William T. Vollmann finds himself attracted to the extreme parts of life because he wants to accurately portray exotic images so his readers will realize the merits in alternative lifestyles. On the other hand, he believes that literature serves no meaningful purpose. Vollmann believes...

Viking, 2001. 746 pp. $40.00. Argall, to grossly simplify matters, is the story of two widely known and wildly embellished historical figures, Pocahontas and Captain John Smith, and the less well known Captain Samuel Argall. This main story is one thick thread...

'Tis the season for budding talent-just ask Jonathan Safran Foer, whose second novel, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Houghton Mifflin), can't be far off and won't be quietly received: The adoring profile in the Feb. 27 New York Times Magazine raised the curtain on a...

McCaffery is an American editor, essayist, and nonfiction writer who has done extensive research into modern and postmodern literature. In the following interview, Vollmann discusses his career, authors and works that have influenced him, and his main literary preoccupations.

In the following essay, Bell discusses Vollmann's life and career, focusing on his often dangerous methods of research into street life, prostitution, and war.

Birkerts is an American critic and educator who has won numerous awards and grants for his essays on literature. In the following review of Butterfly Stories, he praises Vollmann's evocation of the main character's perspective and states of mind, arguing that, though the plot at times "strains credulity," the poignancy and dreamlike quality of the narration imbue the novel with credibility and authenticity.