The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-20
Soviet Literature Is Too
Vital To Be
Standardized

erature is that it is not the anar-
chic outpouring Of isolated talents.
but part Of the gigantic process of
building socialist society. It's
theme is great historic period
which opens vast new epoch in
the life Of humanity; its hero is
the worker laying the foundations
Of a classics Communist world.
The present generation of Soviet
writer's has had the task of describ-
ing one-sixth of the globe com
pletely transformed by the October
Revolution. This in itself is ex-
tremely difficult; how much more
difficult has it been to absorb the
Marxist-Leninist viewpoint which
alone enables one to understand
this epoch and to develop the ade-
quate aesthetic form which raises
the novel or the poem about revo-
lutionsry change through various
phases Of DEVELOPMENT each
marked by the inevitable struggle
Of currents and tendencies.
Soviet Literature Not Uniform
Not withstanding the libel of
those enemies of the Soviet Union
who pose as literary critics, Soviet
literature has never been uniform
and is not uniform today 1t is too
vital to be standardized; groupings.
tendencies, currents are bound TO
exist, each contributing its work to
Soviet literature as a whole, each
learning from those writers who
best understand the essence Of the
proletarian dictatorship and who
best understand form.
Already number of Soviet writ
ers have won regulations for them
selves in the United States. The
best known, for one reason or an
other. are Yessenin, Mayakovsky,
Pilnyak, Leonov, Fadeyev, Babel,
GIadkov, Vsevolod Ivanov, and
best of all-Maxim Gorky. These
have been translated into English.
Their fresh approach to life, in
spired to greater or lesser extent
by the October Revolution, and
their vivid literary gifts have
aroused the admiration of Ameri-
can writers and critics. But unfor-
tunately. Soviet literature as
whole is still closed book to
America.
For this reason, professional anti
Soviet agitators are able to spread
the most fantastic rumors about
Soviet writer's. Soviet writer's may
be surprised to learn that they are
artists in uniform" complete
slaves compelled to confne them
selves to the crudest political agi-
tation, victims of a ruthless literary
"inquisition," etc. Yet such non
sense will continue to be circulated
by the INSCRIPTIONS and believed
by by the naive until an honest and
intelligent history of Soviet litera-
ture appears in English. A number
of American writer's are eagerly
awaiting such a book; the power
and depth of Soviet literature must
be described for them.
Fascism and War Main Problems
You ask: What events and cul-
tural processes in capitalist coun-
tries are especially attracting my
attention? I am especially con-
cerned with the problems Of fas-
cism and war Fascist tendencies
are more and more manifesting
themselves in all capitalist coun-
tries; in Italy and Germany, fas-
cism dominates. Fascism is the last
stand of capitalist society; its at
tempt to save itself by brute force.
With it goes the feYerish and des-
perate preparation for war as a
possible way out Of the economic
crisis. There can be no possible
way out of the economic crisis
There can be no possible doubt that
Japan is preparing to attack the
Soviet Union; nor can there be any
doubt that fascist Germany seeks !
war.
Along with the piling up of arm
aments and the ruthless persecu-
ton of working class organizations,
all capitalist countries, and those
with fascist relationships in par
ticular, have evidenced all the signs
of cultural decay on vast scale.
Today Germany and the Soviet
Union stand as the living symbols
of two worlds. Germany once stood
on the highest level Of world cul-
ture; today, when capitalism hrs
reached the last stages Of it's NOR
tai illness, it has regTesS.d to the
cultural barbarism of the Middle
Ages. Russia, before 1917, was
among the most backward coun-
tries in the world; today, as the
Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.
it is among the most advanced
countries technically, and the first
socially.
The issue has been clarified; the
choice cannot be evaded. We must
fight against the spread of fascism
in the capitalist countries. the
U.SA. included; we must defend
the Soviet Union against military
attack; we must expose the deca-
dent elements in capitalist culture,
and taking from it what is healthy