William H. Gass’s novel The Tunnel was published in 1995 after a gestation of twenty-six years. Portions of the book began appearing in 1969 and were included in a variety of journals, popular magazines, anthologies, and art-press editions over the nearly three decades of its writing. Excerpts earned numerous accolades, and the novel won the American Book Award in 1996. Nevertheless, when it was released by Knopf on February 28, 1995, reviews were decidedly mixed. The year 2020 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of its arrival on the literary scene, which means it has been just over fifty years since parts of The Tunnel began to appear in print. Such milestones suggest that it may be time to reassess Gass’s magnum opus. The purpose of this online symposium is to facilitate that reassessment. Either click the contributor’s name on the left, or use the menu in the upper right corner to access articles by writers, poets, artists and scholars who offer their unique insights on one of the twentieth century’s great books.
The Tunnel at 25 