In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

Writing can feel like a lonely endeavor, but in truth every sentence in this book has benefited from the fine insights, suggestions, and support of a multitude of friends, colleagues, and family members. My thanks must begin with Lenny Cassuto, the Grand Poobah of advisers and a fantastic friend. He read and reread the following pages countless times, each time with exhaustive comments and fresh enthusiasm. He cheered me on and propped me up when things got really tough. And along the way he reminded me to take a walk, grab a meal, watch some Wire, and keep things in perspective. Anna Mae Duane, friend, colleague, and mentor extraordinaire, has likewise read these pages over and over and has been a bottomless source of wisdom, advice, support, encouragement, and good cheer. I am blessed with many terrific colleagues at UConn. Clare Eby has been an incredibly generous reader, advocate, and friend. Cathy SchlundVials offered feedback early on that set my project in motion. The members of my American Studies writing ­ group—­ Anna Mae, Martha Cutter, Shawn Salvant, Mike Gill, and Alexis ­ Boylan—­ provided comments late in the game that led to important fine-tuning. Bob Tilton and Margaret Breen have been sounding boards and supporters. Pam Bedore, Ellen Carillo , and Serkan Gorkemli are my comrades-in-arms. Fiona DeMerrell and Judy DiLaurenzio have covered for me and kept me laughing. In addition, I am deeply indebted to several top-notch scholars in the field for their invaluable help at various stages. Cathy Jurca provided pages of thoughtful comments at the dissertation stage that gently guided me to challenge my assumptions. Gordon Hutner offered suggestions and support early on that launched this project. Andy Hoberek, Min Hyoung Song, Aaron DeRosa, and Lee Zimmerman gave me feedback that stretched my thinking and took my work in new directions. Sam Cohen has been a great editor and a good guy every step of the way. Acknowledgments o o o o o o o o o x a c k n o w l e d g m e n t s Thanks go also to Elisabeth Chretien at University of Iowa Press, who has been helpful and accommodating in ushering this book into print, and to Charlotte Wright, this book’s managing editor, and Margery Tippie, its copy editor, who have handled it with great care and attention to detail. Early versions of Chapters 1 and 2 were originally published in American Literary History and Twentieth-Century Literature. Thanks to those journals for permission to include that material here. Finally, I owe everything to my home team: they have read and revised, compiled and formatted, cooked and cleaned, and kept the fires burning throughout this long, arduous process. Christopher, Michael, and Peter Knapp confound my thesis by being truly exceptional young men. I am also hugely appreciative of their extraordinary ­ mates—­ Lola Diane, Genevieve Parshalle, and Jacob Graham, ­ respectively—­ who make us all happier for being part of the brood. Emma Knapp has grown up with this book, and her laughter and wine deliveries have kept me buoyed throughout. And then there is Steve, where it all starts and ends. We clamb this hill thegither, love. ...

Share