An American Grab Bag [antikvár]

PREFACE The nature of An American Grab Bag is reflected in the title. It is a potpourri of prose and poetry that reflects the thoughts of the various authors or poets concerning the American experience, being an American, or simply speaking up about the human condition as it manifests itself in the United States. Whatever lessons or conclusions are to be drawn are left exclusively to the reader. As the author speaks and the reader "hears" some communication should result and some conclusion reached or a thought process initiated by the reader. The purpose of the collection of prose essays and poems (that sometimes may have essay-like qualities) is not to influence, necessarily, but rather to offer a kind of smorgasbord of writings which present different facets of the American experiment which, in turn, has become an experience after more than 200 years. The "grab bag" concept does not impose any particular order upon the way the material in the text is presented. Teachers may choose to eliminate any part and concentrate upon certain elements deemed important or necessary for ciasswork. The integral part of each piece of writing speaks for itself and is to be judged on that basis. There is no intended or proposed central theme to the volume per se. The reader is left to explore for himself/herself some of the personal musings or observations of Americans who have been a part of the drama that has unfolded since the founding fathers did their founding! The reader is cautioned, however, to approach each reading, be it poem or essay, with a mind uncluttered by preconceived notions or ideas in order to allow the "personality" of the different writers to manifest itself as one very tiny portion of a whole that is still in a formative process. That personality then can be perceived by the reader as representing a democratic application that is a result of an historical development that has taken place and influenced the lives of people and has had an impact both on places and opinions. None of the writings in An American Grab Bag can be termed totally representative of American society and culture, and, as such, each author contributes something to the whole. The ingathering of the information and its assimilation into a composite is left entirely to the reader.