Review by Booklist Review
Journalist Morgan chronicles the story of one of America's earliest book bans through the lens of trailblazing editor Margaret C. Anderson. Beginning in 1918, Anderson's literary magazine, The Little Review, began serially publishing James Joyce's Ulysses. After three years, the Review caught the attention of the censorship-minded New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, which cited the obscene nature of the prose in its legal case against Anderson and her coeditor (and lover) Jane Heap. While that case ultimately favored the Vice Society, it was not the end of The Little Review. Anderson worked closely with eminent writers of the time, from Pound to Hemingway to Stein, as well as consorting with the lesbian literati scene across Chicago, New York, and Paris. Her story underscores a critical moment for literature and free speech. More than a century out from the Ulysses trial, the freedom to read continues to be embattled, making this history feel sadly timely. Anderson makes for a complicated and wholly compelling subject. It is Morgan's assured writing, however, that elevates the book from an important historical excavation to a full-throated exaltation of reading's power. This marks a vital addition to literature collections and a must for Banned Books Week celebrations.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Morgan, founder of the Chicago Review of Books, debuts with a comprehensive biography of Margaret C. Anderson (1886--1973), founder of the early-20th-century avant-garde magazine The Little Review. Following her privileged upbringing in Indiana, Anderson's drive for "self-expression" took her to Chicago, where she immersed herself in the burgeoning literary scene. Launched in 1914, The Little Review was initially intended as "a monthly magazine of criticism," but it eventually published some of the era's biggest experimental writers, including Djuna Barnes, T.S. Eliot, and Ezra Pound. Moving to New York and later Paris, Anderson remained staunchly dedicated to her editorial vision, even when it risked alienating her readership, such as with editorials in support of anarchist Emma Goldman and the serialization of James Joyce's Ulysses. The latter, deemed obscene, led to criminal charges against Anderson and the U.S. Post Office burning issues of The Little Review. While tracking Anderson's involvement with the more famous Ulysses obscenity trial, Morgan still keeps the story centered on her intriguing life story, including numerous creative and romantic relationships with women and her fascinatingly bizarre involvement with a commune that practiced the "Fourth Way," a "labyrinthine system of manual labor, performance art, physical exercise, and psychological examination." Readers will savor this enlightening depiction of a little-discussed but influential figure of both modernism and queer history. (Dec.)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A daring editor changes literary history. Journalist and critic Morgan, founder of theChicago Review of Books, makes his book debut with an engaging biography of Margaret C. Anderson (1886-1973), founder and publisher of the influential journal theLittle Review. Born into a wealthy family in Indianapolis, Anderson escaped to Chicago as soon as she could, eager for a wider cultural world. She was befriended by Clara Laughlin, who gave her a job reviewing books for her magazine, theInterior. Soon, a chance meeting opened up another opportunity: as an assistant to the editor of the well-regarded literary journal, theDial. In 1913, by then part of a flourishing arts community in Chicago, she decided to launch her own journal. Working on a shoestring budget, Anderson made the rounds of publishers and bookshops to solicit ads. She also convinced the piano company Mason & Hamlin to give her a piano in exchange for free advertising--a deal that she repeated even after the journal moved from Chicago to New York. Once an aspiring pianist, Anderson always had to have her piano. The journal got a significant boost when Ezra Pound offered to become its foreign editor. He was looking, he wrote to Anderson, for an "official organ" where he, T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, and other avant-garde writers could appear. Backed by the cosmopolitan lawyer John Quinn, he could pay contributors. Anderson was enthusiastic, but publishing the first chapters of Joyce'sUlysses proved both brave and reckless, at the cost of losing subscribers and leading to her trial for obscenity. Morgan recounts Anderson's affairs with Jane Heap, actress and opera singer Georgette Leblanc, and Solita Solano, among others. Her reputation endures as "a politically radical lesbian" and champion of modernism. A lively biography of a bold woman. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
