Paul Buhle – författare

The massive size of the original six-volume History of Woman Suffrage has likely limited its impact on the lives of the women who benefitted from the efforts of the pioneering suffragists.  By collecting miscellanies like state suffrage reports and speeches of every sort without interpretation or restraint, the set was often neglected as impenetrable. In their Concise History of Woman Suffrage, Mari Jo Buhle and Paul Buhle have revitalized this classic text by carefully selecting from among its best material.  The eighty-two chosen documents, now including interpretative introductory material by the editors, give researchers easy access to material that the original work's arrangement often caused readers to ignore or to overlook.The volume contains the work of many reform agitators, among them Angelina GrimkÉ, Lucy Stone, Carrie Chapman Catt, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Anna Howard Shaw, Jane Addams, Sojourner Truth, and Victoria Woodhull, as well as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Ida Husted Harper.

The American Radical tells the story of American democracy from the late 18th century to the present through the lives of the women and men who have fought to advance it.

When he was summoned before the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1951, Abraham Lincoln Polonsky (1911-1999) was labeled 'a very dangerous citizen' by Harold Velde, a congressman from Illinois. Lawyer, educator, novelist, labor organizer, radio and television scriptwriter, film director and screenwriter, wartime intelligence operative, and full-time radical romantic, Polonsky was blacklisted in Hollywood for refusing to be an informer. The "New York Times" called his blacklisting the single greatest loss to American film during the McCarthy era, and his expressed admirers include Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, Warren Beatty, and Harry Belafonte. In this first critical and cultural biography of Abraham Polonsky, Paul Buhle and Dave Wagner present both an accomplished consideration of a remarkable survivor of America's cultural cold war and a superb study of the Hollywood left. The Bronx-born son of immigrant parents, Polonsky - in the few years after the end of World War II and just before the blacklist - had one of the most distinguished careers in Hollywood.He wrote two films that established John Garfield's postwar persona, "Body and Soul" (1947), still the standard for boxing films and the model for such movies as "Raging Bull" and "Pulp Fiction"; and "Force of Evil" (1948), the great noir drama that he also directed. Once blacklisted, Polonsky quit working under his own name, yet he proved to be one of television's most talented writers. Later in life he became the most acerbic critic of the Hollywood blacklist's legacy while writing and directing films such as "Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here" (1970). "A Very Dangerous Citizen" goes beyond biography to help us understand the relationship between art and politics in American culture and to uncover the effects of U.S. anticommunism and anti-Semitism. Rich in anecdote and in analysis, it provides an informative and entertaining portrait of one of the most intriguing personalities of twentieth-century American culture.

Up at the League, says a friend, there had been one night a brisk conversational discussion, as to what would happen on the Morrow of the Revolution … As he sat in that vapour-bath of hurried and discontented humanity, a carriage of the underground railway, he, like others, stewed discontentedly … he found himself musing on the subject-matter of discussion: "If I could but see a day of it," he said to himself; "if I could but see it!"This is the graphic biography of William Morris (1834-1896), the celebrated designer, driven polymath and radical socialist. With the telegraphic immediacy of the doodle, Nick Thorkelson's striking and idiosyncratic illustrations chime with the Arts and Crafts movement's emphasis on the humanising power of the handmade.Thorkelson moves through the major events of Morris's life weaving a rich tapestry of the major artistic, social and political questions which animated him. He explores Morris's politics and art, and how his hatred of class tyranny and love of humanity shaped his poetry, design and relationships. He considers the tension of Morris's efforts to democratize art while creating pieces for the wealthy, his critique of Britain's Empire, and his central place in socialist culture and propaganda.

By the late 1960s, America felt like it was teetering on the edge of a vast transformation. Helping push it over that edge was a brigade of young radicals, the Students for a Democratic Society, who were fighting the establishment for peace abroad and equality at home. In "Students for a Democratic Society: A Graphic History", the famed graphic novelist Harvey Pekar, the gifted artist Gary Dumm, the renowned historian Paul Buhle, and a marvelous cast of they-were-there contributors illustrate their struggle, bringing to life the tumultuous decade that first defined and then was defined by the men and women who gathered under the SDS banner. "Students for a Democratic Society" captures the idealism and activism that drove a generation of young Americans to believe that even one person's actions can help transform the world.

