"The best record we are likely to have of a rowdy, idealistic, sometimes farcical experiment that failed, yet succeeded too."—The New Republic
"A scrupulously researched history. . . . Especially attractive about Mr. Mangione’s book is the sense of perspective—a literary as well as a political perspective—he brings to the subject."—The New York Times Book Review
"A marvelous blend of administrative history studded with New Deal personalities and personal memoir. . . . Splendid."—Kirkus Reviews
Description
Operating in every state in the union for eight turbulent years, the New Deal’s Federal Writers’ Project provided needed jobs for more than 10,000 writers and would-be writers (among them Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison, and Richard Wright) and produced some 1,200 published books and pamphlets, including the magnificent American Guide Series, which gave the nation its first self-portrait. Nominated for the National Book Award in history, The Dream and the Deal is available to a new generation of readers, and includes a selected checklist of 400 Writers’ Project publications.
About the Author
Jerre Mangione is a retired professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He is author of the bestselling Mount Allegro and several other books and novels.
6 x 9, 0 pages, 59 black and white illustrations
November 1996