Sinclair Lewis and Upton Sinclair: literary criticism books on both authors books.

I need a text or a series of books not unlike cliff notes but more critical in regards to the genre and historical setting or the philosophy that both of these authors wrote their books.

Currently I am living in the pit of hell, a town which would give both authors a great amount of material to incorporate into their story lines. Basically i live on a block where nearly everyone receives a check from agribusiness for leasing their family lands to agribusiness and its a soap opera setting for the century.

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Lately I have been following a creative writing course which encourages development via writing prompts. I paid for other udemy courses on writing novels and when I was in college the creative writing assignments I penned always charmed the instructors.

So basically I might have another 4.5 months in this neighborhood and I want to start "world building" via creative writing about the elite of a small town built around a state mental hospital in which the privilege are receiving quarterly checks from agribusiness. I cant make this up, but I can encapsulate this bizarre community in a novel.

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I am not trying to shadow either author, just want to spring board my writing off of their approach to writing their stories.