Where, when, and how does American literature begin? What is the canon of U.S. literature, and how is it distinct? Why is it so important which authors are shared knowledge among all Americans? I spoke with Sarah Rivett, who is Professor of English & American Studies, and Affiliated Faculty of Indigenous Studies at Princeton University. She is the author of The Science of the Soul in Colonial New England and, Unscripted America: Indigenous Languages and the Origins of  Literary Nation.