Beyond Sambation : Selected Essays and Editorials 1928-1955 (Collected Works of A.M. Klein)

The broad range of A.M. Klein’s interests, ideas, and activities is reflected in this selection of articles, editorials, and reviews – a selection that also displays the qualities that distinguished all his creative writing and the highly idiosyncratic nature of his style. The writings in this volume span a most critical juncture in human affairs; a period that witnessed the Great Depression, the rise of fascism, Nazism, and communism, the Second World War, and the emergence of the State of Israel. As a journalist, Klein did more than record the events – he gave expression to the feelings of his people and helped shape their responses. His wide reading, sensitivity, and intelligence made him a perceptive observer and keen analyst, while his command of language, his passion, rhetoric, and wit, made him an eloquent spokesman. These qualities enabled him to carry out the responsibilities, as he saw them, of chronicler and champion. Though Klein’s major concern was with the Canadian Jewish scene, his interests were part of the mosaic of Canadian history and his work forms a chronicle and a commentary on events of world-wide significance. Klein’s journalism relates frequently, in both substance and language, to his poems and fiction, and thus provides a context for the study of his creative writing. It also reveals aspects of his personality, values, and commitments, contributing to our understanding and appreciation of one of Canada’s foremost writers. Contents 5 Introduction 13 Editorial Principles 23 Acknowledgments 27 Biographical Chronology 29 1928 33 1929 37 1930 43 1931 44 1932 52 1937 63 1938 67 1939 76 1940 98 1941 116 1942 159 1943 209 1944 230 1945 263 1946 284 1947 322 1948 343 1949 363 1950 418 1951 421 1952 444 1953 460 1954 477 1955 485 In Praise of the Diaspora (An Undelivered Memorial Address) 495 Textual Emendations 511 Notes 519 Glossary 559 Index 563