"Updated throughout and with much new material, A History of American Literature, Second Edition, is the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey available of the myriad forms of American Literature from pre-Columbian times to the present. • The most comprehensive and up-to-date history of American literature available today • Covers fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction, as well as other forms of literature including folktale, spirituals, the detective story, the thriller, and science fiction • Explores the plural character of American literature, including the contributions made by African American, Native American, Hispanic and Asian American writers • Considers how our understanding of American literature has changed over the past?thirty years • Situates American literature in the contexts of American history, politics and society • Offers an invaluable introduction to American literature for students at all levels, academic and general readers"