
Over the years, one of America s most acclaimed novelists has quietly produced some of the best essays in the land. In these 16 reflections upon American texts, Doctorow shows us the hidden connections between our poets & our presidents, our classic literary works & the lyrics of popular songs, the ways of 19th-century New York & the way we live now. Each one carries with it the remarkable talents of the novelist & suggests that the proper practice of letters knows no bounds. This selection of essays is preeminently concerned with the character of America -- who we are & why we are this way.