The book investigates the state of American literature at the close of the 20th century, a period marked by pronouncements of its demise. Stephen J. Burn, drawing on a range of contexts from independent presses to emerging technologies, argues for the continued vitality and transformation of American letters. The work examines how writers engaged with inherited forms, adapted new technologies, and introduced previously marginalized voices into the literary landscape. By analyzing key authors and movements, the book maps the diverse literary production of the 1990s.

The book provides a comprehensive mapping of American literary production in the 1990s, offering new perspectives on both canonical and lesser-known authors. Its contextual approach, considering diverse influences from technology to social crises, aims to demonstrate the period's literary vitality. The work is positioned as a significant contribution to understanding the transition of American literature into the 21st century. It seeks to counter narratives of decline by highlighting innovation and the expansion of literary voices.