Woody Guthrie, American Radical

Acknowledgments xi Introduction xv 1. Awakenings 1 2. Hard-Hitting Songs for Hard-Hit People 30 3. Almanac Days 55 4. Union War 82 5. Lonesome Radical Soul 110 6. Long Road to Peekskill 145 7. The Last Free Place in America 166 Conclusion: The Miners and the Mill 183 Notes 205 Sources 243 Index 257

Will Kaufman is a professor of American literature and culture at the University of Central Lancashire, England. He is the author of three previous books, most recently "American Culture in the 1970s." Also a professional folksinger and multi-instrumentalist, he has performed hundreds of musical presentations on Woody Guthrie at universities, music festivals, and folk clubs throughout Europe and the United States.

"...a "warts and all" political portrait...The book also focuses heavily on his political transformation. It tells how Gutherie, born in Oklahoma in 1912 to the son of a crooked real estate agent, travelled to California as a sign-writer, before gaining his political education via those he met as a radio show host and columnist for the communist newspaper People's World." Zoe Corbyn The Guardian "A fresh, challenging look at Woody Guthrie's political life and musical contributions. Drawing on a rich, wide array of songs and other works that have so far been overlooked, Will Kaufman presents an unvarnished Guthrie, whose writings are incredibly stimulating." Ronald D. Cohen, author of Work and Sing: A History of Occupational and Labor Union Songs in the United States "A much needed and extremely valuable book on Woody Guthrie. Examining Guthrie in this broader historical and cultural framework yields new insights into both Guthrie and radicalism." Bucky Halker, musician-historian and author of For Democracy, Workers, and God: Labor Song-Poems and Labor Protest, 1865-95 "...strongly argued claim for the abiding topicality of Guthrie's political and musical credentials as the tropes of left-wing politics begin to reassert themselves in our own Depression-defined age...Drawing on preciously unseen archive materials from the Woody Guthrie Foundation, this is a timely and valuable book, and every bit as cheeringly pugnacious as its subject." Michael Quinn R2 "Guthrie committed himself to radical political struggle. Discover more in this handsome, innovatively compiled tome." NME "A fascinating look at Woody Guthrie's politics...Kaufman makes a valuable contribution to our education on this important artist." Merrell Noden writing for MOJO "...reveals an imperfect man whose strong convictions led him to create some of the most influential music in American history." Rick Mattingly, LeoWeekly.com