For Sale: PAUL GOODMAN. The Break-Up of Our Camp (Stories 1932-1935) VOLUME I of the Collected Stories (ed. Taylor Stoehr). Santa Barabara, CA: Black Sparrow Press, 1978.

Description

Paul Goodman was an influential American writer, intellectual, and social critic who was particularly prominent in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a key figure in the New York intellectual scene and made significant contributions to various fields, including urban planning, education, psychotherapy, and social criticism.

Born in New York City in 1911, Goodman was a polymath who wrote extensively on a wide range of topics. He was perhaps best known for his critique of modern industrial society and his advocacy for more humane, decentralized social structures. His book Growing Up Absurd (1960) was particularly influential, offering a sharp critique of American society’s impact on youth and challenging the conformist culture of the 1950s.

Goodman was also a key intellectual figure in the New Left movement and was closely associated with the counterculture of the 1960s. He was one of the co-founders of Gestalt therapy, working closely with Fritz Perls, and made important contributions to psychological theory and practice.

As a writer, he was remarkably prolific, publishing poetry, novels, social criticism, and works on urban planning and education. He was known for his radical ideas about education, advocating for more flexible, student-centered learning environments that would allow for greater personal and creative development.

Politically, Goodman was an anarchist and pacifist. He was critical of both capitalist and communist systems, believing in decentralized, community-based approaches to social organization. During the Vietnam War era, he was an active voice in the anti-war movement and was deeply critical of militarism and bureaucratic social structures.

Despite his significant influence during his lifetime, Goodman’s work fell out of favor in later decades.

Enter John Martin and his Black Sparrow Press.