Tuesday, June 15, 2004
The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective)
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
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The Literary Grandparents (as in my grandparents, who owned a bookstore)
An Interview with Professor Shirley Wiegand
On August 17, 1940, my grandparents were arrested. They were in Oklahoma City at the time, where they ran the Progressive Bookstore. Besides carrying books by Thomas Jefferson and Jack London, the store also sold books by Karl Marx, and Frederick Engels. In Oklahoma Witch Hunt, a small pamphlet published in 1941,Gordon Friessen writes that,
“The specific charge was that the possession and selling of certain books was a violation of criminal syndicalism law.” (Friessen, Gordon. Oklahoma Witch Hunt. Oklahoma Committee to Defend Political Prisoners, Oklahoma: 1941. p. 12)
Basically, my grandparents were arrested, and then convicted, and then sentenced to 10 years in prison, for selling books.
They appealed, and luckily, I think, for more than just me, their convictions were overturned.
For the past three years, the Professors Wiegand (he, Wayne, the F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies and Professor of American Studies at Florida State University, she, Shirley, Professor of Law at Marquette University) have been researching the events surrounding the Oklahoma trials. They are currently working on the first draft of their book, whose working title is Books on Trial: Oklahoma Witch Hunt and a Nation's Response, 1940-1943.
Professor Shirley Wiegand was good enough to answer some of my questions.
Why are you writing this book?
Shirley Wiegand: We have both spent time in Oklahoma, so when we came across this story in an old (1940s) Wilson Library Quarterly, it caught our interest. As we followed up, I became interested in the parallels to today’s events. In the 1940s, Oklahoma (and other states) were quite fearful of communism. State officials did not realize that those who called themselves “communist” were, more often than not, simply working on behalf of the poor and the unemployed. As a result of irrational fear, State officials simply swept people off the street, threw them in jail and held them incommunicado. They were not granted access to attorneys for several days and their bail was set at such a high level, most of them were not able to be released for months. Ultimately, they were sentenced to ten years in prison on the basis of books contained in a bookstore they owned or frequented. Such a compelling story! Such an example of how irrational fear of terror abroad prompts government officials to ignore our treasured Bill of Rights. Such a parallel to today’s events. The more I learned about the four defendants involved, the more I wanted to tell their story. It’s interesting, compelling, sad, and significant.
What's it like working as a husband and wife team? Any conflicts?
SW: Interesting question. We’ve had a few minor tussles – mostly about what details to include and who gets to write the first draft – control issue, really. But we’re heading into our 40th year of marriage (on June 19) and we’ve learned how to resolve these issues quite satisfactorily. So far, so good……But of course the book isn’t yet complete….
Is there going to be anything funny in your book? Did anyone crack jokes
during the trial?
SW: There are a number of funny incidents. We’ll include them. For example, while the Oklahoma City newspapers were up in arms about “Communists” in their midst, one Oklahoma woman wrote to the major newspaper that these problems all began when women gave up their corsets. Corset stays kept women and men more rigidly moral, she wrote. We’ve also found some funny stories about the defendants themselves which we find endearing. We’ll include those as well.
This website usually focuses on literary figures; besides revolving around a bookstore, is there anything of literary interest in your book?
SW: Yes, actually a number of prominent writers came to the defense of your grandfather and others, signing petitions of support and speaking out: Theodore Dreiser, Dashiell Hammett, Ralph Ellison, Lillian Hellman, Langston Hughes, Orson Welles, Richard Wright – some pretty big names. As you probably know, Arthur Miller was a friend of Eli Jaffe’s and we’ll include a reference to a letter from him as well.
I know this book features my grandparents, but who are the other players?
SW: The four major players are Robert and Ina Wood, Eli Jaffe, and Alan Shaw. Others were arrested and charged but only those four were tried. Their convictions were ultimately reversed so the charges against others were dismissed.
