This later American literature course will cover the development of American literature from the end of the Civil War to the present. We'll study a variety of writers, genres, and movements representative of the variety of people, histories, and themes that make up the nation. We'll appreciate literature as art, analyzing its form, style, and use of language, and we'll also consider literary texts within their cultural contexts. Along the way, we'll learn the vocabulary and techniques of literary studies, acquire a sound, broad base of American literary history, and most importantly, we'll hone our critical reading and thinking skills through written analysis.