In Minority Report (1940), a collection of his essays, Bernard DeVoto admitted that he most enjoyed talking with Robert Frost and Elmer Davis--eminent in the field of literature and journalism, respectively--because with them the obstreperous DeVoto at least had to define his terms. Indeed, on those occasions when DeVoto and Davis talked over a few bottles of beer, they were apt to turn boastful and speak candidly. In such instances Davis claimed that his "spread" was wider because he had written a book about God, whereas DeVoto had not. DeVoto countered that he may as well have written a book on God because of the thesis he had written on Immanuel Kant. What was more, DeVoto had composed verse, whereas Davis had not. Like bandits brandishing knives, the two would then attack each other's bibliographies, and when the sport became really rough, Davis would remind DeVoto of his submissions...