This volume contains a selection of 60 pieces of Cowley's literary criticism published between 1941 and 1982 and is divided into three parts. The first part records the state of the writer's trade in the critical years during and after World War II. The second part searches for the traditions and continuities of American writing in its 19th century roots. The third part focuses on contemporary writers. Among the pieces are: Cowley's assessment of the first edition of Whitman's Leaves of Grass; of the limits of the novel; of the merits of several popular but underrated writers; of the qualities of Edmund Wilson and of the middle-American prose style. Cowley was honored with the 1983/84 Achievement Award for Arts and Communication. ISBN 0-670-32009-9 :