Upton Sinclair: California Socialist, Celebrity Intellectual

by Lauren Coodley

Had Upton Sinclair not written a single book after The Jungle , he would still be famous. But Sinclair was a mere twenty-five years old when he wrote The Jungle , and over the next sixty-five years he wrote nearly eighty more books and won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction. He was also a filmmaker, labor activist, women’s rights advocate, and health pioneer on a grand scale. This new biography of Sinclair underscores his place in the American story as a social, political, and cultural force, a man who more than any other disrupted and documented his era in the name of social justice. Upton California Socialist, Celebrity Intellectual shows us Sinclair engaged in one cause after another, some surprisingly relevant today—the Sacco-Vanzetti trial, the depredations of the oil industry, the wrongful imprisonment of the Wobblies, and the perils of unchecked capitalism and concentrated media. Throughout, Lauren Coodley provides a new perspective for looking at Sinclair’s prodigiously productive life. Coodley’s book reveals a consistent streak of feminism, both in Sinclair’s relationships with women—wives, friends, and activists—and in his interest in issues of housework and childcare, temperance and diet. This biography will forever alter our picture of this complicated, unconventional, often controversial man whose whole life was dedicated to helping people understand how society was run, by whom, and for whom.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Politics

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Lauren Coodley began her career tutoring students for the GED and teaching night school psychology at the local junior college. She attained tenure the same year her son Nils was born; before that, she worked at least two jobs while raising her daughter Caitlin. She invented and taught classes ranging from overcoming math anxiety to children’s literature.

In l996, she received a second M.A. from Sonoma State University, this time in history. She also received two grants from the California Council for the Humanities and from the Lilly Library to further her research on Upton Sinclair.
The Land of Orange Groves and Jails: Upton Sinclair's California, which she edited, was published as part of the California Legacy series by Santa Clara University and Heyday Books.

Napa: the Transformation of an American Town (Arcadia Publishing) is based on archival photographs and original interviews. She revised the book in 2007 with Paula Amen Schmitt.

California: a Multicultural History in Documents was published by Prentice-Hall in 2008.

If Not to History: Recovering the Stories of Napa’s Women essays by lauren and poems by paula amen Schmitt, was published by the Napa County Historical Society in 2009.

Napa Farming History was published by Arcadia Publishing in 20ll, co-written with Paula Amen Judah.

Upton Sinclair: California Socialist, Celebrity Intellectual was published by University of Nebraska Press, 2013

Napa Valley Chronicles was published by The History Press, 2013.

Reviews

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw this at the library and thought, I should really know more about this author, so I took a peek, and am glad I did. Not only does Sinclair turn out to have been much more interesting (and admirable) than I knew, but this biographer makes a good case for his feminist credentials, too, which is fascinating. She even includes an appendix devoted to works by and about his women friends. Naturally, I like any book that leads to further reading, so this one rates very highly with me. It is a quick read, but I liked it so much I am tempted to read it again before returning it. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in social history, or California history.

[Mike Zickar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd biography I have read about Upton Sinclair and my favorite. The author does a great job of putting the importance of Sinclair in context and showing his influence in a wide range of areas. I particularly appreciated the discussion of his feminism, an aspect that was neglected from most other biographies.

[Vincent DiGirolamo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth reading. Sinclair is one of those people who you think you know but don't really. I was familiar with his "Jungle" days and EPIC campaign, but those were just two moments in a long and productive life of engagement. The argument about his feminism is well taken, but the book is equally important in debunking the myth of Sinclair as a humorless prude and propagandist. I'm looking forward to reading a Lanny Budd novel and applying his diet and exercise secrets for overwork. We're all food faddist and health nuts now. I was happy to learn that he was a top ten tennis player in Southern California and a Pulitzer Prize winner. I would have liked more literary analysis of key texts. The author relies on ringing endorsement of works from a wide array of public figures and friends, from Shaw to Einstein. It seems like most of the biogs I've read lately are about SOBs. Glad a good guy has got some ink.

[christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up,

i picked this up 4 years ago, graduated and lost access to the academic library - but i am so glad that i returned to this. highly recommended simply for the fact that it made me want to read all of sinclair's work beyond "the jungle." this biography is detailed, accessible and so well-researched!

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upton Sinclair should be better known among contemporary Americans. I'd read The Jungle and Oil! but until I picked up this biography hadn't understood the scope of his accomplishments or how relevant they are to where we find ourselves again today. The book takes an interesting approach to his story, highlighting his feminist thinking and many friendships with women. As the author concludes: "The world of the twenty-first century is startlingly similar to that of Sinclair's early twentieth century [in recent days, we've heard Facebook and Google compared with Standard Oil], yet enormous new challenges have also emerged. . . At a time of historic inequality, widespread joblessness, and increasing despair, we need Sinclair's faith in the ability of each individual to be awakened to injustice and moved to action." I recommend this book - together with The Jungle and Oil! - as a solid introduction to his thinking.

[Dan Dundon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upton Sinclair is, of course, best known for his groundbreaking journalism dealing with the meatpacking industry. However, Lauren Coodley's biography goes much deeper than this one work. Although concise, the author describes the many causes which Sinclair advocated during his lifetime. His less well known foray into politics and his effort to capture the California governorship is also explored in detail. As the author points out, it's ironic that Sinclair would probably have contributed much less to journalism had he succeeded in being elected. An example, of the country benefitting from a failure?

[Theresa Malloy Lemickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upton Sinclair is a fascinating intellectual. His reporting of "The Jungle" changed the course of journalism and had an immediate impact on policy, but he went on to write more than 80 books and run for governor of California. (Not to mention it's one of my favorite books). He was a staunch feminist, never drank alcohol after witnessing the struggle with the disease and advocated monogamy. I found his life intriguing and like his quote: "If I was not right, I was looking for the right. What more can a man do with his life?" His commitment to social change is remarkable and inspiring.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book serves as a fairly good introductory biography to Upton Sinclair. I enjoyed reading it and found parts of it fairly intriguing. Unfortunately it falls short in the later chapters of the book as it moves from biography into advocacy. A good read but fantastic.

[Linda]

to read heard about on book tv.....

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Research for my Hatchitt project.