Artistic License: Three Centuries of Good Writing and Bad Behavior

Brooke Allen is a rising literary star whose prior look at 20th century writers received rave reviews; but ARTISTIC LICENSE requires no prior familiarity to stand alone as another excellent literary consideration. Allen's theme here is the dysfunctional, destructive nature of great talent: her survey of changing moral and ideological systems and the rebellion in writer's lives provides quite a lively and critical evaluation of three centuries of good writing and scandalous scholars.