Damned Agitator: A Michael Gold Reader

The most comprehensive collection of writings by an important twentieth-century radical writer.

"Is it time to release Michael Gold from his personal gulag to range free in the pastures of 20th-century American literature?" - Jim Hoberman, The Nation

This definitive collection of fiction, drama, poetry, and journalism, edited by the author of the award-winning biography Michael Gold: The People's Writer, shows why Michael Gold was once the most famous radical writer in America and why his pro-democracy message still matters. From 1914 to 1966, Gold produced a body of literature best defined as "the direct expression of a man who is angry about something"-the injustices of American society. From his early support for radical leaders like John Reed and solidarity with impoverished immigrants and exploited workers, to his determined support for the Civil Rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War, Damned Agitator shows how Gold directed his righteous indignation to advocate for those who were least able to advocate for themselves. This collection is the first to include the full range of Gold's writings, from poetry, fiction, and drama to literary criticism, personal memoir, and social commentary. At a time when democracy is threatened worldwide, Michael Gold is freshly relevant to a new generation. Though his legacy has been largely erased, this book recovers the deep political passions of the "damned agitator."

Patrick Chura is Professor of English at the University of Akron. He is the author of Michael Gold: The People's Writer, also published by SUNY Press.