These essays explore the impartial critical outlook American writers acquired through their experiences in Europe since 1850. Collectively, contributors reveal how the American writer's intuitive sense of freedom, coupled with their feeling of liberation from European influences, led to intellectual independence in the literary works they produced.

Ann Beebe, University of Texas at Tyler, USA Jenny Glennon, University of California, Berkeley, USA and Brasenose College, Oxford University, UK Malin Lidström Brock, Luleå University, Sweden Udo Nattermann, University of Indianapolis, USA Diederik Oostdijk, American Literature at VU University, the Netherlands Windy Counsell Petrie, Colorado Christian University, USA Marilyn Schwinn Smith, Five Colleges, Inc., USA Richard Swope, University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico Robin Vogelzang, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium