Selected Works Of Voltairine De Cleyre

by Voltairine de Cleyre, Hippolyte Havel (Contributor), Alexander Berkman (Editor)

The Selected Works of Voltairine De Cleyre is a compilation of the most influential and thought-provoking writings of the feminist anarchist and social activist, Voltairine De Cleyre. The book features a selection of her essays, speeches, and poems, which cover a wide range of topics including anarchism, feminism, socialism, labor rights, and the struggle for individual freedom and social justice.De Cleyre's writing is known for its clarity, passion, and uncompromising commitment to justice and equality. Her work challenges traditional notions of power and authority, and argues for a society that is based on mutual aid, cooperation, and solidarity. She was a tireless advocate for the rights of the oppressed and marginalized, and her writing reflects her deep empathy for those who suffer under the weight of social and economic injustice.The Selected Works of Voltairine De Cleyre is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of anarchism, feminism, and social activism. It provides a unique perspective on the struggles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and offers insights into the ongoing struggles for social justice and equality today.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Politics, Poetry, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Feminism, Essays

476 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1913

About the author

Voltairine de Cleyre was an American anarchist writer and feminist. She was a prolific writer and speaker, opposing the state, marriage, and the domination of religion in sexuality and women's lives. She began her activist career in the freethought movement. De Cleyre was initially drawn to individualist anarchism but evolved through mutualism to an "anarchism without adjectives." She believed that any system was acceptable as long as it did not involve force. However, according to anarchist author Iain McKay, she embraced the ideals of stateless communism.[1] She was a colleague of Emma Goldman, with whom she maintained a relationship of respectful disagreement on many issues. Many of her essays were in the Collected Works of Voltairine de Cleyre, published posthumously by Mother Earth in 1914.

Reviews

[for-much-deliberation ... · Rating 5 out of 5]

These works actually deserve much more than just five stars but unfortunately such an option is unavailable...
Voltairine de Cleyre was an activist, anarchist, feminist, and protagonist of woman's liberation, her works here highlight varying issues related to society's institutional confines mainly to women of her time. The forward also presents a brief history of her life from having to succumb to religious thinking to her liberation to the free thought movement...

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The poetry, which makes up the first quarter of the book, is largely forgettable.

de Cleyre's prose is something else entirely. A depressing description of the Gilded Age and its sparks of revolutionary hope. de Cleyre is passion tempered by realism. There's no wide-eyed optimism akin to Upton Sinclair's works. There's only a serious understanding of the world and a will to fight.

[Craig Bolton]

Selected works of Voltairine de Cleyre;: Pioneer of women's liberation by Voltairine De Cleyre (1972)

[Gabriel Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of Voltairine De Cleyre's work is bit too poetic for me but many of the essays such as "The Making of an Anarchist" have been very approachable.

I think this quote from that essay helps show how De Cleyre contrasts with other anarchist thinkers. This quote follows a discussion contrasting communist anarchism wit individualistic anarchism

"My personal conviction is that both forms of society, as well as many intermediations, would, in the absence of government, be tried in various localities, according to the instincts and material condition of the people, but that well founded objections may be offered to both. Liberty and experiment alone can determine the best forms of society. Therefore I no longer label myself otherwise than as "Anarchist" simply."

[G.S. Richter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Voltairine de Cleyre: Feminist, anarchist, atheist; a bit of a socialist too, by inclination, but we can let that slide, because she was writing at the turn of the 20th century--and because she is undoubtedly one of the greatest writers ever to live.

Her poetry and short stories of gothic socialism don't amount to much. But her essays are wrought with the purest literary fire.

[Sylvester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed here: https://sylvesterkuo.wordpress.com/20...

Her short stories were absolutely horrid though hence only a 4 stars.