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Queen of Bohemia: The Life of Louise Bryant

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Louise Bryant, like other figures of America's radical past, such as Eugene Debs, "Red" Emma Goldman, and her husband, Jack Reed, barely register on the radar screen of popular consciousness. Often radicals are expunged from American history textbooks or presented in watered down cartoon fashion, giving students the impression that the story of the United States has been one long tale of moderation and conservatism. Indeed, while almost every child knows the story of Helen Keller told through "The Miracle Worker," very few are aware that as an adult she was a militant socialist and feminist with an FBI file.

Louise Bryant was one of those talented young people who came of age in the teens and twenties of the 20th century; a generation dubbed by Gertrude Stein as the "Lost Generation." She was a talented journalist with a socialist bent, but a strong sense of objectivity in her writing. Her "Six Red Months in Russia" was a first hand account of the Soviet Revolution of 1917, and while overshadowed by Jack Reed's "Ten Days that Shook the World," it is a much more accessible and human story of those events. She interviewed all the principal players (Lenin, Trotsky, Kerensky, etc) as well as important female revolutionary figures such as Maria Spiridonova and Aleksandra Kollontai. Her later re-entry into Soviet Russia during the Civil War to find her husband just before he died is a heroic tale in itself. After Reed's death Bryant continued to work as a journalist producing one of the first interviews with Benito Mussolini.

Mary Dearborn's "Queen of Bohemia" is a compassionate portrait of Bryant, taking aim at many of the unkind myths repeated by back-biting leftists of her's and subsequent generations, typified by the Emma Goldman quote, "Louise wasn't a communist, she only slept with one" (originally stated by Max Eastman and later retold by Goldman). For them Bryant was never pure enough in her commitment to radical causes. Dearborn also draws attention to the role Bryant's beauty played in her appeal and in the way some harshly judged her. Many of her harshest critics seem to fault Bryant for getting older and losing that beauty.

Much of the heavy lifting, in terms of research, may have been done by Virginia Gardner for her Bryant biography, "Friend and Lover" (Dearborn acknowledges her indebtedness to Gardner's research), but "Queen of Bohemia" delves into areas of Bryant's life less well examined in "Friends and Lovers" and draws more overtly feminist conclusions about her importance. The appeal of Louise Bryant is the exciting and ultimately tragic life she lived. Her place in the cosmos of American radicals is ultimately a small one, but she blazed a path through it by the sheer force of personality. Dearborn's biography draws the reader into Bryant's orbit. Bryant's charisma radiates from the pages and the excitement of her world is compelling.

For anyone who has been even mildly intrigued by Diane Keaton's interpretation of Louise Bryant in the movie "Reds" I recommend "Queen of Bohemia" as a well written biography of a fascinating and dynamic woman who lived an authentic, vital life.

This book is a very thoroughly researched account of the life and times of Louise Bryant. There are been discrepencies about her actually birth date, but I found her family on the 1900 Census for Nevada and she is listed as being born in December 1886 instead of the guess year being 1885. Although Louise lied about her age, I highly doubt a 13-year-old girl would try to keep her actual age a secret.

This is a great period piece about the lifr of a woman at the turn of the century through the depression. It gives a great look at the lifestyle of the people who were at teh front of the movements for workers rights, women's rights and the other social causes of the day! Louose Bryantis a wonderfully, delightful and colorful pereson.

In addition to being involved in the radical movement, Louise Bryant was also part of the Provincetown Players & greenwich village scene of the teens so if you have any interest in this area of american history, it is a great book to read.

I do think that the author could have put into context better how unusual and exciting this idea of communism was at that time (it's hard now after the failure of it in all it's tragic and brutal ways to understand how it appeared to people at that time of the late teens).

If you enjoyed this book I would also highly recommend Agnes Boulton's book "Part of a Long Story" - Agnes Boulton was the lover of Eugene O'Neill following Louise Bryant and many thought that Eugene O'Neill was initially attracted to Agnes because of her resemblance to Louise Bryant. It is a memoir not biography however it is very well written and also mentions Louise Bryant and the whole provincetown players-greenwich village scene.

Also recommended are books by Mabel Dodge Luhan who was the lover to John Reed just preceeding Louise Bryant.

Great book. Watch the movie "Reds' and you will want to know more.This book really gives you more insite into these fascinating people.