Will Kaufman

Woody Guthrie, American Radical - Music in American Life Will Kaufman

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Review Quotes: "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, 186595"Table of Contents: Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Awakenings -- 2. Hard-Hitting Songs for Hard-Hit People -- 3. Almanac Days -- 4. Union War -- 5. Lonesome Radical Soul -- 6. Long Road to Peekskill -- 7. The Last Free Place in America -- Conclusion: The Miners and the Mill -- Notes -- Sources -- Index. Biographical Note: 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. Review Quotes: "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 StatesPublisher Marketing: Woody Guthrie, American Radical reclaims the politically radical profile of America's greatest balladeer. Although he achieved a host of national honors and adorns U. S. postage stamps, and although his song "This Land Is Your Land" is often considered the nation's second national anthem, Woody Guthrie committed his life to the radical struggle. Will Kaufman traces Guthrie's political awakening and activism throughout the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Civil Rights struggle, and the poison of McCarthyism. He examines Guthrie's role in the development of a workers' culture in the context of radical activism spearheaded by the Communist Party of the USA, the Popular Front, and the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Kaufman also establishes Guthrie's significance in the perpetuation of cultural front objectives into the era of the "New Left" and beyond, particularly through his influence on the American and international protest song movement. Utilizing a wealth of previously unseen archival materials such as letters, song lyrics, essays, personal reflections, photos, and other manuscripts, Woody Guthrie, American Radical introduces a heretofore unknown Woody Guthrie: the canny political strategist, fitful thinker, and cultural front activist practically buried in the general public's romantic celebration of the "Dust Bowl Troubadour." A portion of the royalties from the sales of this book will be donated to the Woody Guthrie Foundation. Review Citations: Chronicle of Higher Education 04/08/2011 pg. 15 (EAN 9780252036026, Hardcover) Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2011 (EAN 9780252036026, Hardcover) Library Journal 02/01/2011 pg. 63 (EAN 9780252036026, Hardcover) Choice 12/01/2011 (EAN 9780252036026, Hardcover) Wilson Senior High Core Col 01/01/2011 pg. 704 (EAN 9780252036026, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Kaufman, Will Will Kaufman is Professor of American Literature and Culture at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston, England. His previous books include "The Civil War in American Culture" (2006), " American Culture in the 1970s "(2009), and "Woody Guthrie, American Radical "(2011).