Boston ALA

Successful meeting of the John Dos Passos Society last week at the annual conference of the American Literature Association in Boston, MA. Presenters and representatives from Spain, Japan, Sweden, and the United States. Dos Passos led an international, multicultural life, and scholars regularly fly from around the world to seek fellowship in JDP studies. The… Read more »

Apollo 11

Except for Midcentury (1961), my grandfather John Dos Passos had great trouble selling books and earning critical acclaim with his books after the U.S.A trilogy (1938). Yet, contrary to the critical consensus that still damages his legacy, his pen did not suddenly and irrevocably become inert from 1938-1970. Some of his last works were his… Read more »

Portuguese Surnames in America: dos Passos and Pereira

Again, per Miguel Oliveira‘s book on John Dos Passos as immigrant, many Portuguese-American immigrants change their surnames to assimilate into American culture. “dos Passos” became “Dos Passos” (a relatively small change) and, in other families, “Pereira” became “Perry.” Super-famous American singer, Steve Perry, the voice of Journey and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” was born in Hanford,… Read more »

Portuguese-Americans in New England

Traditionally, many Portuguese coming to the United States have settled in New England, in Massachusetts or Maine, along the coast. My grandfather in fact lived many years, happily, in Provincetown, among the seamen and artists. Reading portions of Miguel Oliveira’s wonderful book, From a Man without a Country to an American by Choice: John Dos… Read more »

Happy New Year

To fête the New Year, enjoy this remarkable 1969 interview with John Dos Passos in Argentina, recently reprinted by Los Andes. One of the last press interviews of his life, when he was scrambling across South America to see special places before succumbing to heart disease. The photo is never-before-seen by the Dos Passos family.

Dos Passos and E.E. Cummings

Once again, a sweet recollection from Virginia Spencer Carr’s biography of Dos Passos, paperback, page 547: 1962, Dos Passos reacts to E.E. Cummings’ death. “I can hardly believe it yet. Though I didn’t see him very often, it leaves a great hole in my life. I had grown fonder of him through the years. As… Read more »

Dos and Hem

Quite sure this the last time my grandfather wrote Hemingway. It’s noted in Virginia Spencer Carr’s biography of Dos Passos, which is really worth a close read. “In the spring of 1961 when Dos Passos read that Hemingway had almost walked into the spinning blades of an airplane propeller, he dropped him a note, saying… Read more »

Dos Passos and Steinbeck in Tokyo

“September 1, 1957, Dos Passos boarded a plane with John Steinbeck and John Hersey to fly to Tokyo as America’s official representatives at the twenty-ninth International PEN Congress. The trio–billed as ‘the three Johns: Dos Passos, Steinbeck, and Hersey’–was given a thunderous ovation when introduced, but Dos Passos was the obvious star of the American… Read more »

The Book That Never Was

More intriguing history from the Dos Passos biography written by Virginia Spencer Carr. “Dodd, Mead had proposed another book they wanted Dos Passos to write, but he said that it would take an advance of at least twenty-five thousand dollars for him to research and write it. The book was to be a broad study… Read more »

Dos Passos, Sandburg, Lincoln, Jefferson

Per Virginia Spencer Carr’s biography of John Dos Passos, “Dos Passos sent Carl Sandburg an advance copy of The Head and Heart of Thomas Jefferson, saying: ‘Ever since you rescued Lincoln from the embalmers I’ve had a notion of doing something similar with Jefferson. I haven’t the faintest notion whether I have succeeded or failed,… Read more »

Dos Passos and Tolstoy

Another discovery in re-reading the 2 biographies of John Dos Passos–his fondness of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. He gave a copy of it to his goddaughter Susan Lowndes for her 13th birthday (Maybe a bit too soon). He advised, “If you’ve already read it, read it again–I always get something new out of it.” Summer… Read more »

Dos Passos Reports at Nuremberg

Research for my speech has sharpened my appreciation for my grandfather’s prestigious reporting career. For example, Dos Passos’ observations of the Nuremberg trials in fall 1945. “Except for Hess, who slumps as if in a coma, the accused have an easy expectant look as if they had come to see the play rather than to… Read more »

H.G. Wells

Interesting discovery for me. In fall 1941, John Dos Passos met fellow writer H.G. Wells in London at the PEN Club congress. Dos Passos then visited with Wells as his home at the edge of Regents Park. He very much enjoyed Wells’ company, describing him as a “spruce figure…his sharp-clipped white mustache and the liquid… Read more »

Deadline for Lisbon Extended

The due date for abstract proposals for the next John Dos Passos Society Conference (Jun 20-22, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal) has been extended to Friday, Feb 9. Send an English-language abstract of 250-300 words and brief CV to both Aaron Shaheen and Mário Avelar at aaron-shaheen@utc.edu and mario.carlos.avelar@gmail.com respectively by due date. Make note of… Read more »

All Aboard for Lisbon

2 Weeks to go to submit for the 2018 Conference of the John Dos Passos Society in Lisbon, Portugal! Conference will be June 20-22 at the Geographical Society of Lisbon. Send an English-language abstract of 250-300 words and brief CV to both Aaron Shaheen and Mário Avelar at aaron-shaheen@utc.edu and mario.carlos.avelar@gmail.com respectively by January 31st,… Read more »

Farewell, Roslyn Targ

Rest in peace Roslyn Targ, influential New York literary agent. She died a couple days ago at age 92. She faithfully represented the foreign rights of John Dos Passos, my grandfather, for many years. Now those rights are very capably represented by the Jane Rotrosen Agency.