Max Eastman (1883-1969), poet, editor, journalist and political writer, was one of the most influential leftist intellectuals in the U.S. in the years just before and after World War I. As editor of the

Masses

, an illustrated monthly magazine of socialist outlook that flourished from 1912 to 1917, Eastman championed a range of social reform causes for a largely middle-class readership, bringing about a popular merger of radical politics with innovative works in the literary and visual arts.

After the Masses was shut down by the Wilson administration 1917, Eastman co-edited its successor, the Liberator, from 1918 to 1921. He spent the period from 1922 to 1924 in Soviet Russia, where he witnessed the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution and formed close relationships with several of its

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Citation: Chura, Patrick. "Max Eastman". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 January 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=1381, accessed 19 March 2024.]

1381 Max Eastman 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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