More than sixty years ago, McCarthyism silenced Hollywood. In the pages of Tender Comrades, those who were suppressed, whose lives and careers were ruined, finally have their say. A unique collection of profiles in cinematic courage, this extraordinary oral history brings to light the voices of thirty-six blacklist survivors (including two members of the Hollywood Ten), seminal directors of film noir and other genres, starring actresses and memorable supporting players, top screenwriters, and many less known to the public, who are rescued from obscurity by the stories they offer here that, beyond politics, open a rich window into moviemaking during the Golden Age of Hollywood.

For more than half a century, C. L. R. James (1901-1989)-"the Black Plato," as coined by the London Times-has been an internationally renowned revolutionary thinker, writer, and activist. Born in Trinidad, his lifelong work was devoted to understanding and transforming race and class exploitation in his native West Indies, as well as in Britain and the United States. In C. L. R. James's Caribbean, noted scholars examine the roots of both James's life and oeuvre in connection with the economic, social, and political environment of the West Indies. Drawing upon James's observations of his own life as revealed to interviewers and close friends, this volume provides an examination of James's childhood and early years as colonial literatteur and his massive contribution to West Indian political-cultural understanding. Moving beyond previous biographical interpretations, the contributors here take up the problem of reading James's texts in light of poststructuralist criticism, the implications of his texts for Marxist discourse, and for problems of Caribbean development.

C.L.R. James is one of the twentieth century's most remarkable individuals. As the author of the influential book The Black Jacobins, he is widely recognized as the premier scholar of slave revolt; the publication of his acute and sensitive volume Beyond a Boundary established an equal reputation as a historian of sport; and his tireless political and intellectual interventions have become the hallmark of a highly creative Marxist thinker, a brilliant dialectician and the last surviving pioneer of Pan-African liberation.James's work has never previously been studied in its entirety. Now Paul Buhle, a longtime editorial collaborator with James, has produced a rich and informed analysis of his accomplishments. Drawing upon extensive interviews with James, his critics and his erstwhile supporters, together with many previously unpublished documents, Buhle's book offers an appreciative and enlightening portrait of the man and his times. The author also sheds new light on subjects ranging across Pan-Africanism, West Indian literature, British and American Marxism and the rise of third world nationalism.

“I believe that Marcuse’s ideas can be as valuable today as they were fifty years ago.”—Angela Y. Davis, from the forewordHerbert Marcuse was one of the twentieth century’s most unlikely pop stars: a celebrity philosopher. In the 1960s, his argument for a “principled utopianism” catalyzed the idealism of a rebellious generation, and Marcuse became an intellectual guide for activists and revolutionaries around the world.From his early studies with Martin Heidegger, to his flight from Nazi Germany with Frankfurt School colleagues, to his status as a countercultural icon, readers are introduced to the development of Marcuse's philosophical theories and the political realities that shaped his work.Marcuse's advocacy for a more humane, sustainable world was grounded in a personal knowledge of authoritarianism's violence, and the risk of its resurgence. Perennially relevant, radical, and inspiring, Marcuse’s concept of a "Great Refusal"—the protest against that which is—is a guide for our times.Praise for Herbert Marcuse, Philosopher of Utopia:"Nick Thorkelson's exploration of the ideas and personality of Herbert Marcuse is exactly the sort of comic book I have longed to read. It is engaging, artful, and explores the world of revolutionary ideas. Books like this keep the fire going inside."—Joe Sacco, author of Footnotes in Gaza"A warm, funny, richly detailed biography. Thorkelson has found a powerful graphic style and narrative voice that animate Marcuse's life and his theory of rebellion. As both personal saga and primer on radical political philosophy, it could not be more relevant to today's resistance movement."—Dan Wasserman, editorial cartoonist for The Boston Globe"Marcuse's energizing sense of critique, hope, politics, and utopian vision are more necessary than ever, especially for the emerging generations of young activists."—Henry A. Giroux, author of American Nightmare: Facing the Challenge of Fascism"A riotous romp through 20th-century philosophy. The story of a man who exists at the eye of storm of ideas, of movements and of social strategies. With workers and students on the streets of Paris once more, Marcuse's life and work has never been more relevant."—Kate Evans, author of Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography"Philosopher of Utopia is art on the attack! A perfect celebration of this unique public intellectual done through a fusion of skill and imagination, Thorkelson's book provides access to the genius and the grit of this master of the dialectic."—Lowell Bergman, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Distinguished Chair in Investigative Reporting at UC Berkeley"[This book] confirms my belief that our medium can convey the most complex ideas while being witty and entertaining at the same time."—Sharon Rudahl, author of A Dangerous Woman: A Graphic Biography of Emma Goldman

Essays trace the rise of an intellectual New Left from 1950 to 1970

The American Radical tells the story of American democracy from the late 18th century to the present through the lives of the women and men who have fought to advance it.

