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  • Experts

American Literature

American literature is a story of expanding frontiers. Our expert interviews will lead you through the full range of literature. From the early days of the pioneers to the defining moments of 9/11. The diversity of America is revealed in it's literature.

    The Best San Francisco Novels, recommended by Armistead Maupin

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    The Best San Francisco Novels - McTeague by Frank Norris

    1

    McTeague
    by Frank Norris

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    The Best San Francisco Novels - The Confessions of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer

    2

    The Confessions of Max Tivoli
    by Andrew Sean Greer

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    The Best San Francisco Novels - The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

    3

    The Maltese Falcon
    by Dashiell Hammett

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    The Best San Francisco Novels - The Golden Gate by Vikram Seth

    4

    The Golden Gate
    by Vikram Seth

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    The Best San Francisco Novels - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

    5

    The Joy Luck Club
    by Amy Tan

The Best San Francisco Novels, recommended by Armistead Maupin

The author of the Tales of the City novel series, Armistead Maupin, tells us about San Francisco’s spirit of place, and the books that best capture the city’s sense of possibility and noirish feel. He recommends the best novels set in San Francisco.

    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - The Portable Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker

    1

    The Portable Dorothy Parker
    by Dorothy Parker

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - The Diaries of Dawn Powell: 1931-1965 by Dawn Powell

    2

    The Diaries of Dawn Powell: 1931-1965
    by Dawn Powell

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - Queer Street by James McCourt

    3

    Queer Street
    by James McCourt

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - Instant Lives And More by Howard Moss, drawings by Edward Gorey

    4

    Instant Lives And More
    by Howard Moss, drawings by Edward Gorey

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    Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers - Cheap Novelties by Ben Katchor

    5

    Cheap Novelties
    by Ben Katchor

Fran Lebowitz on New York Writers

‘The authors of these five books are people who came to New York for freedom – not so they could get rich, but so they could be free to pursue their interests and live their lives the way they wanted.’ New Yorker par excellence Fran Lebowitz recommends the writers who best capture her immutably mutable city.

    The Best African American Literature, recommended by Farah Jasmine Griffin

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    The Best African American Literature - Cane by Jean Toomer

    1

    Cane
    by Jean Toomer

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    The Best African American Literature - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

    2

    Their Eyes Were Watching God
    by Zora Neale Hurston

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    The Best African American Literature - The Narrows by Ann Petry

    3

    The Narrows
    by Ann Petry

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    The Best African American Literature - Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

    4

    Invisible Man
    by Ralph Ellison

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    The Best African American Literature - Beloved by Toni Morrison

    5

    Beloved
    by Toni Morrison

The Best African American Literature, recommended by Farah Jasmine Griffin

An ever-growing body of authors are writing about the reality of what it means to be black in America, says Farah Jasmine Griffin, director of the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University. Here she recommends five works of African American literature, from greats like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison to lesser-known gems by Ann Petry.

    The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson, recommended by James Marcus

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    The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson: The Mind on Fire by Robert D Richardson

    1

    Emerson: The Mind on Fire
    by Robert D Richardson

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    The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson: Essays and Lectures by Ralph Waldo Emerson

    2

    Emerson: Essays and Lectures
    by Ralph Waldo Emerson

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    The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson in His Journals Ralph Waldo Emerson and Joel Porte (editor)

    3

    Emerson in His Journals
    Ralph Waldo Emerson and Joel Porte (editor)

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    The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson - Emerson in His Own Time Ronald A. Bosco and Joel Myerson (editors)

    4

    Emerson in His Own Time
    Ronald A. Bosco and Joel Myerson (editors)

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    The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson - One First Love by Ellen Louisa Tucker & Ralph Waldo Emerson

    5

    One First Love
    by Ellen Louisa Tucker & Ralph Waldo Emerson

The best books on Ralph Waldo Emerson, recommended by James Marcus

Known to many of us as the American Transcendentalist champion of individualism and self-reliance, Ralph Waldo Emerson is a much more soulful and sorrowful, brilliant but deeply contradictory thinker than we often give him credit for, says James Marcus, as he recommends the best books by – or about – Emerson.

    The Best American Poetry, recommended by Elisa New

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    The Best American Poetry - The Cambridge History of American Poetry by Alfred Bendixen & Stephen Burt (eds.)

    1

    The Cambridge History of American Poetry
    by Alfred Bendixen & Stephen Burt (eds.)

