Good American Writers

[Matthew Cissell]

My problem with The Great American Novel is its defining article. Do the French obsess like this? And don't get me started with the adjective.

All great books, those that have been mentioned. I know: Inclusio unius est exclusio alterius. sure. But let me throw out two names that haven't been mentioned.

Faulkner, Kerouac and our TP all read Thomas Wolfe, maybe his novels are not Great (but the prose?) but they deserve study.

And a couple for the gals. Again, perhaps not Great but certainly good: Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

ciao
mc