"Jewish-American writing holds an essential place in America's literary tradition, and Jewish-American authors have flourished in many genres, including fiction, drama, poetry, and more. This book examines hundreds of these authors and works, focusing on those that are part of high school and college curricula." "Coverage includes: Major novels, memoirs, plays, poetry, and short stories: synopses and analyses of important works, such as The Adventures of Augie March, The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, Everything is Illuminated, "Gimpel the Fool," Howl, Maus, The Natural, "The New Colossus," Portnoy's Complaint, Ragtime, and many more; Writers: biographies of important Jewish-American authors, including Woody Allen, Isaac Asimov, Michael Chabon, Nathan Englander, Jonathan Safran Foer, Joseph Heller, Erica Jong, Denise Levertov, Norman Mailer, Arthur Miller, Tillie Olsen, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Dorothy Parker, Philip Roth, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Susan Sontag, Elie Wiesel, and many more; and an introductory survey of Jewish-American literature from the beginnings to the present day."--Jacket.