American Literature.

Published bimonthly by the National Endowment for the Humanities, this edition of "Humanities" focuses on issues in American literature. Articles and their authors consist of: (1) "Conversations about Literature" (an interview with Cleanth Brooks and Willie Morris about writing and writers in America); (2) "The Spine of Literature" (an interview with Eudora Welty and Cleanth Brooks); (3) "The Look of American Literary Seriousness" (Stephen J. Donadio); (4) "Making an American Culture (S. A. Spitz); (5) "Fathoming Mark Twain" (Joanna Biggar); (6) "The Fig Tree's Lessons" (Kristen Hall); (7) "Stringing Lariats" (Caroline Taylor); (8) "Bellow's New World Babylon" (Ellen Pifer); (9) "The Rise of American Literature Studies" (James Turner); (10) "America: A Reading" (Ellen Marsh); and (11) "Letters from London" (Joseph H. Brown). (MM)