The Jungle at 100

Abstract

It has been just over 100 years since the publication of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, which certainly was a keystone in the arch of American's literature of reform. By means of a reconsideration at the work's centennial, these four essays explore a variety of historical issues: the origins and progress of the reformist impulse in U.S. journalism; the varied literary roots of American journalistic practices; the unresolved tensions between fictive and nonfictive writing; and the historiographic issues raised by the recent discovery of an unpublished, significantly longer version of the work. As an inspiration to all muckraking journalists over the years, the seminal position of The Jungle in American letters is matched by few other works. It is hoped these essays will encourage a diverse conversation about the book, its causes, and its effects.

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Notes on contributors

David Abrahamson

DAVID ABRAHAMSON is a professor in the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

James Boylan

JAMES BOYLAN is a professor emeritus in the Journalism Department at the University of Massachusetts.

Thomas B. Connery

THOMAS CONNERY is a professor in the Department of Communication & Journalism at the University of St. Thomas.

Jan Whitt

JAN WHITT is an associate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Colorado.