Description:From the inception of The Norton Anthology of American Literature, three goals have been paramount: first, to present a variety of works rich and substantial enough to enable teachers to build their own courses according to their own ideals; second, to make the anthology self-sufficient by featuring many works in their entirety and longer selections so that individual authors can be covered in depth; and third, to balance traditional interests with developing critical concerns.—Nina Baym, General Editor, from the Preface Now in its Sixth Edition, The Norton Anthology of American Literature remains the enduring market leader. The new Shorter Sixth Edition shares with its parent volumes the commitment to broadening the canon while maintaining a representative balance of American literature. Thoroughly revised and tailored especially to the one-semester course, the Shorter Sixth Edition builds on the classroom strengths of flexibility, depth, and balance in a strong revision.