Trinity of Passion

"In this volume Wald delves into literary, emotional, and ideological trajectories of radical cultural workers in the era when the International Brigades fought in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and the United States battled in World War II (1941-45). Confronting questions about Jewish masculinity, racism at the core of liberal democracy, the corrosion of utopian dreams, and the thorny interaction between antifascism and Communism, Wald re-creates the intellectual and cultural landscape of a remarkable era."--Publisher's description. "Wald relies on original archival research and interviews to forge a dramatic narrative of the cultural Left from innovative perspectives. He presents a cross section of literary talent, from the famous to the forgotten, the major to the minor. Basing his assessments on the dexterity with which writings conveyed the emotional terrain of antifascist struggle and its legacy, Wald examines the work of writers such as Len Zinberg (a.k.a. Ed Lacy), John Oliver Killens, Irwin Shaw, Albert Maltz, Ann Petry, Chester Himes, Henry Roth, Lauren Filfillan, Ruth McKenney, Morris U. Schappes, and Jo Sinclair. The book culminates in Wald's exploration of the previously unknown writings of playwright Arthur Miller in the Communist press."--From the dust-jacket front flap.