OneofthefactswhichweAmericanshaveadifficultyinmakingcleartoaratherinattentiveworldoutsideisthat，whilewehaveapparentlyaliteratureofourown，wehavenoliterarycentre.Wehavesomuchliteraturethatfromtimetotimeitseemseventouswemusthavealiterarycentre.Wesaytoourselves，withagooddealoflogic，Wherethereissomuchsmoketheremustbesomefire，oratleastafireplace.
Butitisjustherethat，misledbytradition，andevenbyhistory，wedeceiveourselves.Really，wehavenofireplaceforsuchfireaswehavekindled;or，ifanyoneisdisposedtodenythis，thenIsay，wehaveadozenfireplaces;whichisquiteasbad，sofarasthenotionofaliterarycentreisconcerned，ifitisnotworse.
IonceprovedthisfacttomyownsatisfactioninsomepaperswhichI
wroteseveralyearsago;butitappears，fromaquestionwhichhaslatelycometomefromEngland，thatIdidnotcarryconvictionquitesofarasthatisland;andIstillhavemyworkallbeforeme，ifIunderstandtheLondonfriendwhowishes\"acomparativeviewofthecentresofliteraryproduction\"amongus;\"howandwhytheychange;howtheystandatpresent;andwhatistherelation，forinstance，ofBostontoothersuchcentres.\"
I.
Here，ifIcutmycoataccordingtomycloth，tshouldhaveagarmentwhichthiswholevolumewouldhardlystuffoutwithitsform;andIhaveafancythatifIbeginbyanswering，asIhavesometimesrathertoosuccinctlydone，thatwehavenomoreasingleliterarycentrethanItalyorthanGermanyhas（orhadbeforetheirunification），Ishallnotbetakenatmyword.Ishallberight，allthesame，andifIamtoldthatinthosecountriesthereisnowatendencytosuchacentre，Icanonlysaythatthereisnoneinthis，andthat，sofarasIcansee，wegetfurthereverydayfromhavingsuchacentre.Thefault，ifitisafault，growsuponus，forthewholepresenttendencyofAmericanlifeiscentrifugal，andjustsofarasliteratureisthelanguageofourlife，itsharesthistendency.Idonotattempttosayhowitwillbewhen，inordertospreadourselvesovertheearth，andconvincinglytopreachtheblessingsofourdeeplyincorporatedcivilizationbythemouthsofoureight—inchguns，themindofthenationshallbepoliticallycentredatsomecapital;thatisthefunctionofprophecy，andIamonlywritingliteraryhistory，onaverysmallscale，withasomewhatcrushingsenseoflimits.
Once，twice，thricetherewasapparentlyanAmericanliterarycentre：atPhiladelphia，fromthetimeFranklinwenttolivethereuntilthedeathofCharlesBrockdenBrown，ourfirstromancer;thenatNewYork，duringtheperiodwhichmayberoughlydescribedasthatofIrving，Poe，Willis，andBryant;thenatBoston，forthethirtyorfortyyearsilluminedbythepresenceofLongfellow，Lowell，Whittier，Hawthorne，Emerson，Holmes，Prescott，Parkman，andmanylesserlights.Theseareallstillgreatpublishingcentres.IfitwerenotthatthehousewiththelargestlistofAmericanauthorswasstillatBoston，IshouldsayNewYorkwasnowthechiefpublishingcentre;butinthesensethatLondonandParis，orevenMadridandPetersburg，areliterarycentres，withacontrollinginfluencethroughoutEnglandandFrance，SpainandRussia，neitherNewYorknorBostonisnowourliterarycentre，whatevertheymayoncehavebeen.NottotakePhiladelphiatooseriously，ImaynotethatwhenNewYorkseemedourliterarycentreIrvingaloneamongthosewhogaveitlustrewasaNew—Yorker，andhemainlylivedabroad;Bryant，whowasaNewEnglander，wasaloneconstanttothecityofhisadoption;Willis，aBostonian，andPoe，aMarylander，wentandcameastheirpovertyortheirprosperitycompelledorinvited;neitherdwelthereunbrokenly，andPoedidnotevendiehere，thoughheoftencamenearstarving.OnecannotthenstrictlyspeakofanyearlyAmericanliterarycentreexceptBoston，andBoston，strictlyspeaking，wastheNewEnglandliterarycentre.
However，wehadreallynouseforanAmericanliterarycentrebeforetheCivilWar，foritwasonlyaftertheCivilWarthatwereallybegantohaveanAmericanliterature.UptothattimewehadaColonialliterature，aKnickerbockerliterature，andaNewEnglandliterature.
Butassoonasthecountrybegantofeelitslifeineverylimbwiththecomingofpeace，itbegantospeakinthevaryingaccentsofallthedifferentsections——North，East，South，West，andFarthestWest;butnotbeforethattime.
II.
Perhapsthefirstnoteofthisnationalconcord，ordiscord，wassoundedfromCalifornia，inthevoicesofMr.BretHarte，ofMarkTwain，ofMr.
CharlesWarrenStoddard（IamsorryforthosewhodonotknowhisbeautifulIdylsoftheSouthSeas），andothersoftheremarkablegroupofpoetsandhumoristswhomthesenamesmuststandfor.TheSanFranciscoschoolbrieflyflourishedfrom1867till1872orso，andwhileitendureditmadeSanFranciscothefirstnationalliterarycentreweeverhad，foritswriterswereofeveryAmericanoriginexceptCalifornian.
AfterthePacificSlope，thegreatMiddleWestfoundutteranceinthedialectverseofMr.JohnHay，andafterthatbegantheexploitationofallthelocalparlances，whichhassometimesseemedtostop，andthenhasbegunagain.ItwentonintheSouthinthefablesofMr.JoelChandlerHarris\'sUncleRemus，andinthefictionofMissMurfree，whosolongmasqueradedasCharlesEgbertCraddock.LouisianafoundexpressionintheCreolestoriesofMr.G.W.Cable，IndianaintheHoosierpoemsofMr.JamesWhitcombRiley，andcentralNewYorkinthenovelsofMr.
HaroldFrederic;butnowherewasthenewimpulsesofirmlyandfinelydirectedasinNewEngland，whereMissSarahOrneJewett\'sstudiesofcountrylifeantedatedMissMaryWilkins\'swork.Tobesure，theportrayalofYankeecharacterbeganbeforeeitheroftheseartistswasknown;Lowell\'sBigelowPapersfirstreflectedit;Mrs.Stowe\'sOldTownStoriescaughtitagainandagain;Mrs.HarrietPrescottSpofford，inherunromanticmoods，wasofanexcellentfidelitytoit;andMrs.RoseTerryCookewaseventruertotheNewEnglandofConnecticut.WiththelatergroupMrs.LilyChaseWymanhaspicturedRhodeIslandwork—lifewithtruthpitilesstothebeholder，andfullofthattenderhumanityforthematerialwhichcharacterizesRussianfiction.