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Who is the most versatile writer in your opinion? That is, what author has shown a really good range in terms of writing different styles, genres, and experimenting in general?
Gilbert Sorrentino and Paul Metcalf. Both would infuriate the average reader, I'm sure, because they have experimented so freely. A must read is Metcalf's
Genoa: A Telling of Wonders. Sorrentino, who died a couple years ago, wrote perhaps my favorite novel,
Steelwork. It's about a Brooklyn neighborhood and its denizens told non-chronologically over a period of years. Here's a link to google books; read the chapter entitled "The Movies" to get an idea. Sorrentino wonderfully conveys the shense of sheer delirium. And his chapter on 100 facts about sex may be one of the funniest performances in modern fiction (not sure if it's available because I didn't wait for it to download).
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&...cKO54#PPA21,M1
Another writer, William Carlos Williams, who most people would simply associate with poetry did work in a number of genres, including autobiography, history, criticism, and the short story.