In this anthology for students and scholars, 26 great contemporary and modern writers (including Philip Lopate, Zadie Smith, Joyce Carol Oates, David Foster Wallace, and James Thurber) give
their personal perspectives on great literature by 25 authors such as Willa Cather, Anne Frank, Cervantes, Abe Lincoln, William Defoe, and Anton Chekhov. By turns humorous, critical, and
admiring, the writers of the essays believe that writing about literature ought to be an art in itself, and the essays function as examples of new ways to write about reading and literature.
Hallman is a literary critic. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
