RESOURCES
Literature & Documents
- What is Working Class Literature an article by Lew Rosenbaum
- The Labor Heritage Foundation works to strengthen the labor movement through the use of music and the arts
- Some documents relating to working class history
- Blue Collar Review: A Journal of Progressive Working Class Literature
- Blue: Writing that Works
- WWW Virtual Library Labour History: a site from the UK with scads of information
- Fiction by Contemporary American Working Class Authors
- Payday: Working Class Life and Art
- Poverty Stats WTO Statistics from the Yes Men
- Kirsten Anderberg: A righteous working class essayist
Resource Lists & Bibliographies
- Working Class Literature: Youngstown State University site that links to working class writers, essays, books, songs, theories, resources.
- A bibliography of working class literature
- River Falls Public Library: A list of working-class fiction and non-fiction complied by River Falls Public Library in River Falls, WI.
- Union Songs: A searchable website of union songs and poetry. Also includes links to lists of reviews and articles, recordings, books and union support sites.
- Bottom Dog Press: A list of American writers of working-class fiction complied by Larry Smith at Bowling Green State University.
- Working Class Films: A list of working-class films compiled by Larry Smith at Bowling Green State University
- Working Class Poetry: A list of nineteenth century working-class poetry compiled by Monica Smith at the University of Georgia.
Activism
- Trench Warfare: The Class War
- Autonome: Autonome exists as a reminder to all working people: We are not alone.
- Industrial Workers of the World: A Union for All Workers
Article Quotes
Those who are raised poor and working class are different because people are more likely to die from the manifestations of class oppression: poor health care and food, stress, overwork, etc. Our classist system provides real material rewards and benefits for owning class and upper middle class people at the expense of poor and working class people. But even owning class people frequently suffer alienation and isolation that deprives them of meaningful connections with all of humanity. The premise of a meritocratic society is that people earn and get what they deserve, based on their effort, drive and intelligence. But if a society advertises itself as a meritocracy, but in practice allocates success based on hereditary advantage, how are those who are not winners supposed to respond? Such a bind leads many poor and working people to internalize their shame and blame, instead of demanding that the society live up to its promise of opportunity.
From Class in America: Two Elite Newspapers Tackle The Big Taboo.
- "Class Matters" in the New York Times
- "Moving Up: The Challenges to the American Dream" in the Wall Street Journal
- Classism.org: Building Bridges Across the Class Divide
Have a good link for us? Know of a great related book, speaker, activist, or zine? Send an email to wtchronicles(at)hotmail.com