's fame comes primarily from her novel La casa de los espíritus.  It has been published in fifteen languages and was an international bestseller.  She has also written three more novels and a book of short stories.  (Biography Resource Center)

REFERENCE SOURCES:
The following reference books can be used to get both biographical and critical information about authors.   Each book has one or more volumes.  Check the index (located either in the back of the book or a separate volume) for your author's name and/or a title of his or her work.
BIOGRAPHICAL SOURCES:
Contemporary Authors
REF Z 1224 .C6

Hispanic Writers
REF PQ 7081 .A1 H48

CRITICAL SOURCES:
Great Women Writers
REF PN 471 .G74

Contemporary Literary Criticism
REF PN 771 .C59

Masterplots II: American Fiction Series
REF PN 846 .M37

Masterplots II: Women's Literature Series
REF PN 471 .M37

Masterplots II: Short Story Series
REF PN 3326 .M27

Short Stories for Students
PN 3330 .S386

LINCCWeb Searching:
The library catalog online (LINCCWeb) allows you to search for materials about or written by your author.  Click on the links below to view sample searches within the library catalog. 

Sample LINCC Keyword Search: "Isabel Allende"
Sample LINCC Author Search: Allende, Isabel

BROWSE THESE CALL NUMBERS:

BROWSING PQ 8098 .1 .L54 (see browsing section on 1st floor)
PQ 8098 .1 .L54

FULL-TEXT DATABASES:
Search for articles and criticism about your author. (Highly recommended are highlighted)
From your home computer, login using your borrower id ( the 14 digit number on the back of your student ID) and your pin (EITHER the last 4 digits of your SSN for returning users OR the last 4 digits of your VID number for new students).

Academic Search Premier

Biography Resource Center

Book Index with Reviews

Book Review Digest Plus

Critical Companions to Popular Contemporary Writers

eBooks/netLibrary

Essay & General Literature Index

Expanded Academic ASAP

Granger's World of Poetry

Humanities Full Text

InfoTrac OneFile

JSTOR

Literature Resource Center

LitFinder

MagillOnLiteraturePlus

OmniFile Full Text Mega

Valencia's Play & Short Story Index (Search for items owned by the library)

WEB SITES:

Isabel Allende
Interview with Isabel Allende
Article: Surviving Affliction
The Official Isabel Allende Web Site
Isabel Allende: Biographical Essay
The Isabel Allende Foundation
The Wandering Spirits of Isabel Allende
Literary Resources on the Net
Internet Public Library: Literary Criticism

SAMPLE GOOGLE SEARCHES:

"isabel allende"
(basic phrase search)
Intitle:"isabel allende" site:edu
(title phrase and domain search)

EVALUATE YOUR SOURCES:

Distinguishing Between Popular and Scholarly Sources
Evaluating Data
Evaluating Internet Sources
Using Primary and Secondary Sources

DOCUMENT YOUR SOURCES:

APA Documentation of Print Sources
APA Documentation of Electronic Sources

MLA Documentation of Print Sources
MLA Documentation of Electronic Sources

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