Dust

by E. Haldeman-Julius

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127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 27, 2004

About the author

In 1889, Emanuel Julius, later known as E. Haldeman-Julius, was born in Philadelphia, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. Beginning odd-job work as a young teenager, Emanuel eventually became a newspaper copy boy. An early socialist, he educated himself at party headquarters, reading tracts on freethought, philosophy and economics. In 1906, Emanuel left his home for good, heading for New York City. His self-education continued when a sympathetic librarian at a girls' school in Tarrytown, where he had found work, introduced him to visiting dignitary Mark Twain. Emanuel's first attributed article, "Mark Twain: Radical," was published in a socialist periodical in 1910.

Emanuel worked for a variety of socialist newspapers, including New York Evening Call, Coming Nation, published in Girard, Kansas, the Milwaukee Leader, and the Chicago Evening World. He became editor and briefly acquired the Western Comrade, out of Los Angeles, interviewing Jack London. He met his wife-to-be, Marcet Haldeman, an actress and heiress, in New York City, and followed her home to Girard, Kansas. There he worked for Appeal to Reason, the largest socialist weekly in the country. The pair married in 1916, and legally combined their surnames, at the urging of Marcet's aunt, Jane Addams of Hull House fame. They had two daughters and a son. Haldeman-Julius, with his wife's help, purchased Appeal to Reason and its publishing plant in 1918. By the following year, he had initiated his People's Pocket Series—inexpensive paperbacks later renamed Little Blue Books, to match their appearance. Haldeman-Julius reprinted classics, socialist, radical and freethought literature. Most of the paperbacks contained a bonus page of Emanuel's trademark nonreligious views. Haldeman-Julius also published a variety of periodicals, including American Freeman. By 1925, he launched the Big Blue Books series, publishing such notable authors as Bertrand Russell and Joseph McCabe.

Haldeman-Julius revolutionized the publishing industry, bringing avant-garde authors to the masses. His radical politics, including attacks against President Herbert Hoover, brought him to the attention of the FBI, which he in turn pilloried in print. The businessman further alienated the status quo by publishing Joseph McCabe's allegations of Vatican collaboration with the Axis during World War II. J. Edgar Hoover's 20-year investigation of the publisher resulted in a verdict of tax evasion in 1951. E. Haldeman-Julius appealed the verdict, but was found drowned in his swimming pool later that year. D. 1951.

More: http://www.haldeman-julius.org/

http://www.washburn.edu/reference/cks...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Halde...

http://philosopedia.org/index.php/Ema...

Reviews

[Teressa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening line did it again. Knowing what this story was about and hearing the title of the first chapter “The Dust is Stirred” was intriguing to me as it takes place on the Kansas Prairie where the tallgrass grows.

Three generations survive and thrive on their farm through the ages. This story was somewhat of a surprise with an unexpected twist of fate with Martin and Rose. I would like to think that the earlier pioneers would have been in more of a state of content than the story portrays, although I know times were hard. The story was somewhat sad but worth a listen.

My curiosity lead me to look up the authors of this book and I found their story to be really neat as well. I found them listed in the Kansas Historical Society.

About the narrator: Lee Ann Howlett told this story the way it was meant to be. The times were hard and people were haggard and worn. She portrayed this perfectly. She added the element that portrayed the lives of the early pioneers as they moved west. Great work!

Audiobook gifted in exchange for review

[Betsie Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dust is an overlooked classic that, while published in 1921, remains relevant to the 21st century reader. The essence of the relationship between the main characters, Rose and Martin, is not unlike that of modern couples who seek to fill the emptiness in their relationships by working harder. A melancholy tale, indeed, but this is a story that needs to be told to remind us of our humanity. Lee Ann Howlett's smooth narration, with an edge of the sardonic, perfectly matches the tone of the story and allows the listener to feel the pain and loneliness of the characters.

[Bob Rivera · Rating 3 out of 5]

A depressing story of a successful life of a farmer that had no feelings of love for anyone in his life. It tragically lays out a story of an successful, yet very unhappy marriage, the loss of children, and ultimately the meaninglessness of success for successes sake. It ultimately makes the point that love is the only thing that truly matters in life and the lack of it brings disappointment, pain and tragedy.

Read as part of "The Second Western Megapack: 25 Classic Western Stories".