American Writers
John Neal's 1824 to 1825 survey of American authors, published in Blackwood's Magazine under the signature X.Y.Z. The first history of American literature, attributed and documented.
- Original byline
- Anonymous
- Published
- Date not recorded
- Form
- Other works
- Authorship
- Revealed: John Neal
- Attribution source
- Wikidata P50 (Q130308535); Wikipedia note
- Reason for anonymity
- Unrecorded
- Copyright
- Public domain
- Reference
- Wikipedia · Wikidata
The authorship story
American Writers ran in Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine in 1824 and 1825, signed only X.Y.Z. It was the first attempt at a comprehensive account of American literature, delivered with the bravado and score-settling its author was known for. That author was John Neal, the Portland novelist then living in England, and the attribution is documented in Neal scholarship. Neal even reviewed himself in the series, a maneuver the pseudonym made possible. The case shows anonymity used as a critical instrument: the mask let a partisan insider pose as a neutral surveyor.
Questions readers ask
Who wrote American Writers?
American Writers was published anonymously and is documented as the work of John Neal.. Source: Wikidata P50 (Q130308535); Wikipedia note.
Can I read American Writers for free?
Yes. American Writers is in the public domain and the full text is free to read at Project Gutenberg.
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