Rise and Fall of Morris Ernst, Free Speech Renegade

Morris Ernst was a prominent liberal lawyer in the US who fought against censorship and defended civil liberties. He was a complex figure with contradictions, waging a personal battle against Communism and defending a foreign autocrat. His biography, "The Rise and Fall of Morris Ernst, Free Speech Renegade," highlights his impact on free speech and civil liberties, making his battles as pertinent as ever in today's challenges.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 424 pages
\n Publication date: 10 June 2021
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
\n

Morris Ernst, a prominent liberal lawyer in the United States during the 1930s and 40s, emerged as a fierce advocate for freedom of expression. Serving as the general counsel of the ACLU for decades, Ernst fought against literary and artistic censorship with unwavering audacity. He successfully defended James Joyce's novel Ulysses against obscenity charges, litigated groundbreaking reproductive rights cases, and championed the expansion of protections for sexual expression, union organizing, and public speech. However, this complex individual was characterized by stark contradictions. He waged a personal battle against Communism, defended a foreign autocrat, and aligned himself with J. Edgar Hoover's inflammatory crusades.

Arriving at a time when issues of privacy, artistic freedom, and personal expression are once again at the forefront of public discourse, The Rise and Fall of Morris Ernst, Free Speech Renegade presents this singularly complex figure in a timely and illuminating light. Through Samantha Barbass's eloquent and compelling biography, it becomes evident that Ernst both transformed free speech in America and inflicted damage to the cause of civil liberties. Drawing on Ernst's extensive collection of publications and papers, Barbass traces the life of this idealist from his pugnacious early career to his legal triumphs of the 1930s and 40s and his later-life turn toward zealous anticommunism. As she demonstrates, the challenges to free speech and political power today make Morris Ernst's battles as pertinent as ever.

Morris Ernst's unwavering commitment to freedom of expression and his willingness to challenge censorship and authoritarianism made him a revered figure in the legal and intellectual circles of his time. His battles against obscenity charges, reproductive rights cases, and political repression continue to inspire and shape the ongoing struggle for civil liberties in the United States. Despite his contradictions and complexities, Ernst's legacy as a free speech advocate remains a testament to the power of individual courage and the importance of defending the values that uphold democracy and human rights.

\n Weight: 610g\n
Dimension: 163 x 236 x 33 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226658049\n \n