'Literature and Life' is a collection of articles and short stories by American realist novelist, literary critic, and playwright William Dean Howells, nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters". The book begins with a series of articles appreciating the value of Literature where he opines that being an art it should not be reduced to a business. He also includes various technical articles on how to write short stories and books, including some of his own works as samples. Howells also included critical articles on a wide array of writings by such names as Dickens, Shakespeare, and Chaucer among others.