American night : the literary left in the era of the Cold War

"Wald's well-researched study offers compelling evidence that both the shape of the literary Left and the meaning of the Cold War is more complicated than many scholars have been compelled to believe."--"Left History" "Shines the first light on many works of Communist literary modernism."--"Minnesota Review" "A powerful experience."--"Science & Society" "Extraordinary diligence and meticulousness has allowed Wald to unearth a startlingly large post-war group of struggling literary leftists. He has gone to every conceivable archive, read every relevant work, and interviewed anyone who could possibly have "Never has the creative, beating literary heart of the Popular Front been put under such microscopic attention. . . . No literary scholar but Wald could have raised the assorted political and person questions in this book as keenly, or gone as far to expl "Wald has supplied readers with a fantastic and thorough record of how committed writers on the Left continued to work the vein of social justice well beyond the 1930s in a wide range of literary forms, putting to rest the myth of the Red Decade."--"Rev A powerful experience.--"Science & Society" Wald ultimately brings an expansive perspective and relentless questioning to bear on literary communism.--Journal of American History The book's biggest contribution is Wald's material on homosexuality in the CP and its milieu, in which he examines the related prejudices of the party line and the society it supposedly stood in opposition to.--Criticism Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate students.--Choice A powerful experience.--Science & Society A majestic trilogy. . . . Wald's invaluable writings underscore the relationship between how to study the world and how to change it. American Night can be a valuable tool to help people do both.--International Socialist Review Shines the first light on many works of Communist literary modernism.--Minnesota Review A masterful work of cultural history, collective biography, and literary criticism. It is also the capstone of an unparalleled career excavating, examining, and making sense of the literary left in the United States.--Journal of American Studies Extraordinary diligence and meticulousness has allowed Wald to unearth a startlingly large post-war group of struggling literary leftists. He has gone to every conceivable archive, read every relevant work, and interviewed anyone who could possibly have told him anything of substance about the novelists, poets and playwrights included in American Night.--Jewish Currents Wald's well-researched study offers compelling evidence that both the shape of the literary Left and the meaning of the Cold War is more complicated than many scholars have been compelled to believe.--Left History All of Alan Wald's invaluable writings underscore the relationship between how to study the world and how to change it. American Night can be a valuable tool to help people do both.--International Socialist Review Never has the creative, beating literary heart of the Popular Front been put under such microscopic attention. . . . No literary scholar but Wald could have raised the assorted political and person questions in this book as keenly, or gone as far to explore the grappling for answers that constitutes a great legacy of that always scarred, often heroic generation.--Rain Taxi Review of Books Wald is superb in analyzing serious fiction.--Canadian Journal of History Wald has supplied readers with a fantastic and thorough record of how committed writers on the Left continued to work the vein of social justice well beyond the 1930s in a wide range of literary forms, putting to rest the myth of the Red Decade.--Reviews in American History Wald's work in American Night and the two volumes that preceded it are requisite reading, indeed the starting point, for anyone interested in the carefully hidden history of the literary left.--Against the Current By taking a long and expansive view, [Wald] has restored the legacy of a legion of writers for whom activism and art were interconnected.--Resources for American Literary Study A solid contribution to American studies, this will be welcomed by literary scholars, historians, and political scientists for its thorough research and wide ranging scholarship.--Library Journal A significant scholarly achievement.--American Communist History A careful and original study.--European Journal of American Studies For cultural historians who share Wald's political interest and anti-hierarchical philosophy, American Night will come as a revelation as it brings dark matter to light.--Modernism/modernity A careful and original study.--"European Journal of American Studies" A significant scholarly achievement.--"American Communist History" Wald's work in "American Night" and the two volumes that preceded it are requisite reading, indeed the starting point, for anyone interested in the carefully hidden history of the literary left.--"Against the Current" Wald is superb in analyzing serious fiction.--"Canadian Journal of History" A powerful experience.--"Science & Society" "A masterful work of cultural history, collective biography, and literary criticism. It is also the capstone of an unparalleled career excavating, examining, and making sense of the literary left in the United States."--"Journal of American Studies" "A solid contribution to American studies, this will be welcomed by literary scholars, historians, and political scientists for its thorough research and wide ranging scholarship."--"Library Journal" "The book's biggest contribution is Wald's material on homosexuality in the CP and its milieu, in which he examines the related prejudices of the party line and the society it supposedly stood in opposition to."--"Criticism" "Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate students."--"Choice" "A majestic trilogy. . . . Wald's invaluable writings underscore the relationship between how to study the world and how to change it. "American Night" can be a valuable tool to help people do both."--"International Socialist Review" "All of Alan Wald's invaluable writings underscore the relationship between how to study the world and how to change it. "American Night" can be a valuable tool to help people do both."--"International Socialist Review" "For cultural historians who share Wald's political interest and anti-hierarchical philosophy, "American Night" will come as a revelation as it brings dark matter to light."--"Modernism/modernity" "Wald's work in "American Night" and the two volumes that preceded it are requisite reading, indeed the starting point, for anyone interested in the carefully hidden history of the literary left."--"Against the Current" "Wald is superb in analyzing serious fiction."--"Canadian Journal of History" "Wald ultimately brings an expansive perspective and relentless questioning to bear on literary communism."--"Journal of American History" "A careful and original study."--"European Journal of American Studies" "Wald is superb in analyzing serious fiction."-"Canadian Journal of History" "The work of a scholar at the height of his powers. With intensive archival research, oral histories, and extensive reading in primary sources and theoretical approaches, Wald unveils the hidden history ofLeft culture in the United States."--Paula Rabinowitz, University of Minnesota Read more...