literature publishing

Traces the development of the literary canon in the United States throughout the twentieth century, examining more than eighty anthologies published since 1919 and tracing the evolution of entire genres and groupings of authors.

Presents portraits of various post-World War II writers based in Paris, focusing on the stories of Richard Wright, the African-American author who left the United States in search of freedom, and Maurice Girodias, founder of the Olympia Press.

Tells the story of how the publishing industry rose from virtual obscurity during the Victorian age to dominate English and world literature, and relates personal anecdotes about authors, editors, and publishers of the era and their attempts to make decent livings.

An account of the tangled publication history of Shakespeare's sonnets, arguing that Shakespeare neither approved nor knew of their first printing.