The Nameless Anarchist

March 28, 2007 7:31 AM

Help me remember the name of an anarchist.

I'm pretty sure he emigrated from Italy to the United States in the 1930s or 1940s. Though it might have been the 1920s, and no, it's not Sacco or Vanzetti. He was known as a prolific or at least an influential writer--possibly a journalist? The only concrete thing about him that I can dredge up is that there's a photo online somewhere that is allegedly the only extant picture of him.

posted by scratch to religion & philosophy (10 comments total)

Luigi Galleani?
posted by complience at 7:40 AM on March 28, 2007

Was it Errico Malatesta or Camillo Berneri? You could always check The Anarchist Encyclopedia, too.
posted by iconomy at 7:42 AM on March 28, 2007

I first thought of Ammon Hennacy, but he fits exactly none of your criteria.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 7:51 AM on March 28, 2007

No, no, no, and no. But the links are good.

He might have written on the necessity of the people's access to a free press to ensure a free society. Or something like that.

I think this is my first-ever senior moment.
posted by scratch at 7:58 AM on March 28, 2007

Alexander Berkman?
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:06 AM on March 28, 2007

GRAMSCI!!!

Not an anarchist but a Marxist. Oops. And "cultural hegemony" was the notion I was fumbling for.

Thanks all for your help. Google Scholar saved my ass.

Oh, and if anyone cares, here's the photo. There are plenty of photos of him but this is supposedly the only one where he's smiling. He's a dead ringer for Martin Scorsese.
posted by scratch at 8:18 AM on March 28, 2007

Huh, for sure I thought you ment Carlo Tresca. Oh well, glad you found it.
posted by serazin at 11:26 AM on March 28, 2007

But... but... Gramsci didn't emigrate from Italy to the United States! As far as I know, he never set foot in the US. (I too thought you meant Tresca.)
posted by languagehat at 12:49 PM on March 28, 2007

I think you're right languagehat; the only place he visited was Russia. Plus, he was in prison from '26 till he died in '37.
posted by hydatius at 1:15 PM on March 28, 2007

Languagehat and Hydatius, you're both right, of course. I really embarrassed myself on this one. Definitely my first senior moment.
posted by scratch at 1:52 PM on March 28, 2007