The idea for this book began more than 20 years ago as I tried to approach the teaching of the modern American novel, in a new multicultural, multiracial, and postcolonial way. Becoming increasingly aware that American writers of the 1920s and 1930s were socially, racially, ethnically, economically, and politically diverse— many coming out of economic, racial, gender, cultural, imperial, and political identitarian groups and social movements, I wanted to incorporate the richness and uniqueness of this diversity in my teaching. I also was fully aware that until recently, attempts to organize the history and literature of this period were exclusive, homogeneous, and quite Eurocentric. Second, as I read more American history, sociology, and economics of the modern and contemporary periods, it became clear to me that the issues confronting Americans in the 1920s and 1930s are still quite relevant today. The transformed modern America of the 1920s and 1930s has more in common with today than with the America of the 1820s and 1830s. Therefore, I wanted to look at that history and literature from a contemporary point of view, with contemporary historical, critical, and theoretical sensibilities, making the diverse history and literature of the 1920s and 1930s speak to the contemporary moment.

In addition to the diversity and richness of modern American history and literature, I was particularly impressed with, and interested in, how different American writers of this period understood, grappled with, engaged, and told stories about this new, modern American society. Therefore, I wanted to probe these writers’ examination of modern American society, comparing and contrasting the various assessments, critiques, visions, and perspectives.

A number of individuals and entities assisted me along the way. Over the years, I have had incredible students in my graduate seminars on the modern American novel. They allowed me the freedom to test this particular multicultural, postcolonial, and multiracial approach to the literature. I am thankful to them. I am deeply grateful to the Dean of CLASS, University of Houston, for a semester's leave (FDL) during the spring of 2017, which allowed me to work full time on the manuscript.