CONVERSATIONS WITH AMERICAN WRITERS by Charles Ruas; Knopf; 416 pages; $17.95
Charles Ruas speaks in his introduction of personae, archetypes, universal dialogues and seminal experiences. The idea of the Great American Novel hovers feebly over the graves of Faulkner, Fitzgerald and Hemingway. Majestic imaginations recede, literary vision narrows, culture breaks into fragments, and the public slinks off to attend the marriage of arts and leisure.
The 14 writers whose distinctive voices fill the pages of Ruas' book with shoptalk and gossip have learned to work against this unpromising backdrop. From Eudora Welty, 75,...
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