Joyce and the G-Men: J. Edgar Hoover's Manipulation of Modernism

by Claire A. Culleton

Book Overview

Several years ago on a whim, Culleton requested James Joyce's FBI file. Hoover had Joyce under surveillance as a suspected Communist, and the chain of cross-references that Culleton followed from Joyce's file lead her to obscenity trials and, less obviously, to a plot to assassinate Irish labour leader James Larkin. Hoover devoted a great deal of energy to keeping watch on intellectuals and considered literature to be dangerous on a number of levels. Joyce and the G-Men explores how these linkages are indicative of the culture of the FBI under Hoover, and the resurgence of American anti-intellectualism.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1349386421
• ISBN13: 9781349386420
• Release Date: July 2004
• Publisher: Palgrave MacMillan
• Length: 232 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

ESSENTIAL READING FOR LIFE UNDER THE PATRIOT ACTS

Please do get and read this book, especially at this low price. It reveals first hand the hypocricy of the Freedom of INformation Act, which supplies no information. It is passionately and well written by a long time Joyce scholar (she wrote Names and Naming- which see) and early presented a solid case with evidence concerning the monopolization of our media by wealthy corporations for the interest of increasing profit rather than intelligence, soul and advancing our culture

Solid Scholarship

Watch out for those who try to derail good scholarship--Culleton's book is worth a look. From the beginning, you can tell the author is invested in the truth, as you are, and digs to find it. I found this an exceptional read on all levels, and I'm in the field, but I also found it easily approachable and very inviting. It's really an interesting read, and it's thought provoking (if you care about this kind of matter, that is). But, if you don't care about the future of art, then buy a cake at Lipton's or a nice plant, and put it in the middle of the table . . .

A Stunning Read

Culleton's book is marvelously written and evokes the horrifying power of government agencies overrun with madness and the quest for power. If you like Joyce, Modernism, the history of small publishing ventures in the early 20th century, or even labor history /feminism, this is your book. A great read, and forgive the cliche, but I couldn't put it down. Even the acknowledgments are well-written and entertaining. Note especially her venture towards encountering the Bureau at 26 Federal Plaza with her lovely assistant, Rocco, in tow. The Larkin info on US labor history and Hoover's desire to have him locked up makes this reader proud to be a union member. Though Culleton has clearly done her research, her style is accessible and engaging. My last recommendation, put in a FOIA request for your own file...

Fascinating but Disturbing!

Claire Culleton has done some really interesting research about the ways writers were harrassed by Hoover and the FBI. Anyone who believes that the FBI was and is a benevolent, helpful organization should read this book; the reviewer who thinks Culleton is unpatriotic clearly has not read it. It's shocking that there was a file on James Joyce -- who never even came to America! And it's horrifying that so many writers feared writing poltically radical work because they (rightly) thought that they were being watched.

A Fascinating Book!

Powerful research and a story well-told. I read it from cover-to-cover. Damned scary stuff.