The American Radical tells the story of American democracy from the late 18th century to the present through the lives of the women and men who have fought to advance it.

The American Radical tells the story of American democracy from the late 18th century to the present through the lives of the women and men who have fought to advance it.

This collection brings together the labor and cultural studies of the author over the past 20 years, during which time the fields of social history, women's history, ethnic studies, public history, and oral history have all been transformed. The essays, some rewritten or newly available and the rest original to this volume, offer important examples of historical analysis, comment on changing scholarly perceptions, and the public uses of history. By drawing upon his own research in popular culture, Yiddish periodicals, interracial unionism, oral history and a variety of other sources, the author demonstrates how the field of labor specialists has become the domain of social historians exploring a rich American past.

Hide in Plain Sight completes Buhle and Wagner''s trilogy on the Hollywood blacklist. When the blacklistees were hounded out of Hollywood, some left for television where many worked on children''s shows like "Rocky and Bullwinkle." A number wrote adult sitcoms such as The Donna Reed Show, and M*A*S*H while some of them ultimately returned to Hollywood and made great films such as Norma Rae, and Midnight Cowboy. This is a thoughtful look at the rising fear of communism in America and the aftermath of the horror that was the McCarthy period, from two expert historians of the blacklist period.

This collection brings together the labor and cultural studies of the author over the past 20 years, during which time the fields of social history, women''s history, ethnic studies, public history, and oral history have all been transformed. The essays, some rewritten or newly available and the rest original to this volume, offer important examples of historical analysis, comment on changing scholarly perceptions, and the public uses of history. By drawing upon his own research in popular culture, Yiddish periodicals, interracial unionism, oral history and a variety of other sources, the author demonstrates how the field of labor specialists has become the domain of social historians exploring a rich American past.

This collection brings together the labor and cultural studies of the author over the past 20 years, during which time the fields of social history, women''s history, ethnic studies, public history, and oral history have all been transformed. The essays, some rewritten or newly available and the rest original to this volume, offer important examples of historical analysis, comment on changing scholarly perceptions, and the public uses of history. By drawing upon his own research in popular culture, Yiddish periodicals, interracial unionism, oral history and a variety of other sources, the author demonstrates how the field of labor specialists has become the domain of social historians exploring a rich American past.

Tim Hector (1942-2002) played many roles—political philosopher, educator, literary and music critic, cricket administrator, political leader, and newspaper editor. Best known for his editorship of the newspaper Outlet and his cofounding of the Afro-Caribbean Liberation Movement, Hector struggled for the independence of his native island Antigua. As a disciple of C. L. R. James, he was one of the Pan-African movement's most vital figures, and his regular column ""Fan the Flame"" in Outlet was followed avidly throughout the Caribbean. His insights into regional history, politics, cricket, and literature were eagerly awaited. Biographer Paul Buhle traces Hector's intellectual development and explores how the editor-activist's political philosophy evolved from an early island nationalism and militant Marxism into an embrace of democratic self-determination and of political union in a future Caribbean nation. Hector's Afro-Caribbean Liberation Movement labored to make Black Nationalism into a generous vision of collective pride and historical destiny, with no one excluded. His trials and travails—loss of a teaching career, arrests, destruction of his printing press, the murder of his wife, betrayal by the political leaders he supported—were frankly revealed in his columns. Hector's life and work offer a saga of Caribbean achievement and anxiety, at once racial, political, economic, and ecological. Through the lens of Hector, Buhle gives the reader insight into the radical movements in the British West Indies. Hector's story unfolds in a region full of turmoil but also full of promise. Paul Buhle, the authorized biographer of C. L. R. James, is a senior lecturer in history and American civilization at Brown University. A prize-winning author-editor and frequent contributor to the Nation, the Village Voice, TIKKUN, and the San Francisco Chronicle, he has published twenty-eight previous volumes including The Life and Work of C. L. R. James, Encyclopedia of the American Left, C. L. R. James's Caribbean, four other biographies, and five volumes on the victims of the Hollywood Blacklist.