Ray Lewis White is Distinguished Professor of English at Illinois State University, where he has taught since 1968. He is the author of Gore Vidal and "Winesburg, Ohio": An Exploration. He has edited many books, including The Achievement of Sherwood Anderson, Sherwood Anderson s Memoirs, Sherwood Anderson/Gertrude Stein, and Sherwood Anderson s Secret Love Letters. His articles on various aspects of American literature have been widely published.