"No other study of the American novel has such fascinating and on the whole right things to say." Washington Post

"Leslie Fiedler and American culture have made a tumultuous marriage throughout much of the twentieth century. Fiedler's prolific career, as scholar, critic, novelist, memoirist, translator, and professor, has been a series of provocations." "Leslie Fiedler and American Culture marks the start of its subject's ninth decade. The first such collection devoted entirely to Fiedler, it gathers together spirited responses to his work by scholars, critics, and poets."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Bound together by the common thread of bioethics, these essays encompass such issues as abortion, the removal of life support, the role that doctors play in our society, and how we confront old age and Eros. Controversial, at times infuriating, Leslie Fiedler's comments are sure to anger parties on all sides; but they will also appeal to anyone who appreciates the unorthodox insights of an inquisitive and voracious mind.

The controversial Leslie Fiedler (1917-2003) was one of the first critics of popular culture as well as an early proponent of queer theory. This book traces the evolution of this larger-than-life figure through an extensive examination of his works. Beginning with his homoerotic reading of the relationship between Jim and Huck Finn in the Mark Twain novel, this book covers how his many contributions have been provocative, outrageous, novel, and enduring.