As part of Roosevelt's New Deal program of the 1930s, the Works
Progress Administration (WPA) provided relief jobs to millions of
Americans. One facet of the WPA was the hiring of men and women to
document the history and folklore of America so as to capture the
"soul" of the nation. While researching at the Montana Historical
Society Research Center more than a decade ago, historian Matthew
Basso stumbled upon copies of six stories that had been submitted
for inclusion in a volume titled Men at Work.""They arrived too
late to be considered. Federal Writers' Project (FWP) staff had
already chosen thirty-four stories from submissions across the
country and the volume was nearing publication. In the end,
however, that publication was waylaid by the eruption of World War
II and the manuscript was forgotten. Now, Basso is bringing these
rediscovered stories to their intended audience--the American
people.
Works of fiction that have a creative nonfiction feel, these
narratives stem from direct observation of or participation in the
work described and offer portraits of Americans from diverse ethnic
backgrounds who labored in jobs as varied as logging, mining, fruit
packing, and rodeo riding. The writers, directed by editor Harold
Rosenberg, also represent a variety of backgrounds and experience.
Some, like Jack Conroy, Jim Thompson, and Chester Himes, became
strong voices in the literary world. The vivid accounts in "Men at
Work" illuminate the meaning of work during a time when jobs were
scarce and manual labor highly valued. With our country once again
in financial crisis and workers facing an anemic job market,
today's readers will find these stories especially poignant.
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