The New York Times online has a short article in the Week in Review on American Literature, and it seems worth reading:
In particular, it takes issue with the folks across the pond at Nobel (er, Sweden) for calling American literature "too isolated, too insular." I'd have to agree with the "paper of record" and further the thought by mentioning that so many of our great novels--from Melville's Moby Dick to Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms to Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow--do not take place in America. The article does a good job of describing the incredible diversity of contemporary American fiction as well as the finalists for the 2009 National Book Award.
On a side note, it's nice to see that Jayne Anne Phillips is one of the nominees for this year's NBA although I can't say I've read Lark and Termite or any of the other finalists.
Alex Kudera’s award-winning novel, Fight for Your Long Day (Atticus Books), was drafted in a walk-in closet during a summer in Seoul, South Korea. Auggie’s Revenge (Beating Windward Press) is his second novel. His numerous short stories include “Frade Killed Ellen” (Dutch Kills Press), “Bombing from Above” (Heavy Feather Review), and “A Thanksgiving” (Eclectica Magazine).
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