Exquisite Rebel

Voltairine De Cleyre

Description

2005 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title

Emma Goldman called Voltairine de Cleyre "the most gifted and brilliant anarchist woman America ever produced." Yet her writings and speeches on anarchism and feminism—as radical, passionate, and popular at the time as Goldman's—are virtually unknown today. This important book brings de Cleyre's eloquent and incisive work out of undeserved obscurity. Twenty-one essays are reprinted here, including her classic works: "Anarchism and the American Tradition," "The Dominant Idea," and "Sex Slavery." Three biographical essays are also included: two new ones by Sharon Presley and Crispin Sartwell, and a rarely reprinted one from Emma Goldman.

At a time when the mainstream women's movement asked only for the right to vote and rarely challenged the status quo, de Cleyre demanded an end to sex roles, called for economic independence for women, autonomy within and without marriage, and offered a radical critique of the role of the Church and State in oppressing women. In today's world of anti-globalization actions, de Cleyre's anarchist ideals of local self-rule, individual conscience, and decentralization of power still remain fresh and relevant.
Preface by Candace Falk

Acknowledgments

Part I: Biographical Essays: Three Views of Voltairine de Cleyre

"Priestess of Pity and Vengeance" by Crispin Sartwell
"The Exquisite Rebel: The Anarchist Life of Voltairine de Cleyre" by Sharon Presley
"Emma Goldman's 'Voltairine de Cleyre': A Moving but Flawed Tribute" by Sharon Presley
"Voltairine de Cleyre" by Emma Goldman

Part II: Loving Freedom: Anarchism Without Adjectives

Introduction by Sharon Presley

"Why I am an Anarchist"
"Anarchism"
"Events are the True Schoolmaster"
"Anarchism and American Traditions"
"A Correction"

Part III: Wild Freedom: A Passion for Liberty and Justice

Introduction by Sharon Presley

"The Dominant Idea"
"Crime and Punishment"
"In Defense of Emma Goldman"

Part IV: Neither Gods nor Superstitions: Freethought and Religion

Introduction by Sharon Presley

"The Economic Tendency of Freethought"
"Secular Education"

Part V: No Authority But Oneself: The Anarchist Feminist Philosophy of Autonomy and Freedom

Introduction by Sharon Presley

"Those Who Marry Do Ill"
"The Case of Woman Versus Orthodoxy"
"The Woman Question"
"Sex Slavery"
"The Political Equality of Women"

Part VI: Not Another Brick in the Wall: Nonauthoritarian Education

Introduction by Crispin Sartwell and Sharon Presley

"Modern Educational Reform"

Part VII: Breaking the Chains: Changing Society through Direct Action

Introduction by Crispin Sartwell

"Direct Action"
"The Eleventh of November, 1887"
"Our Present Attitude"
"McKinley's Assassination From the Anarchist Standpoint"

Part VIII: The Political is the Personal: Anarchist Esthetics

Introduction by Crispin Sartwell

"Literature the Mirror of Man"

Index

Sujets

• Lycée
• Philosophie
• Philosophie
• Philosophie politique

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 01 février 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791485064
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Exquisite Rebel

Voltairine de Cleyre, Philadelphia, 1901.

Exquisite Rebel

The Essays of Voltairine de Cleyre— Feminist, Anarchist, Genius

Voltairine de Cleyre

Sharon Presley and Crispin Sartwell, editors

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2005 State University of New York All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207

Production by Michael Haggett Marketing by Michael Campochiaro

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

De Cleyre, Voltairine, 1866–1912. Exquisite rebel : essays of Voltairine de Cleyre : American feminist, anarchist, genius / Voltairine de Cleyre ; Sharon Presley and Crispin Sartwell, editors. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6093-2 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-6094-0 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Anarchism—United States. 2. Feminism—United States. 3. De Cleyre, Voltairine, 1866–1912—Criticism and interpretation. I. Presley, Sharon. II. Sartwell, Crispin, 1958– III. Title.

HX843.D43 2005 335.83092—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2004059138

Crispin Sartwell dedicates his work on this volume to his daughters Emma and Jane. May they live freely.

