Writing Together/ Writing Apart: Collaboration in Western American Literature

In this study of collaborative writing in western American literature, Linda K. Karell asks broad and fruitful questions about how writing in general is produced. By examining "collaboration" both as a process and as a product, she challenges the definition of an author as an individual genius who creates original works of art in isolation.

From a collaborative view, what was a fairly direct cause and effect scenario (individual author + inspiration = original literary masterpiece) become…