The 10 Great Literary Cities in the USA (and Why They Matter Today)
From the towering skyscrapers of New York to the moss-covered porches of New Orleans, America’s cities have long served as backdrops, characters, and inspirations in literature. But beyond setting, certain cities have consistently nurtured literary talent, cultivated reading cultures, and supported vibrant publishing ecosystems. In this blog, we explore ten American cities that have left an undeniable mark on the literary map — and why they remain essential hubs for readers, writers, and publishers alike today.
1. New York, NY
- Iconic Authors: James Baldwin, Joan Didion, E. B. White
- Genres & Movements: Modernism, Urban Realism, Creative Nonfiction
- Must-Visit Bookstores: The Strand, McNally Jackson, Housing Works
- Read This: Here Is New York by E. B. White; The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
- Quote: “You can never escape the city. It follows you, records your movements, waits for your return.” – Teju Cole
2. San Francisco, CA
- Iconic Authors: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Maxine Hong Kingston
- Genres & Movements: Beat Generation, Asian American Literature
- Must-Visit Bookstores: City Lights, Green Apple Books, Book Passage
- Read This: On the Road by Jack Kerouac; The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
- Quote: “San Francisco itself is art… every block is a short story, every hill a novel.” – William Saroyan
3. Chicago, IL
- Iconic Authors: Gwendolyn Brooks, Saul Bellow, Sandra Cisneros
- Genres & Movements: Chicago Renaissance, Urban Realism
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Seminary Co-op, Women & Children First, The Book Cellar
- Read This: A Street in Bronzeville by Gwendolyn Brooks; The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
- Quote: “We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business.” – Gwendolyn Brooks
4. Boston, MA
- Iconic Authors: Sylvia Plath, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau
- Genres & Movements: Transcendentalism, Confessional Poetry
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Brookline Booksmith, Harvard Book Store, Trident Booksellers
- Read This: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath; Walden by Henry David Thoreau
- Quote: “I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am.” – Sylvia Plath
5. New Orleans, LA
- Iconic Authors: Anne Rice, Tennessee Williams, Jesmyn Ward
- Genres & Movements: Southern Gothic, Magical Realism
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Faulkner House Books, Garden District Book Shop, Community Book Center
- Read This: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams; Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
- Quote: “America has only three cities: New York, San Francisco, and New Orleans. Everywhere else is Cleveland.” – Tennessee Williams
6. Portland, OR
- Iconic Authors: Ursula K. Le Guin, Cheryl Strayed, Lidia Yuknavitch
- Genres & Movements: Science Fiction, Memoir, Experimental Fiction
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Powell’s City of Books, Broadway Books, Mother Foucault’s
- Read This: Wild by Cheryl Strayed; The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Quote: “The creative adult is the child who has survived.” – Ursula K. Le Guin
7. Iowa City, IA
- Iconic Authors: Flannery O’Connor, Denis Johnson, Marilynne Robinson
- Genres & Movements: Literary Fiction, Minimalism
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Prairie Lights Books, Haunted Bookshop
- Read This: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson; Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson
- Quote: “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” – Flannery O’Connor
8. Seattle, WA
- Iconic Authors: Sherman Alexie, Octavia Butler, Maria Semple
- Genres & Movements: Speculative Fiction, Native American Literature
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Elliott Bay Book Company, Third Place Books, Left Bank Books
- Read This: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie; Kindred by Octavia Butler
- Quote: “The world changes. We do not. Therein lies the irony that kills us.” – Octavia Butler
9. Atlanta, GA
- Iconic Authors: Alice Walker, Tayari Jones, Natasha Trethewey
- Genres & Movements: African American Literature, Civil Rights Writing
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Charis Books & More, Medu Bookstore, For Keeps Books
- Read This: The Color Purple by Alice Walker; An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
- Quote: “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker
10. Berkeley, CA
- Iconic Authors: Maxine Hong Kingston, Michael Chabon, Ishmael Reed
- Genres & Movements: Postmodernism, Political Fiction, Eco-literature
- Must-Visit Bookstores: Moe’s Books, Pegasus Books, University Press Books
- Read This: The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron; The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
- Quote: “I learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for paradoxes.” – Maxine Hong Kingston
Why Literary Cities Still Matter
In the digital age, it’s easy to forget that place still shapes literature. But cities offer something no cloud server can: embodied inspiration, accidental encounters, a sidewalk muse. Whether through local readings, beloved bookstores, or the collective hum of creative voices, America’s literary cities remain vital — and worth celebrating.
We’d love to know: what city shaped your love of reading or writing? Let us know on social or by email. And if you're a bookseller, writer, or literary wanderer, you might just find Westbrae Literary Group on your next city stop.
About Westbrae Literary Group
We publish fresh, raw, and daring voices from across the country. From poetry and essays to experimental fiction, Westbrae is home to new American literature that challenges, surprises, and connects. Learn more or submit your work at westbraeliterarygroup.com.