Left of the Left: My Memories of Sam Dolgoff

by Anatole Dolgoff, Andrew Cornell (Introduction)

Sam Dolgoff, a house painter by trade, was at the center of American anarchism for seventy years. His political voyage began in the 1920s when he joined the Industrial Workers of the World. He rode the rails as an itinerant laborer, bedding down in hobo camps and mounting soapboxes in cities across the United States. Self-educated, he translated, edited, and wrote some of the most important books and journals of twentieth-century anti-authoritarian politics, including the most widely read collection of Mikhail Bakunin's writings in English. His story, told with passion and humor by his son, conjures images of a lost New York City—the Lower East Side, the strong immigrant and working-class neighborhoods, the blurred lines dividing proletarian and intellectual culture, the union halls and social clubs, the brutal cops and bosses, and the solidarity that kept them at bay. An instant classic of radical history, this biography is written by a man now in his seventies who, as a child and young man, had a front-row seat to the world of proletarian politics and the colorful characters who brought it to life. "The American left in its classical age used to celebrate an ideal, which was the worker-intellectual—someone who toils with his hands all his life and meanwhile develops his mind and deepens his knowledge and contributes mightily to progress and decency in the society around him. Sam Dolgoff was a mythic figure in a certain corner of the radical left ... and his son, Anatole, has written a wise and beautiful book about him." —Paul Berman, author of A Tale of Two Utopias and Power and the Idealists "If you want to read the god-honest and god-awful truth about being a radical in twentieth-century America, drop whatever you're doing, pick up this book, and read it. Pronto! If you're not crying within five pages, you might want to check whether you've got a heart and a pulse." —Peter Cole, author of Wobblies on the Waterfront Anatole Dolgoff is the son of Esther and Sam Dolgoff, two of the most important anarchists in the United States in the twentieth century. He has lived in New York City his entire life and teaches geology at the Pratt Institute.

Genres: History, Labor, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2016

Reviews

[Victoria Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

With the exceptionsof Voltairine de Cleyre and Lucy Parsons, there is a dearth of information about the women who were mothers in early 20th century Anarchist moments, so i appreciate that Dolgoff includes anecdotes and memories of his mother Esther and her contributions to the movement.

[Ian Chinich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really powerful and enjoyable. It is filled with wonderful anecdotes of a period of social struggle long past. It includes stories of wobblies unheard of, of carlo tresca, ben fletcher, emma goldman, maximoff, and the yiddish anarchist movement in the lower east side.

If you are interested in reading about the Anarchist movement during the great depression, of the way they organized to fight fascists here, of wobbly dockworkers, and prison stories, ....of Spanish, Cuban, and Russian anarchists.... of refugees from Mujeres Libres, and a meeting between old Italian anarchists and the up against the wall motherfuckers..... then this is the book for you.

Sam Dolgoff lived a revolutionary life as a working class intellectual and was on the pulse of the struggle for decades. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was very real and heartfelt.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book surprisingly enjoyable. I'm not sure how much interest it would be to people who don't have some connection to anarchism or the working class New York that is being reminisced about. There is a lot of story telling about famous white dudes from history, which gets a little tiresome in parts. But the readability and accessibility of the (largely invisible) history of the left in the last 100 years makes up for some of the tedious parts. It is valuable to read things that highlight the continuity of the struggle and the journey to get to where we are - which is in a lot of ways the exact same place, but also not. I would like to see a lot more writing about the period from WWII forward - writing not focused on college graduate baby boomers, but on the other people who tried to navigate the counterrevolutionary pushes of the 40s-50s and 70s-80s.

[Kathleen Clifford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anatole has a humorous voice that brings the mid-century anarchist movement to life. Worth reading for the anecdotes about the characters that paraded through his childhood home on the lower east side, as well as the descriptions of his mother, who was an anarchist in her own right.

[Aonarán]

I read maybe the first 50 or so pages of Left of the Left, and only set it done because of more pressing reading matters.

I will say, I found Anatole's writing style very refreshing. So much anarchist writing and history is polemic or discussing extreme matters. Anatole had a much more laid back, matter fact style, but with sooo many interesting stories. It's a biography of his dad Sam Dolgoff (and mom Esther Dolgoff to some extent) so I really appreciated that lens to many of the stories.

I look forward to finishing Left of the Left when time permits!

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super engaging and very heartfelt portrait of lifetime labor organizer and "crusty anarchist", Sam Dolgoff. Written by his son, this delightful mix of memoir, history, and political theory is very heartfelt and is written in a style sure to grab and hold your attention and interest. What a larger than life man! I never even heard of him before, but even though he lead a hard life devoid of many bourgeois comforts, I am slightly envious at the true breadth and richness of experiences encompassed through Dolgoff's life. Indispensable reading for those interested in US labory history (especially the IWW) and also the history of anti-autoritarian leftist organizing.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings back memories of my Anarchist days in New York City. Sam was a gentleman and a scholar.

[Marley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Sam and Esther Dolgoff a little bit. I am so glad this book is available. Too bad we don't have radicals like them today.