For the past 150 years, American writers have grappled with the concept of what America is and what it might become. By reading fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction from 1865 to the present, this course explores how modern writers have shaped--and revealed--American identities. Readings may include authors of "Local Color" writing, Realism, the "Lost Generation," and the Postmodern era, as well as writers of the Harlem, Southern, and Native American Renaissances, in their historical, literary, and cultural contexts. Through reading, writing, and research, learners will interrogate evolving American experiences.