Paper Empire

William Gaddis (1922-1998) is often cited as the link between literary modernism and postmodernism in the United States. His novels--The Recognitions, JR, Carpenter's Gothic, and A Frolic of His Own--are notable in the ways that they often restrict themselves to the language and communication systems of the worlds he portrays. As these essays testify, few American writers have illuminated as poignantly or incisively just how much the systemic forces of capitalism and mass communication have impacted individual lives and identity--imparting global dimensions to private pursuits and desires.

This collection also contains a memoir by Gaddis's son, an unpublished interview with Gaddis from just after the publication of JR, and an essay on the Gaddis archive, newly opened at Washington University in St. Louis.