Wisconsin Project on American Writers – serie

Taking Emerson as his starting point, Cornel West’s basic task in this ambitious enterprise is to chart the emergence, development, decline, and recent resurgence of American pragmatism. John Dewey is the central figure in West’s pantheon of pragmatists, but he treats as well such varied mid-century representatives of the tradition as Sidney Hook, C. Wright Mills, W. E. B. Du Bois, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Lionel Trilling. West’s "genealogy" is, ultimately, a very personal work, for it is imbued throughout with the author’s conviction that a thorough reexamination of American pragmatism may help inspire and instruct contemporary efforts to remake and reform American society and culture."West . . . may well be the pre-eminent African American intellectual of our generation."—The Nation"The American Evasion of Philosophy is a highly intelligent and provocative book. Cornel West gives us illuminating readings of the political thought of Emerson and James; provides a penetrating critical assessment of Dewey, his central figure; and offers a brilliant interpretation—appreciative yet far from uncritical—of the contemporary philosopher and neo-pragmatist Richard Rorty. . . . What shines through, throughout the work, is West's firm commitment to a radical vision of a philosophic discourse as inextricably linked to cultural criticism and political engagement."—Paul S. Boyer, professor emeritus of history, University of Wisconsin–Madison.Wisconsin Project on American WritersFrank Lentricchia, General Editor

An analysis of quests in contemporary American letters, fiction and non-fiction and about contemporary reality. The book explores general issues about quest, reviews work in fiction and non-fiction that define and develop the idea of quest.

An examination of representative aspects of Mexican-American narrative forms including the novel, short story, narrative verse and autobiography. It includes studies of works from Americo Parades' ""With His Pistol in His Hand"" to more recent work by women like Sandra Cisneros and Cherrie Moraga.

The author places Huckleberry Finn in the context of long standing American debate about race and culture. He points out that this quintessentially American novel, assigned to many schools as an important weapon against racism, yet including the word ""nigger"", arouses controversy.