Who are the Major American Writers? (1972)

Introduction xiii
Part One. The nineteenth century
Chapter I. Our Literary Pioneers 3
Chapter 2. The American Renaissance, 1830 - 1870 16
Chapter 3. Six major writers of the American Renaissance 39
Chapter 4. The later nineteenth century 75
Chapter 5. Four major Nineteenth century 75
Chapter 5. Four major nineteenth-century writers 115
Part Two. The twentieth century
Chapter 6. general Characteristics 155
Chapter 7. Critics Old-style and new 169
Chapter 8. New Critics, Fugitives, and Expatriates 188
Chapter 9. Literary Prizes, Critical Polls, and individual Estimates 201
Chapter 10. Anthologists and Literary Historians 236
Part Three. Current Views of the American Literary Canon
Chapter 11. The major American writers 271
Chapter 12. American Books 289
Part Four
Conclusion 317
Afterword 334
Index 339