Political Writings

Theodore Dreiser staked his reputation on fearless expression in his fiction, but he never was more outspoken than when writing about American politics. Spanning a period in American history from the Progressive Era to the advent of the Cold War, this generous volume collects Dreiser's most important political writings from his journalism, broadsides, speeches, private papers, and long out-of-print nonfiction books. Touching on the Great Depression, the New Deal, and both World Wars as well as Soviet Russia and the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany, these writings exemplify Dreiser's candour and his penchant for championing the defenceless and railing against corruption. The works also navigate historical terrain with prescient observations on topics such as religion, civil rights, national responsibility, individual ethics, global relations, and censorship that remain relevant to a contemporary audience. Jude Davies is a professor of American literature and culture at the University of Winchester. He is the co-author of Gender, Ethnicity, and Sexuality in Contemporary American Film and author of many articles on Theodore Dreiser and literary naturalism.