# American Literary Centers (from Literature and Life)

Author: Howells, William Dean, 1837-1920

Genre: Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches

Language: English

License: Public domain

Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3382

Amazon editions: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=American+Literary+Centers+%28from+Literature+and+Life%29+Howells&tag=cyberlibrar00-20

## Summary

One of the facts which we Americans have a difficulty in making clear to a rather inattentive world outside is that, while we have apparently a literature of our own, we have no literary centre. We have so much literature that from time to time it seems even to us we must have a literary centre. We say to ourselves, with a good deal of logic, Where there is so much smoke there must be some fire, or at least a fireplace. But it is just here that, misled by tradition, and even by history, we deceive ourselves. Really, we have no fireplace for such fire as we have kindled; or, if any one is disposed to deny this, then I say, we have a dozen fireplaces; which is quite as bad, so far as the no...

## Chapters

- [Chapter 1](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/american-literary-centers-from-literature-and-life-3382/chapters/1/index.md)
- [Chapter 2](https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/american-literary-centers-from-literature-and-life-3382/chapters/2/index.md)