I think it's a common experience when people are doing research, that in
looking for the answer to one question, you end up stumbling upon other
mysteries, not all of which you have the time to investigate fully. Are
there any little stories that you stumbled upon doing your research, that
you'd lilke to pursue, but don't have the time?
SW: Ah, well, of course. Several compelling stories had to do with mistreatment of African-Americans in Okalahoma. They were subjected to some horrendous treatment and their stories deserve telling, as well. But I think that passage of the Patriot Act and national discussions about the mass arrests and detention involved in the war on terrorism make our story a particularly timely one.
And finally, besides the library, what resources do you use? What tips do you recommend for aspiring literary detectives?
SW: I can’t tell you how many microfilms we’ve read. We’ve read newspapers from all over the country, books for background material, microfilm of the ACLU Collection at Princeton University (which includes clippings and correspondence), the school newspaper at Brooklyn College (which rallied to support two of its graduates, Alan Shaw and Eli Jaffe), plus we’ve looked at boxes of Brooklyn College handbills and Eli Jaffe’s papers at the University of Oklahoma. We’ve been in libraries all over the place. What’s been just as interesting, however, is tracking down people with information, like your father. He was able to provide me with a wealth of details and he had some materials I couldn’t have gotten elsewhere. I also spent several days with Wilma Jaffe who was present in 1940 when her parents and brother were arrested. She later married Eli Jaffe, one of the defendants and spent the rest of her life with him. This week I am interviewing those who knew Alan Shaw. I think the interviews have been just as enlightening as the library materials. I especially like the little notes form you grandfather to your grandmother while they were in jail. These personal touches make the people come alive. They made us care about the people, and we hope our readers will, too.
If you have any thoughts you’d like to share with the Wiegands, they can be reached at: shirley.wiegand@marquette.edu and wwiegand@lis.fsu.edu
welcomes questions about literary mysteries and scandals, which should be sent to: woodyswoody@hotmail.com. The Literary Dick (as in Private Detective) is published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, by Jonathanames.com. Just so you know, Jonathan Ames, our mentor here at this website, has a new book coming out in July, called, Wake Up, Sir!
_______________________________________________________________________________
The Literary Grandparents (as in my grandparents, who owned a bookstore)
An Interview with Professor Shirley Wiegand
On August 17, 1940, my grandparents were arrested. They were in Oklahoma City at the time, where they ran the Progressive Bookstore. Besides carrying books by Thomas Jefferson and Jack London, the store also sold books by Karl Marx, and Frederick Engels. In Oklahoma Witch Hunt, a small pamphlet published in 1941,Gordon Friessen writes that,
“The specific charge was that the possession and selling of certain books was a violation of criminal syndicalism law.” (Friessen, Gordon. Oklahoma Witch Hunt. Oklahoma Committee to Defend Political Prisoners, Oklahoma: 1941. p. 12)
Basically, my grandparents were arrested, and then convicted, and then sentenced to 10 years in prison, for selling books.
They appealed, and luckily, I think, for more than just me, their convictions were overturned.
For the past three years, the Professors Wiegand (he, Wayne, the F. William Summers Professor of Library and Information Studies and Professor of American Studies at Florida State University, she, Shirley, Professor of Law at Marquette University) have been researching the events surrounding the Oklahoma trials. They are currently working on the first draft of their book, whose working title is Books on Trial: Oklahoma Witch Hunt and a Nation's Response, 1940-1943.
Professor Shirley Wiegand was good enough to answer some of my questions.
Why are you writing this book?