Sharon Presley dedicates her work on this volume to the memories of her mother Geneva Presley and her friend Arlen Riley Wilson, each remarkable women in their own way.

Voltairine de Cleyre, Chicago, 1910.

Foreword by Candace Falk Acknowledgments

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Contents

Biographical Essays: Three Views of Voltairine de Cleyre

“Priestess of Pity and Vengeance” by Crispin Sartwell “The Exquisite Rebel: The Anarchist Life of Voltairine de Cleyre” by Sharon Presley “Emma Goldman’s ‘Voltairine de Cleyre’: A Moving but Flawed Tribute” by Sharon Presley “Voltairine de Cleyre” by Emma Goldman

Loving Freedom: Anarchism without Adjectives

Introduction by Sharon Presley

“Why I am an Anarchist” “Anarchism” “Events are the True Schoolmaster” “Anarchism and American Traditions” “A Correction”

Wild Freedom: A Passion for Liberty and Justice

Introduction by Sharon Presley

“The Dominant Idea” “Crime and Punishment” “In Defense of Emma Goldman”

Neither Gods nor Superstitions: Freethought and Religion

Introduction by Sharon Presley “The Economic Tendency of Freethought” “Secular Education”

vii

ix xiii

3

17

27 29

47 51 67 83 89 103

109 111 125 147

161 165 179

viii

Part V

Part VI

Part VII

Part VIII

Index

Contents

No Authority but Oneself: The Anarchist Feminist Philosophy of Autonomy and Freedom

Introduction by Sharon Presley “Those Who Marry Do Ill” “The Case of Woman Versus Orthodoxy” “The Woman Question” “Sex Slavery” “The Political Equality of Women”

Not Another Brick in the Wall: Nonauthoritarian Education

Introduction by Crispin Sartwell and Sharon Presley “Modern Educational Reform”

Breaking the Chains: Changing Society through Direct Action Introduction by Crispin Sartwell “Direct Action” “The Eleventh of November, 1887” “Our Present Attitude” “McKinley’s Assassination: From the Anarchist Standpoint”

The Political Is the Personal: Anarchist Esthetics

Introduction by Crispin Sartwell “Literature the Mirror of Man”

191 195 207 221 225 239

247 251

269 271 287 295

299

307 309

325

Foreword

The winds of turmoil and labor strife that ushered in twentieth century America were countered by extraordinary visionaries—women and men for whom the concept of complete freedom held the alluring promise of social harmony. Anarchism, a philosophy often considered on the outermost edge of possibility and conflated with chaos, attracted many remarkably eloquent and lucid thinkers. Voltairine de Cleyre (1866–1912), recognized in her 1 circles as “the most thoughtful woman anarchist of this century,” on a par with Emma Goldman, her more florid Russian immigrant counterpart, has yet to be given an appropriate place in the permanent record. A long standing prejudice among American historians against a serious study of anarchism, combined with a frequent dismissal of women as an intellectual and political force consigned de Cleyre’s legacy almost exclusively under the guardianship of subsequent generations of anarchist followers, with few ‘non-believers’ among them. This, coupled with her untimely death at the age of forty-five, obscured her memory and threatened to diminish her importance. According to Paul Avrich, de Cleyre’s dazzling biographer, traces of the life and work of one of “the movement’s most respected and devoted representatives” left “the glow of legend”—“a brief comet in the anarchist firmament.” The publication of this new volume of Voltairine de Cleyre’s selected writings allows for the permanent historical record to stand corrected with an elegance and clarity fitting to its subject. The editors, Sharon Presley and Crispin Sartwell, chose representative essays that track the development of de Cleyre’s thought against a backdrop of ideas central to anarchist theo- rists and activists. Set in an anarchist frame, the collection offers the reader an opportunity to sample and engage in the flavor and content of debates on a variety of issues including the political equality of women, the economy, the social order, violence, religion, criminal justice, education, and aes- thetics—tracking the emergence of de Cleyre’s ideas as they were influ- enced by the works of others. Pieced together, her writings and accompanying introductory notes present bold patterns and surprising tangents to the broad, vibrant social and intellectual fabric of her time.

ix