show bio Jay Parini

Jay Parini is a well-known poet, novelist, biographer, and critic. He has taught at Dartmouth College and Middlebury College, where he has been Axinn Professor of English since 1982. He chairs the Program in Creative Writing. He has also been a visiting fellow at Christ Church College, Oxford, and the University of London.

Books that Changed America
Date: 5/14/2009

Well-known poet, novelist, biographer and critic Jay Parini discusses his book, "Promised Land: Thirteen Books that Changed America," which analyzes key texts such as "The Federalist Papers," "Uncle Tom’s Cabin," and "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin," that have shaped American ideas and changed the course the country's history. Parini is the author of five books of poetry, six novels and eight nonfiction books. His essays and reviews appear regularly in The New York Times Book Review, The Guardian, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Harper’s and elsewhere.

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