Paul Buhle Bücher

In The Beats: A Graphic History, those who were mad to live come back to life through artwork as pulsatingly vibrant as the movement itself. Told by Harvey Pekar and his frequent artistic collaborator Ed Piskor, and by a range of artists and writers, including feminist comic creator Trina Robbins and Mad magazine artist Peter Kuper, The Beats takes us on a wild tour. From the Benzedrine-fueled antics of Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Burroughs to the painting sessions of Jay DeFeo’s disheveled studio, from the jazz hipsters to beatnik chicks, from Chicago’s beatnik bistro to San Francisco’s famed City Lights bookstore, we see the storied era in all its incarnations.

The first-ever graphic biography of Paul Robeson, Ballad of an American, charts Robeson’s career as a singer, actor, scholar, athlete, and activist who achieved global fame. Through his films, concerts, and records, he became a potent symbol representing the promise of a multicultural, multiracial American democracy at a time when, despite his stardom, he was denied personal access to his many audiences. Robeson was a major figure in the rise of anti-colonialism in Africa and elsewhere, and a tireless campaigner for internationalism, peace, and human rights. Later in life, he embraced the civil rights and antiwar movements with the hope that new generations would attain his ideals of a peaceful and abundant world. Ballad of an American features beautifully drawn chapters by artist Sharon Rudahl, a compelling narrative about his life, and an afterword on the lasting impact of Robeson’s work in both the arts and politics. This graphic biography will enable all kinds of readers—especially newer generations who may be unfamiliar with him—to understand his life’s story and everlasting global significance. Ballad of an American: A Graphic Biography of Paul Robeson is published in conjunction with Rutgers University’s centennial commemoration of Robeson’s 1919 graduation from the university

An “utterly brilliant” graphic novel biography of the dramatic life and death of German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg (Guardian). “ . . . a tour de force . . . a straightforward and intellectually honest introduction to [Luxumburg’s] politics and theoretical contributions.” —Los Angeles Review of Books A giant of the political left, Rosa Luxemburg is one of the foremost minds in the canon of revolutionary socialist thought. But she was much more than just a thinker. She made herself heard in a world inimical to the voices of strong-willed women. She overcame physical infirmity and the prejudice she faced as a Jew to become an active revolutionary whose philosophy enriched every corner of an incredibly productive and creative life—her many friendships, her sexual intimacies, and her love of science, nature and art. Always opposed to World War I, when others on the German left were swept up on a tide of nationalism, she was imprisoned and murdered in 1919 fighting for a revolution she knew to be doomed. In this beautifully drawn work of graphic biography, writer and artist Kate Evans has opened up her subject’s intellectual world to a new audience, grounding Luxemburg’s ideas in the realities of an inspirational and deeply affecting life.

Offering a comprehensive overview of U.S. Marxism, this work is celebrated for its nuanced storytelling and balanced perspective. It presents a sweeping narrative that captures the complexities of Marxist thought in the United States, making it a significant contribution to New Left historiography. The book's detailed analysis and engaging approach provide valuable insights into the evolution and impact of Marxist ideas in American history.

A profusely illustrated, popularly-written volume with original comic art, FDR and the New Deal For Beginners will shed new light upon a story now regaining visibility thanks to the recent economic crisis and prominent reformer, President Obama, in the White House. The history of the precedent-making FDR administration through the bitter economic depression, with expansive programs empowering artists and working people, comes alive as the grandest social experiment in the history of American democracy. For the first time, the lives of the president, the first lady and the ordinary people of the time will be seen through an inventive comic narrative accompanying historic illustrations and a sympathetic but not uncritical text.