Download or read book The Dean of American Letters written by John William Crowley and published by Univ of Massachusetts Press. This book was released on 1999 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume focuses on the last years of William Dean Howell's life. It was during this period that Howell became the so-called Dean of American Letters. It traces the gradual construction of his Deanship and its effects on his reputation, as he sought to adapt to a changing market.