Welcome to this month's reading group selection. David Von Drehle mentions The Melting Pot , a play by Israel Zangwill, that premiered on Broadway in 1908. At that time theater was accessible to a broad section of the public, not the exclusive domain it has become over the decades. Zangwill carried a hopeful message that America was a place where old hatreds and prejudices were pointless, and that in this new country immigrants would find a more open society. I suppose the reference was more an ironic one for Von Drehle, as he notes the racial and ethnic hatreds were on display everywhere, and at best Zangwill's play helped persons forget for a moment how deep these divides ran. Nevertheless, "the melting pot" made its way into the American lexicon, even if New York could best be describing as a boiling cauldron in the early twentieth century. Triangle: The Fire That Changed America takes a broad view of events that led up the notorious fire, noting the gro
And speaking of Joe Hill, Richard White's "Railroaded" appears to be an important book from all the reviews (nice app here):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ongo.com/v/1088436/-1/22819AAA0D64C382/too-big-to-fail
Funny, this review was written by a friend's daughter. Also amazing to see ....
Didn't Wallace Stegner write a novel about Hill?
ReplyDeleteAnd this article is also good:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/us/27hill.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=joe%20hill&st=cse
Yes, and Gibbs Smith wrote a book as well.
ReplyDeleteAs I recall (it has been years since I read them), they both thought he was guilty. This book might make for an interesting counter to the assumption of guilt.
The photos linked at the headline went with that NY Times story -- worth looking at.
Is Richard White the guy who wrote the New History of the American West orsomething like that some years ago.Is at Stanford now I believe.bosox
ReplyDeleteI think I have the Stegner book.
ReplyDeleteBo, Richard White is one of the "New West" historians. Sounds like Railroaded is a good and very different look at the myth of the railroads. I'll be reading that one for sure.
ReplyDeleteGintaras, I just checked and I still have both Joe Hill books. If this new book has "new evidence" I'm sure I"ll be adding this one to the stacks.
ReplyDeleteI heard a scathing talk yesterday on the death of liberalism by Chris Hedges. http://www.alternativeradio.org/products/hedc004
There used to be a tradition of Joe Hills and Big Bill Haywoods and others looking out for working people and pushing back at capitalism. I think Hedges is right -- those days are gone.
After Empire Express, it will be a while before I want to tackle another railroad book. David Haward Bain's book was exhausting, but very good.
ReplyDeleteBain's book must have made quite the impression! I remember reading it in SF the first time I met Chartres. We met at Tadich's and she ordered Hangtown Fry, some odd concoction of eggs and oysters that was Mark Twain's favorite dish. That was a long, long time ago.
ReplyDeleteI'll be gone for a week, but will try to check in. I'm up for any 2011 book that sounds good. How about this one:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-chitlin-circuit-by-preston-lauterbach-about-pre-rock-black-music/2011/06/27/gIQAyjy73H_story.html
Or Sister Citizen by Melissa Harris Perry. Anything she writes has to be great.
Looks like it could be a fun read. Will post it. Still have Lomax's book, The Land Where the Blues Began, sitting on the shelf, which chartres recommended long ago.
ReplyDelete