Kaleidoscope: Stories of the American Experience

Compiled by one of the most experienced textbook teams in the country, this innovative reader gathers together diaries, histories, autobiographies, short stories, and excerpts from novels to bring the many facets of the American experience to life, from sixteenth-century explorations to this century's ongoing saga of immigration and acculturation. The editors first offer a comprehensive overview of the history of multicultural social and literary patterns in the United States, and then present a wealth of stories--construing that term in the broadest possible sense--from both celebrated and lesser-known authors emphasizing pluralistic experience. Whenever possible, they present narratives of cross-cultural contact and exchange, rather than reports of cultures observed in isolation. Offering a uniquely broad range of readings within a strong thematic structure, Kaleidoscope is an important resource for courses in composition and literature, from introductory surveys to courses focusing on the short story or on multiculturalism in literature.