Volume I discusses the literature of the Roaring Twenties and the cultural and historical context
for this literature, and it also features essays on Hemingway, Steinbeck, and George Orwell as
well as an essay about literature of the American West and its mythic dimensions. Reflections
on Literature is a forthcoming series of essays about literature intended for the general reader.
With Volume I now published, the author is working on Volume II. The series will include
discussions of novels, poetry, drama, and their authors. Some of the authors featured are:
William Shakespeare, William Blake, Walt Whitman, Robert Frost, Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver,
Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Pat Conroy, Louise Penny, and many others.
Also included are essays on what literature teaches us about growing up and growing old, about
love, and about friendships. Watch for notices about these additional volumes in this series,
Reflections on Literature: Exploring Meanings and Messages.
About the Author
Robert Van Dellen began his professional career as a professor of literature and ended it as the president of a college. He has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses, written scripts for several feature-length videos, which included working with Curt Gowdy and Roy Rogers. He has conducted numerous workshops, seminars, and talks. His lifelong passion for literature is exhibited by the Lectures on Literature Series for the Elliott Museum in Stuart, Florida. He earned his PhD in Literature, served as the founding executive director of a community foundation, and ran a business consulting firm for several years. He and his wife live half of the year on a lake in northern Michigan and the other months in Florida. He enjoys travel, especially to visit his nine grandchildren. He loves playing pickle ball, and was an avid backpacker and wilderness canoeist.
