The purpose of this publication is to present to the reader the most interesting and important speeches of American writers on literature from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The two-volume book provides a broad panorama of the development of romanticism and realism in the United States, reflecting the struggle against anti-humanistic, modernist concepts, schools and theories. This publication includes materials from the collection of articles “US Writers on Literature,” published in 1974. The book is preceded by an introductory article characterizing the contribution of leading US writers to the development of literary critical thought.