Who Is America’s Homer?
If England has Shakespeare, Spain has Cervantes, Italy has Dante, and Russia has Pushkin, then who do we have? Do we have a great poet who captures the American spirit, the American story, the American identity? We asked a posse of authors and poets to send us their votes.
America may not be the shining “city on a hill.” Yet despite its foibles and crimes, it’s a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, a country that brings together many peoples and seeks, at its best, to make them one. For this, it deserves our gratitude and love. In this issue of Plough marking the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, our contributors celebrate that complicated legacy and enduring promise.
Plough is an award-winning international magazine of faith, culture, and society that appears weekly online and quarterly in print. We also publish a line of books, including literary nonfiction and fiction, children’s books, Christian books, and graphic novels. Founded in 1920, Plough asks the big questions: How can we live well together, and what gives life purpose? Another life is possible.