The choice of the United States and its literature limited to just under a century - from 1920 to the present - is anithing but random. The need of a comparison with American mind (to quote Henry Commager) , culture, way of life is unavoidable for anyone. The XX century is really rich of names of writers. The geographic density of a country/continent like the USA can be weighed and appreciated by the provenance of its writers, the landscapes they evoke, the characters they relate, the local accents the echo. The idea of this book came from both authors, nourished by exchanges of ideas, corrections, doubt and above all enthusiasm.