Updike on Howells and Terrorism

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635212277,00.htmlAsked about his place in literary history, Updike seemed embarrassed. "It's hard to pick out the giants when they're still alive. It's hard to know how you'll do. The most likely thing is that you will be forgotten — like William Dean Howells.
"Howells reminds me of myself, trying to find the smiling aspects of American life. He was very successful in his lifetime and was in every way an admirable man who spoke up for liberalism. He was a good critic, too. But he's on the dust heap now as far as who is read.