Shirley Wiegand: We have both spent time in Oklahoma, so when we came across this story in an old (1940s) Wilson Library Quarterly, it caught our interest. As we followed up, I became interested in the parallels to today’s events. In the 1940s, Oklahoma (and other states) were quite fearful of communism. State officials did not realize that those who called themselves “communist” were, more often than not, simply working on behalf of the poor and the unemployed. As a result of irrational fear, State officials simply swept people off the street, threw them in jail and held them incommunicado. They were not granted access to attorneys for several days and their bail was set at such a high level, most of them were not able to be released for months. Ultimately, they were sentenced to ten years in prison on the basis of books contained in a bookstore they owned or frequented. Such a compelling story! Such an example of how irrational fear of terror abroad prompts government officials to ignore our treasured Bill of Rights. Such a parallel to today’s events. The more I learned about the four defendants involved, the more I wanted to tell their story. It’s interesting, compelling, sad, and significant.
What's it like working as a husband and wife team? Any conflicts?
SW: Interesting question. We’ve had a few minor tussles – mostly about what details to include and who gets to write the first draft – control issue, really. But we’re heading into our 40th year of marriage (on June 19) and we’ve learned how to resolve these issues quite satisfactorily. So far, so good……But of course the book isn’t yet complete….
Is there going to be anything funny in your book? Did anyone crack jokes
during the trial?
SW: There are a number of funny incidents. We’ll include them. For example, while the Oklahoma City newspapers were up in arms about “Communists” in their midst, one Oklahoma woman wrote to the major newspaper that these problems all began when women gave up their corsets. Corset stays kept women and men more rigidly moral, she wrote. We’ve also found some funny stories about the defendants themselves which we find endearing. We’ll include those as well.
This website usually focuses on literary figures; besides revolving around a bookstore, is there anything of literary interest in your book?
SW: Yes, actually a number of prominent writers came to the defense of your grandfather and others, signing petitions of support and speaking out: Theodore Dreiser, Dashiell Hammett, Ralph Ellison, Lillian Hellman, Langston Hughes, Orson Welles, Richard Wright – some pretty big names. As you probably know, Arthur Miller was a friend of Eli Jaffe’s and we’ll include a reference to a letter from him as well.
I know this book features my grandparents, but who are the other players?
SW: The four major players are Robert and Ina Wood, Eli Jaffe, and Alan Shaw. Others were arrested and charged but only those four were tried. Their convictions were ultimately reversed so the charges against others were dismissed.
I think it's a common experience when people are doing research, that in
looking for the answer to one question, you end up stumbling upon other
mysteries, not all of which you have the time to investigate fully. Are
there any little stories that you stumbled upon doing your research, that
you'd lilke to pursue, but don't have the time?
SW: Ah, well, of course. Several compelling stories had to do with mistreatment of African-Americans in Okalahoma. They were subjected to some horrendous treatment and their stories deserve telling, as well. But I think that passage of the Patriot Act and national discussions about the mass arrests and detention involved in the war on terrorism make our story a particularly timely one.
And finally, besides the library, what resources do you use? What tips do you recommend for aspiring literary detectives?
SW: I can’t tell you how many microfilms we’ve read. We’ve read newspapers from all over the country, books for background material, microfilm of the ACLU Collection at Princeton University (which includes clippings and correspondence), the school newspaper at Brooklyn College (which rallied to support two of its graduates, Alan Shaw and Eli Jaffe), plus we’ve looked at boxes of Brooklyn College handbills and Eli Jaffe’s papers at the University of Oklahoma. We’ve been in libraries all over the place. What’s been just as interesting, however, is tracking down people with information, like your father. He was able to provide me with a wealth of details and he had some materials I couldn’t have gotten elsewhere. I also spent several days with Wilma Jaffe who was present in 1940 when her parents and brother were arrested. She later married Eli Jaffe, one of the defendants and spent the rest of her life with him. This week I am interviewing those who knew Alan Shaw. I think the interviews have been just as enlightening as the library materials. I especially like the little notes form you grandfather to your grandmother while they were in jail. These personal touches make the people come alive. They made us care about the people, and we hope our readers will, too.
If you have any thoughts you’d like to share with the Wiegands, they can be reached at: shirley.wiegand@marquette.edu and wwiegand@lis.fsu.edu
