The Cambridge Companion to the Literature of the American West

by Steven Frye (Editor)

This Companion provides a comprehensive introduction to one of the most vibrant and expansive traditions in world literature. The American West occupies a unique place in the global imagination, and the literature it produced transcends the category of 'region' in theme and form. Written by prominent international scholars, the essays cover a diverse group of key texts and authors, including major figures in the Native American, Hispanic, Asian American, and African American movements. Treatments range from environmental and ecopoetic to transnational and transcultural, reflecting the richness of the field. This volume places the literature in deep historical context and features a chronology and a bibliography for further reading. It will be an essential guide for students of literature of the American West and of American literature generally.

286 pages, Hardcover

Published April 26, 2016

About the author

Steven Frye teaches writing and American literature at California State University, Bakersfield. He has published short stories, articles, and essays in such journals as The Southern Quarterly, The Centennial Review, The South Carolina Review, and The Kentucky Review. He has written one novel, three books of nonfiction, and he has edited three volumes of collected essays, which are published by Cambridge University Press and the University of South Carolina Press. He works from his home in the high desert of Southern California, where he lives with his wife Kristin and his brown Labrador Retriever, Sam.