Literature or Propaganda?

The U.S. government has published a new book, which contains essays about aspects of the U.S. by 15 American authors. It is entitled "Writers on America", and will be distributed abroad through American embassies in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Initially, it will be published in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian, but may eventually be published in 20-30 additional languages (http://www.usembassy.it/file2002_/alia/a2121601.htm).

This book will not be published for distribution or sale in the US, even though it was paid for by taxpayer money, due to a provision, supposedly, in the Smith Mundt Act (http://www.statebuy.gov/grants/Assistance-PubDip.htm). However, the text of the book is available online at http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/writers/.

The book, and surrounding issues, has been discussed on NPR (http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_877654.html, http://discover.npr.org/features/feature.jhtml?wfId=878650) and there have been various press releases by embassy officials (http://www.usembassy.it/usa/writers/default.htm, http://www.usembassyjakarta.org/press_rel/writers_on_america.html,http://www.usembassy.it/file2002_12/alia/a2121601.htm,http://usinfo.state.gov/).

If our government specifically hires writers, and pays them $2500, to write something favorable to the US and its way of life, is the product of that work literature, or propaganda? Can it be considered to be both simultaneously?

And why does our government not want us to read these essays, which we have paid for?