This highly useful series presents substantial excerpts from the best criticism on the major literary figures and nonfiction writers, including novelists poets, playwrights, scientists am literary theorists, of 1900 to 1959 -- the era most frequently studied in high schools. Each volume presents overviews of eight to 12 authors with chronologically arranged criticism representing the entire range of response to each author. A typical excerpt is prefaced by an annotation that explains the critic's reputation and critical philosophy and providing a synopsis of the excerpt. Every fourth volume is a Topics volume covering major movements, trend and other subject groupings.