Making No Compromise: Margaret Anderson, Jane Heap, and the "Little Review"

Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap founded the avant-garde journal the Little Review in Chicago in 1914. They lived openly as lesbians and advocated for causes such as anarchy, feminism, and free love, which shattered cultural, social, and sexual norms. The Little Review published the early work of influential artists and writers and promoted radical trends such as Imagism, Dada, surrealism, and Machine Age aesthetics. Anderson and Heap became adherents of George I. Gurdjieff in the mid-1920s and ceased publication of the Little Review in 1929.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2023
Publisher: Cornell University Press

Making No Compromise is a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of the lives and editorial careers of Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap, the pioneering founders of the avant-garde journal the Little Review in Chicago in 1914. Born in the mid-nineteenth century in the Midwest, Anderson and Heap emerged as iconoclastic rebels, openly embracing their lesbian identities and advocating for a wide range of causes, including anarchy, feminism, and free love. Their unconventional lifestyles and groundbreaking work shattered cultural, social, and sexual norms, leaving an indelible mark on the world of literature and art.

As their paths crisscrossed Chicago, New York, Paris, and Europe, spanning two World Wars and a parade of celebrated artists of their time, Anderson and Heap transformed themselves and their journal into powerful forces for reshaping perspectives on literature and art. The Little Review played a pivotal role in promoting and introducing radical trends such as Imagism, Dada, surrealism, and Machine Age aesthetics to US audiences. It published the early works of influential writers like Ezra Pound, James Joyce, William Butler Yeats, and T.S. Eliot, while also championing the works of women writers like Djuna Barnes, May Sinclair, Dorothy Richardson, Mina Loy, Mary Butts, and the remarkable Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven.

In the mid-1920s, Anderson and Heap became followers of George I. Gurdjieff, a Russian mystic, and ceased publication of the Little Review in 1929. Holly A. Baggett delves into the roles of radical politics, sexuality, modernism, and spirituality in their lives and work, suggesting that their interest in esoteric questions was evident from the early days of the Little Review.

Making No Compromise offers a captivating narrative that sheds light on the remarkable lives and influential careers of Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap. It serves as a testament to their unwavering dedication to artistic excellence, social justice, and personal liberation, and their enduring impact on the world of literature and art.

Weight: 907g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501771446