Reflections on American Literature from the Lit Hub Archives
This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Literary History newsletter—sign up here.
This week, the United States of America turns 250. It’s a milestone that brings mixed feelings at best, considering the recent direction of the country, but since this is a column about literary history, it’s as good a reason as any to think about the history of American Literature.
But what is American Literature? Does it have any identity other than the literal citizenship of its authors? How does it reflect and refract the country? What—and who—is it for?
Here are a few ideas and answers from the digital pages of Lit Hub:
