Goddess of Anarchy: The Life and Times of Lucy Parsons, American Radical

By Jacqueline Jones

Book Overview

From a prize-winning historian, a new portrait of an extraordinary activist and the turbulent age in which she lived

Goddess of Anarchy recounts the formidable life of the militant writer, orator, and agitator Lucy Parsons. Born to an enslaved woman in Virginia in 1851 and raised in Texas-where she met her husband, the Haymarket "martyr" Albert Parsons-Lucy was a fearless advocate of First Amendment rights, a champion of the working classes, and one of the most prominent figures of African descent of her era. And yet, her life was riddled with contradictions-she advocated violence without apology, concocted a Hispanic-Indian identity for herself, and ignored the plight of African Americans.

Drawing on a wealth of new sources, Jacqueline Jones presents not only the exceptional life of the famous American-born anarchist but also an authoritative account of her times-from slavery through the Great Depression.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465078990
• ISBN13: 9780465078998
• Release Date: December 2017
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 480 Pages
• Weight: 1.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Confusing rant about what Parsons did NOT do and say

As a former academic and admirer of Lucy Parsons, I was so outraged by this book I threw it in the trash--something I've never considered in my 50 years as an avid reader. Why write a biography of a woman you hold in such contempt? Lucy Parsons (not to mention readers) deserve so much better than this bizarre hit piece. Beyond disappointing. Read Carolyn Ashbaugh's 1976 bio. and Lucy Parsons's own words if you want to learn about this inspiring woman (goddess?!).