lllustrating a notable range of interests in the fields of literary and cultural studies, interconnected by invisible, yet easily detectable threads, in the vaster field of American Studies, the sixteen collected essays are either works-in-progress, or finite products of curiosity, inquisitiveness, courage to question and patience to research, find answers, and formulate hypotheses. The authors are American Studies M.A. and Ph.O. students in Timisoara, whose efforts are aimed at proving the advantages of this particular type of education, based on feeding the individual’s ability to go beyond the obvious, question, challenge him/herself and others, attempt to establish new meanings and blur constraining boundaries, embrace dialogue, inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches to topics of personal and public interest alike.