The Cambridge Companion to Jewish American Literature discusses Jewish American literature in relation to ethnicity, religion, politics, and race.This collection of specially commissioned essays by leading figures explores key dimensions of Jewish American literature and culture. Jewish Americans have produced some of the most important and versatile writing in the US this century. This Companion addresses the distinctive Jewish American contribution to American literary criticism, poetry and popular culture, establishing the broadest possible context for the discussion of Jewish American identity as its intersects with the corpus of American literature. With a chronology and guide to further reading, this volume will prove valuable to scholars and students alike.This collection of specially commissioned essays by leading figures explores key dimensions of Jewish American literature and culture. Jewish Americans have produced some of the most important and versatile writing in the US this century. This Companion addresses the distinctive Jewish American contribution to American literary criticism, poetry and popular culture, establishing the broadest possible context for the discussion of Jewish American identity as its intersects with the corpus of American literature. With a chronology and guide to further reading, this volume will prove valuable to scholars and students alike.Jewish Americans produced some of the most important writing in the U.S. in the twentieth century. This Companion addresses the distinctive Jewish American contribution to American literary criticism, poetry and popular culture. It establishes the broadest possible context for the discussion of Jewish American identity as it intersects with the corpus of American literature. Featuring a chronology and guide to further reading, the volume is valuable to scholars and students alike.Introduction Hana Wirth-Nesher and Michael P. Kramer; 1. Beginnings and ends: the origins of Jewish American litelĂ{