In this Book
- Men at Work: Rediscovering Depression-era Stories from the Federal Writers’ Project
- Book
- 2012
- Published by: University of Utah Press
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.
Table of Contents
- Illustrations
- p. ix
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xiv
- Introduction
- pp. xv-xxxviii
- Original Preface
- pp. 1-8
- Section I: Times Have Changed
- Drift Miner
- pp. 11-15
- Logging in the Rain
- pp. 16-22
- Save the Peavies
- pp. 23-26
- The Fish are Running
- pp. 27-33
- Mules Ain’t Jackasses
- pp. 43-51
- The Driller
- pp. 52-63
- “Snake” Magee and the Rotary Boiler
- pp. 64-67
- Sade Duggett
- pp. 68-78
- Discontinued Model
- pp. 79-85
- The Type Louse
- pp. 86-90
- Section II: Time Stands Still
- A Tabaquero Talks
- pp. 107-114
- Navaho Trader
- pp. 115-125
- An Organ Builder’s Soliloquy
- pp. 126-132
- Section III: Modern Times
- Part One: The Producers
- pp. 135-136
- Cannery Row
- pp. 145-154
- The Fruit Packers
- pp. 155-162
- Still Operator
- pp. 163-171
- Shingletown
- pp. 186-194
- Mine Tim ekeeper
- pp. 195-204
- Greedy-Gut Gus, The Car Toad
- pp. 205-208
- San Francisco Longshore Gang
- pp. 209-216
- Part Two: Selling the Public
- pp. 217-218
- Tobacco Auctioneer
- pp. 219-224
- Part Three: The Artists
- pp. 237-238
- Jazz Music : Chicago Style
- pp. 239-241
- Everything’s Dangerous
- pp. 242-250
- Soup Circuit
- pp. 251-255
- Sven, The Hundred Proof Irishman
- pp. 256-260
- Part Four: For the Future
- pp. 261-262
- Salmon for the Columbia
- pp. 263-274
- The Shipyards Get A Welder
- pp. 275-280
- Illustrations
- pp. 281-300
- Contributors’ Biographies
- pp. 301-328
Additional Information
Copyright
2012