The Facts On File Writer's Library includes dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other indispensable resources for writers, students, and serious readers. From the origins of words and phrases to the meanings of literary terms, the collection provides comprehensive information in a clear, accessible style that is sure to satisfy researchers and browsers alike. These books will be reached for again and again. This book gives readers not only a traditional literary vocabulary but also the related theoretical, historical, and cultural terms they need to understand and interpret literature today. More than 850 terms cover contemporary themes such as AIDS, alienation, and anti-Semitism.