By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
“1925: A Literary Encyclopedia,” by Tom Lutz, is an insightful new book that takes readers on an extraordinary journey through what he calls “the single most amazing year in the history of American writing and culture.”
“I have read more books published in 1925 than anyone ever, living or dead,” Lutz said. “This encyclopedia looks at the highlights, the lowlights, the unfairly forgotten, the rightly forgotten, and everything else that happened that year, in film, art, music, and the world.”
With around 500 entries covering everything from literature to film, art, music, science, and social shifts, “1925: A Literary Encyclopedia” showcases a vibrant cultural moment. Among the featured figures are F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, T. S. Eliot, James Joyce and Gertrude Stein, but Lutz also sheds light on lesser-known figures like Achmed Abdullah.
“Each entry ranges in length depending on the subject’s impact, but they all serve to show how deep and interconnected the culture of that year really was.” Lutz said.
The book is particularly strong in its literary coverage but also offers insight into the rise of automobile culture, the influence of jazz and blues music, and the expansion of reading as a national pastime. Harlem Renaissance luminaries like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Claude McKay are also included, with the publication of “The New Negro” marking a key cultural shift.
“1925: A Literary Encyclopedia” is intended for both serious and casual readers.
“The encyclopedia is the opposite of the algorithm,” Lutz said. “It surprises you. It puts things next to each other you’d never think to search for, and in doing so, it creates new connections.”
It will appeal to history buffs, literature lovers and more.
“I wanted to make something big, something for the back of people’s toilets,” Lutz said. “But I also wanted to show just how deep and rich one single year can be.”
In addition to being an author, Lutz is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Review of Books. He is also a professor emeritus at UC Riverside. For more information about the author and his work, visit tomlutzwriter.com.
“1925: A Literary Encyclopedia” is available for $45 via online book selling websites, bookstores, and RareBirdLit.com.
