Yale Collection of American Literature

The Yale Collection of American Literature documents the creative lives, the artistic communities, and the literary achievements of American writers. The collectionis noted for its strength in nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first-century poetry, fiction, and dramatic writings. The archives of writers of diverse backgrounds underscore the collection’s interest in the indigenous and immigrant cultures that shape American literature.

  • 2021 Windham-Campbell Prize Recipients!

    March 22, 2021

    The 2021 Windham-Campbell Prize recipients are: in nonfiction, Vivian Gornick (United States) and Kate Briggs (United Kingdom/Netherlands); in drama, Michael R. Jackson (United States) and Nathan Alan Davis (United States); in poetry, Canisia Lubrin (Canada/Saint Lucia) and Natalie Scenters-Zapico (United States); and in fiction, Renee Gladman (United States) and Dionne Brand (Canada/Trinidad and Tobago).

  • Exhibit on Edith Wharton, fiction and interior design opens online (Yale Daily News)

    March 14, 2021

    In an online exhibition called “Edith Wharton: Designing the Drawing Room,” Julia Carabatsos ’20 uses drawing rooms as a lens to look at Wharton’s novels and her ideas on interior design. The exhibit explores the connections between Wharton’s fiction — the work she is best known for — and Wharton’s passion for interior design.

  • Nobel Laureate Louise Glück on Teaching and Poetry

    March 9, 2021

    President Peter Salovey and Professor Louise Glück discuss her discovery of poetry, the importance of mentorship, and her love of teaching. Their conversation is followed by a recording of Professor Glück’s reading of her poem “October.”

  • The Literary Legacy Of Pauline Hopkins (WBUR)

    February 12, 2021

    Pauline Hopkins was a multitalented author, journalist and editor who pioneered horror, science fiction and fantasy writing at the turn of the 20th century. She wrote among the first (if not the first) theatrical drama and detective stories authored by a Black person, yet, her fiction does not have the same recognition as household names like Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” or Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” nor does her nonfiction have the same acclaim as W.E.B. Du Bois’.

  • Meet the Winners of the 2021 Windham-Campbell Prize (Book Riot)

    February 4, 2021

    The winners of the 2021 Windham-Campbell Prizes were announced last week to much excitement and acclaim. Recognizing exceptional literary achievement, the prize is awarded annually to eight authors writing in English anywhere in the world in four categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. It is among the world’s most generous literary prizes — administered by Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library — with recipients receiving $165,000 to support their work.