American Literature in Transition, 1930–1940

This book is the most comprehensive critical treatment of American letters in the 1930s. Twenty-four leading scholars analyze key aspects of this era.

Ichiro Takayoshi (Edited by)

9781108429382, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 November 2018

408 pages
23.5 x 16 x 2.6 cm, 0.91 kg

American Literature in Transition, 1930–1940 gathers together in a single volume preeminent critics and historians to offer an authoritative, analytic, and theoretically advanced account of the Depression era's key literary events. Many topics of canonical importance, such as protest literature, Hollywood fiction, the culture industry, and populism, receive fresh treatment. The book also covers emerging areas of interest, such as radio drama, bestsellers, religious fiction, internationalism, and middlebrow domestic fiction. Traditionally, scholars have treated each one of these issues in isolation. This volume situates all the significant literary developments of the 1930s within a single and capacious vision that discloses their hidden structural relations - their contradictions, similarities, and reciprocities. This is an excellent resource for undergraduate, graduate students, and scholars interested in American literary culture of the 1930s.

Introduction Ichiro Takayoshi
Part I. Themes: 1. The middle class Amy L. Blair
2. Romance, marriage, and family Jennifer Haytock
3. The working class Joseph B. Entin
4. Sympathy and poverty John Marsh
5. Black culture at home and abroad Etsuko Taketani
6. The Southern heritage Michael Kreyling
7. The literature of social protest in California David Wrobel
8. Reckoning with Christianity Jason Stevens
9. Diversity and American letters Yael Schacher
10. This land is your land Robert B. Westbrook
11. Look at the world! David Ekbladh and Ichiro Takayoshi
Part II. Formats: 12. Bestsellers David Welky
13. Radio drama Neil Verma
14. Crime fiction Charles J. Rzepka
15. Documentary work Jeff Allred
16. Modernism Milton A. Cohen
17. The American stage Mark Fearnow
Part III. Institutions: 18. Federal Writers' Project Jerrold Hirsch
19. Hollywood William Solomon
20. Time Inc. Donal Harris
21. The Communist Party Christopher Phelps
Echoes of the 1930s Morris Dickstein.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: from c 1900 - [DSBH], Literary studies: general [DSB], Literature: history & criticism [DS]