The Business of Literary Circles in Nineteenth-Century America

"An important analysis of literary coteries in the United States, Dowling's book is the first to provide a firm sense of what precisely they offered, besides mutual support, to their members. He demonstrates persuasively that they were formed from the exigencies of the literary marketplace and allowed participants to face it in more powerful and confident ways. And, as an added plus, his prose is as richly compelling as his subjects. An important book for students of American literature and print culture, and of American Studies generally." - Philip Gura, William S. Newman Distinguished Professor of American Literature and Culture, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill