Letter from Lhasa, number 205. (Lyon 1980): Bertolt Brecht in America
by Roberto Abraham Scaruffi
Lyon, J. K., Bertolt Brecht in America, Princeton University Press, 1980.
(Lyon 1980).
James K. Lyon
We find Brecht in the USA in 1935-36 and, later, from 1941 to 1947. In this dense book, one may find detailed information about the Brecht’s life in the USA.
Left Germany in 1933, Brecht was skilful in avoiding living stably in the USSR, not a really safe place for refugees, and for Soviet subjects too. Finally, when his European exile was too dangerous, he could reach the USA in 1941. His previous visit, 1935-36, had professional reasons.
In this book, one may find reports on the usual FBI and U.S. xenophobia and other phobias relatively both to foreigners and to U.S. subjects.
One may read this book posing oneself different questions. One may see as a supposedly difficult character was not always so difficult; he had enemies but also friends. There is also some news about his being perceived as a very sexy man despite various aspects against that. One may see how he successfully made fun of the U.S. House of Representative’s [which inquired also on him] anti-“communist” “activities”, and how, basically, he followed his passions and interests and he lived them despite other people oppositions.
Was he a “proletarian” author? I am not sure and, in my opinion, it not at all relevant. He enjoyed himself navigating in an inevitable adverse world. By this book, on a period of his life, one may see how.
Lyon, J. K., Bertolt Brecht in America, Princeton University Press, 1980.
