| Description |
xvii, 308 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm |
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text txt rdacontent |
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unmediated n rdamedia |
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volume nc rdacarrier |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 281-296) and index. |
| Summary |
"A Hard Journey is the first comprehensive biography of Don West, poet, ordained Congregationalist minister, labor organizer, educator, leftist activist, and one of the most important literary and political figures in the southern Appalachians during the middle years of the twentieth century. Motivated by radical and religious convictions and driven by a vision of an open, democratic, and nonracist society, West was also a passionate advocate for the region's traditional values." "James J. Lorence's biography balances West's literary work with political and educational activities. Uncovering the ethical and religious roots of West's militant antifascism, Lorence uses previously unexamined sources to explore his early involvement in organizing miners and other workers for the Socialist and Communist Parties during the 1930s. In detailing West's participation in the Communist Party and founding role in the Highlander Folk School and other training grounds for radically cooperative, democratic ways of living, Lorence also describes West's lifelong commitment to defending mountain culture and his advocacy on behalf of exploited workers and the rural poor. In documenting West's lifetime commitment to creating a nonracist, egalitarian south, A Hard Journey confirms West's stature as a pioneering figure in twentieth-century southern radicalism."--Jacket. |
| Contents |
Prologue: A lifetime of radicalism -- pt. 1. A man in a hurry: the roots of commitment. 1. Shaping a value system: family, the mountains, and the wider world, 1906-1926 -- 2. Expanded horizons: Lincoln Memorial University as seedbed of creativity, 1926-29 -- 3. Social gospel and educational mission: the turning point, 1930-33 -- 4. Radicalization: baptism of fire, 1933-34 -- 5. On the road: party activism and organizational work, 1934-37 -- 6. A poet in formation: the creative impulse -- pt. 2. Transitional years: finding the way. 7. Refuge and respectability: from the pulpit to the classroom, 1939-42 -- 8. Teacher and learner: Don West and the Democratic classroom, 1942-45 -- 9. Literary achievement and the academic life: the price of social engagement, 1945-48 -- pt. 3. Confronting the great fear: red-baiting and response. 10. Before the storm: back at the farm, 1949-54 -- 11. Trouble brewing: the great Dalton Red Hunt, 1954-56 -- 12. Economic struggle: the ravages of anti-Communism and years of exile, 1956-65 -- pt. 4. Coming home: Appalachia again -- 13. Pipestem: old left, new left, and a new educational activism, 1966-82 -- 14. Literary maturity: an artist in full -- 15. Letting go: journey's end, 1983-92. |
| Subject |
West, Don.
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West, Don. (OCoLC)fst00175929
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Authors, American -- 20th century -- Biography.
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Appalachian Region -- Social life and customs -- 20th century.
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Authors, American. (OCoLC)fst00821764
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Manners and customs. (OCoLC)fst01007815
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Appalachian Region. (OCoLC)fst01240092
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| Chronological Term |
1900-1999
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| Genre/Form |
Biographies. (OCoLC)fst01919896
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| ISBN |
9780252032318 (alk. paper) |
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0252032314 (alk. paper) |
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9780252077333 (pbk.) |
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0252077334 (pbk.) |
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