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    The Best American Poetry - The Emily Dickinson Archive by Emily Dickinson

    2

    The Emily Dickinson Archive
    by Emily Dickinson

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    The Best American Poetry - Lunch Poems by Frank O'Hara

    3

    Lunch Poems
    by Frank O'Hara

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    The Best American Poetry - Geography III: Poems by Elizabeth Bishop

    4

    Geography III: Poems
    by Elizabeth Bishop

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    The Best American Poetry - The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth Century American Poetry by Rita Dove

    5

    The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth Century American Poetry
    by Rita Dove

The Best American Poetry, recommended by Elisa New

With the help of a good anthology and a heaping dose of American classics, anyone can be converted to being a lover of poetry. Elisa New, Harvard scholar and host of the new PBS series Poetry in America, recommends her favorite American poets, from Emily Dickinson to Elizabeth Bishop.

    The best books on The American West, recommended by Jonathan Evison

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    The best books on The American West - Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

    1

    Angle of Repose
    by Wallace Stegner

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    The best books on The American West - Ask the Dust by John Fante

    2

    Ask the Dust
    by John Fante

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    The best books on The American West - The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West

    3

    The Day of the Locust
    by Nathanael West

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    The best books on The American West - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

    4

    The Grapes of Wrath
    by John Steinbeck

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    The best books on The American West - Trout Fishing in America by Richard Brautigan

    5

    Trout Fishing in America
    by Richard Brautigan

The best books on The American West, recommended by Jonathan Evison

Novelist Jonathan Evison recommends books that capture a sense of the rugged landscape and people of the American West.

    The Best 9/11 Literature, recommended by Amy Waldman

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    The Best 9/11 Literature - Strong is Your Hold by Galway Kinnell

    1

    Strong is Your Hold
    by Galway Kinnell

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    The Best 9/11 Literature - A Widow’s Walk by Marian Fontana

    2

    A Widow’s Walk
    by Marian Fontana

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    The Best 9/11 Literature - Harbor by Lorraine Adams

    3

    Harbor
    by Lorraine Adams

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    The Best 9/11 Literature - The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

    4

    The Reluctant Fundamentalist
    by Mohsin Hamid

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    The Best 9/11 Literature - Open City by Teju Cole

    5

    Open City
    by Teju Cole

The Best 9/11 Literature, recommended by Amy Waldman

Amy Waldman reported on the aftermath of 9/11 for the New York Times, but when it came to writing a book about it, she wrote a novel. The Submission was hailed as one of the best novels to come out of the tragedy, including by the Financial Times. Here, she chooses some of the best literature inspired by 9/11, including novels, a memoir and a book of poetry.  

    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry

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    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - The Infinitesimals by Laura Kasischke

    1

    The Infinitesimals
    by Laura Kasischke

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    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - Steal Away: Selected and New Poems by C D Wright

    2

    Steal Away: Selected and New Poems
    by C D Wright

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    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - Chronic by D A Powell

    3

    Chronic
    by D A Powell

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    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - Wind in a Box by Terrance Hayes

    4

    Wind in a Box
    by Terrance Hayes

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    Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry - The Tribute Horse by Brandon Som

    5

    The Tribute Horse
    by Brandon Som

Stephanie Burt on Contemporary American Poetry

As distinctions between traditional and avant-garde, central and marginal dissolve, poet and critic Stephanie Burt discusses some of America’s most exciting contemporary poets, who are speaking to and from diverse experiences and backgrounds – sometimes with a disco beat

    Essential New York Novels, recommended by Jay McInerney

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    Essential New York Novels - The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

    1

    The House of Mirth
    by Edith Wharton

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    Essential New York Novels - The Catcher in the Rye by J D Salinger

    2

    The Catcher in the Rye
    by J D Salinger

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    Essential New York Novels - The Wicked Pavilion by Dawn Powell

    3

    The Wicked Pavilion
    by Dawn Powell

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    Essential New York Novels - American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

    4

    American Psycho
    by Bret Easton Ellis

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    Essential New York Novels - The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem

    5

    The Fortress of Solitude
    by Jonathan Lethem

Essential New York Novels, recommended by Jay McInerney

The author of Bright Lights, Big City, Jay McInerney, tells us what changed after 9/11 and which books best capture the ambition, romance and creativity of New York. He chooses his list of  “essential New York novels”

    The Best Baseball Novels, recommended by Michael Carlson

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    The Best Baseball Novels - The Universal Baseball Association by Robert Coover

