This broad introduction to Colonial American literatures brings out
the comparative and transatlantic nature of the writing of this
period and highlights the interactions between native, non-scribal
groups, and Europeans that helped to shape early American
writing.
* Situates the writing of this period in its various historical
and cultural contexts, including colonialism, imperialism,
diaspora, and nation formation.
* Highlights interactions between native, non-scribal groups and
Europeans during the early centuries of exploration.
* Covers a wide range of approaches to defining and reading early
American writing.
* Looks at the development of regional spheres of influence in
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
* Serves as a vital adjunct to Castillo and Schweitzer's
'The Literatures of Colonial America: An Anthology'
(Blackwell Publishing, 2001).
