Full Description
First published in 1983, Writers and Politics: A Partisan Review Reader, edited by Edith Kurzweil and William Phillips, captures the intersection of literature and politics as explored in Partisan Review since the late 1930s. This anthology reflects the journal's commitment to non-doctrinaire, nonconformist, and open-minded perspectives, offering a rich collection of essays that examine the dynamic relationship between political ideologies and literary expression.
The selected articles represent a diversity of viewpoints and critical methods, addressing both broad literary and political questions as well as specific historical events and movements. Key themes include the influence of communism on literary styles and subjects, the cultural contributions of Partisan Review, and the nuanced connections between Western society and its writing.
By blending high-quality analysis with thought-provoking subject matter, this collection provides a window into the intellectual and cultural debates of the mid-20th century. It highlights how literature and politics became deeply intertwined, shaping the discourse of the time. Writers and Politics remains an essential resource for readers interested in the interplay of ideas, ideology, and art, offering timeless insights into the cultural and political currents that have shaped modern thought.
Contents
Preface Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors Introduction: Writers and Politics Part I: Literary and Political Theories Introduction 1. Tradition and the Modern Age 2. Art and Revolt 3. Art and Politics 4. The Idea of Avant-Garde 5. The Intelligentsia 6. Toward a Portrait of the French Intellectual 7. Modernism and Capitalism Part II: Political Emphases Introduction 8. Reading from Left to Right 9. Murti-Bing 10. Radical Questions and the American Intellectual 11. Old and New Classes Part III: Emphasis on Literature and Art Introduction 12. The Intellectual Tradition 13. Writers and Politics 14. Protest in Art Part IV: Writers Political Documents Introduction 15. Sartre versus Camus: A Political Quarrel 16. Yugoslav Report 17. Cold War Blues: Notes On the Culture of the Fifties 18. While America Burns 19. Neoconservatism: Pro and Con
