EDITORIAL STATEMENT
PARTISAN REVIEW appears at a time when American literature is un–
dergoing profound changes. The economic and political crisis of capitalism,
the growth of the revolutionary movement the world over, and the suc–
cessful building of socialism in the Soviet Union have deeply affected
American life, thought and art. They have had far-reaching effects not
only upon the political activities of writers and artists, but upon their
writing and thinking as well. For the past four years the movement to
create a revolutionary art, which for a decade was confined to a small
group, has spread throughout the United States. A number of revolution–
ary magazines has sprung up which publish revolutionary fiction, poetry
and criticism. Some of these are issued by the John Reed Clubs.
PARTISAN REVIEW is the organ of
th~
John Reed Club of New York,
which is the oldest and largest Club in the country. As such it has a specif–
ic function to fulfill. It will publish the best creative work of its members
as well as of non-members who share the literary aims of the John Reed
Club.
We propose to concentrate on creative and critical literature, but we
shall maintain a definite viewpoint-that of the revolutionary working
class. Through our specific literary medium we shal! participate in the
struggle of the workers and sincere intellectuals against imperialist war,
fascism, national and racial oppression, and for the abolition of the sys–
tem which breeds these evils. The defense of the Soviet Union is one of
our principal tasks.
We shall combat not only the decadent culture of the exploiting classes
but also the debilitating liberalism which at times seeps into our writers
through the pressure of class-alien forces. Nor shall we forget to keep our
own house in order. We shall resist every attempt to cripple our litera–
ture by narrow-minded, sectarian theories and practices.
We take this opportunity to greet the various magazines of revolu–
tionary literature already in the field, especially the
New Masses
whose
appearance as a weekly, like the
~rej)@llt
Issuance·of PARTISAN REVIEW,
is evidence of the growth
ot
the
hew
within the old.
