The Doubling: Those Influential Writers That Shape Our Contemporary Perceptions of Identity and Consciousness in the New Millennium examines pairs of writers, 28 in all, to compare and contrast their books, their personalities, and their responses to the age in which they lived. In the case of the chapter devoted to the black experience, it also includes an overview of some of the greatest African-American writers of the 20th century and their most memorable work. The scope of The Doubling extends from the inception of the modern novel through the present. The book is presented in a Q & A format with Diana Sheets responding to questions posed by Michael F. Shaughnessy. Their conversation offers penetrating insights in light of recent scholarship and established criticism. The Doubling is uniquely suited to serve as a textbook in high school and college classrooms, in libraries, and educational institutions.