[This entry was updated by Donald J. Greiner (University of South Carolina) from his entry in DLB 143: American Novelists Since World War II, Third Series, pp. 250-276.] A reader would be hard pressed to name a contemporary author other than John Updike...

A reader would be hard pressed to name a contemporary author other than John Updike whose work is more in tune with the way most Americans live. Unconcerned with apocalypse in his fiction, undeterred by the universal absurdity that threatens to negate th...

While his stature as a short-story writer may be perpetually overshadowed by the novelistic achievements of the Rabbit tetralogy--Rabbit, Run (1960), Rabbit Redux (1971), Rabbit Is Rich (1981), and Rabbit at Rest (1990)--John Updike has exhibited a susta...

Construction activity showed further weakness as spending on homes dropped for a record eighth consecutive month.The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that building activity edged down 0.2 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.18 trillion. That followed declines of 0.3 percent in...

Rates on 30-year mortgages dipped slightly this week as evidence grew of more troubles in the slumping housing market.Freddie Mac, the mortgage company, reported Thursday that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 6.69 percent this week, down from 6.73 percent last week. The high point for this...

Construction activity showed further weakness as spending on homes dropped for a record eighth consecutive month.The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that building activity edged down 0.2 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.18 trillion. That followed declines of 0.3 percent in...

Economic indicators flashed mixed signals Thursday, with retailers reporting disappointing holiday results, service industries slowing at year's end and factory orders falling.Analysts said the reports depicted an economy going through a slow period in response to a serious housing slump, but did not show strains...