Liesl Olson, Chicago Renaissance: Literature and Art in the Midwest Metropolis

The main achievement of Liesl Olson’s latest book, Chicago Renaissance: Literature and Art in the Midwest Metropolis, is her argument that Chicago was a nexus for transatlantic modernism. Olson presents an intimate account of Chicago’s literary scene in the early twentieth century by analyzing its connections with the city’s artistic community, architectural character, and minority culture. She reveals the significant role the city and its cultural arbiters, especially its women, played in th..