This encyclopedia covers Morrison's works, characters, locations, themes (e.g., Children), and general topics (e.g., Oprah's Book Club). The alphabetically arranged entries are the work of 52 contributors. Also included is a 14-page selected bibliography citing Morrison's novels, essays, stories, and interviews, as well as criticism on Morrison's works selected from books and articles. Typically, articles on themes, general topics, and works span several pages, while entries on characters and locations range from one sentence to one paragraph. A list of references concludes many, but not all, entries.
Entries on Morrison's works usually provide a plot summary followed by a review of major themes within the work. For example, the entry for The Bluest Eye includes a discussion of racism and black female identity. Theme coverage is broad and should be useful for students. For example, the six-page article titled Migration discusses migration in the novels The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, beloved, jazz, and paradise and ends with a list of further readings. Other examples of theme headings include Hunger, masculinity, Sex/Sexuality, and trickster. Although a general index is included, a separate theme index might further assist readers.