    1

    The Universal Baseball Association
    by Robert Coover

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    The Best Baseball Novels - Bang The Drum Slowly by Mark Harris

    2

    Bang The Drum Slowly
    by Mark Harris

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    The Best Baseball Novels - The Veracruz Blues by Mark Winegardner

    3

    The Veracruz Blues
    by Mark Winegardner

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    The Best Baseball Novels - Hoopla by Harry Stein

    4

    Hoopla
    by Harry Stein

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    The Best Baseball Novels - The Natural by Bernard Malamud and Kevin Baker

    5

    The Natural
    by Bernard Malamud and Kevin Baker

The Best Baseball Novels, recommended by Michael Carlson

Sports pundit Michael Carlson says baseball reflects an American ideal which is now an American fantasy. It works well as a metaphor for life, which may be why there have been so many good novels written about it

    The best books on Hemingway in Paris, recommended by Wai Chee Dimock

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    The best books on Hemingway in Paris - The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

    1

    The Sun Also Rises
    by Ernest Hemingway

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    The best books on Hemingway in Paris - A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

    2

    A Moveable Feast
    by Ernest Hemingway

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    The best books on Hemingway in Paris - The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas by Gertrude Stein

    3

    The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas
    by Gertrude Stein

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    The best books on Hemingway in Paris - The Book of Salt by Monique Truong

    4

    The Book of Salt
    by Monique Truong

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    The best books on Hemingway in Paris - The Paris Wife by Paula Mclain

    5

    The Paris Wife
    by Paula Mclain

The best books on Hemingway in Paris, recommended by Wai Chee Dimock

Paris in the 1920s was a creative melting pot, the haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, F Scott Fitzgerald and James Joyce. The Yale English professor gives us a feel for what it was like to be there

    The best books on The Great Gatsby, recommended by Sarah Churchwell

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    The best books on The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald by Matthew J. Bruccoli

    1

    F. Scott Fitzgerald
    by Matthew J. Bruccoli

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    The best books on The Great Gatsby - The Far Side of Paradise by Arthur Mizener

    2

    The Far Side of Paradise
    by Arthur Mizener

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    The best books on The Great Gatsby - Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin by Marion Meade

    3

    Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin
    by Marion Meade

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    The best books on The Great Gatsby - The Achieving of The Great Gatsby by Robert Emmet Long

    4

    The Achieving of The Great Gatsby
    by Robert Emmet Long

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    The best books on The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby by Matthew J. Bruccoli

    5

    F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby
    by Matthew J. Bruccoli

The best books on The Great Gatsby, recommended by Sarah Churchwell

F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, set during a hedonistic zenith before the Great Depression, has fresh appeal today as we face down our own crisis, says the professor of American literature

    The Best American Stories, recommended by Simon Winchester

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    The Best American Stories - O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

    1

    O Pioneers!
    by Willa Cather

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    The Best American Stories - Stoner by John Williams

    2

    Stoner
    by John Williams

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    The Best American Stories - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

    3

    Crossing to Safety
    by Wallace Stegner

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    The Best American Stories - Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson

    4

    Winesburg, Ohio
    by Sherwood Anderson

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    The Best American Stories - Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser

    5

    Sister Carrie
    by Theodore Dreiser

The Best American Stories, recommended by Simon Winchester

Modern America is a story of expanding frontiers, says bestselling author Simon Winchester. He tells us about five novels that shed light on the social history of his adopted homeland, from the late 19th century to the Great Depression.

    The best books on Personality Types, recommended by Merve Emre

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    The best books on Personality Types - Psychological Types by Carl Jung

    1

    Psychological Types
    by Carl Jung

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    The best books on Personality Types - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

    2

    The Great Gatsby
    by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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    The best books on Personality Types - Murder Yet To Come by Isabel Briggs Myers

    3

    Murder Yet To Come
    by Isabel Briggs Myers

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    The best books on Personality Types - Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

    4

    Breakfast at Tiffany's
    by Truman Capote

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    The best books on Personality Types - The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life by Erving Goffman

    5

    The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
    by Erving Goffman

The best books on Personality Types, recommended by Merve Emre

Since its birth in the early twentieth century, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) has become the most popular personality test in the world. Here, Merve Emre, author of the new book The Personality Brokers: The Strange History of Myers Briggs and the Birth of Personality Testing, recommends five books that reveal how the language of ‘type’ has seeped into the marrow of American civic institutions and social life—from Fortune 500 companies to Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

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We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand interviews, or five thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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