A judicious and diverse collection of literature reflects the richness of American literature while representing what is most frequently taught in the single-semester survey course of American literature nationwide. Vetted by an editorial board of experts, texts are generally from the first printings or from authoritative modern editions of early books and manuscripts.
The matchless illustration program provides a visual narrative of American literature. More than four hundred images integrated throughout the volume provide important contexts for the literature, offer teaching opportunities for instructors, and make the authors and selections more appealing and accessible for students.
Maps and illustrated timelines for each period are enhanced by a two-color design.
Editorial apparatus expressly designed and written for students includes:
- authoritative, lively, and readable introductions to periods, chapters, authors, and selections
- marginal quotations by other writers that call attention to the value of an author’s work
- helpful explanatory gloss notes that aid students in their reading of texts and explain when a text has been altered
- web site references that point to additional related resources online
- a chronological organization with a pedagogical slant that includes thematic chapter groupings that help student comprehension
Unique contextual materials.group writers thematically to invite discussion of ideological issues, critical controversies, cultural developments, and distinctive genres. Topics include: the emerging idea of "America," the rhetoric of antebellum reform, and many more.
Through a Modern Lens sections in the first half of the book connect American writers of the past with writers of the present emphasizing the ongoing influence and relevance of earlier authors on contemporary authors. Highlights include: N. Scott Momaday’s celebration of Native American creation stories and Robert Hayden’s tribute to Frederick Douglass.
A thematic strand on the history of reading and writing in America is woven throughout to emphasize the role of literature in shaping American culture and history
An author team committed to scholarship and teaching. Respected scholars and experienced teachers, Susan Belasco and Linck Johnson are uniquely qualified to edit an American literature anthology with a pedagogical slant. Their keen sense of what works and doesn’t work in the classroom is reflected in the judiciously compiled table of contents as well in the many innovative features that make this anthology so appealing to students.