Spivak, John L.

John L. Spivak (1897-1981), whom Lincoln Steffens called "the best of us" among the many progressive and muckraking writers of America's early 20th century is almost unknown today. Neglect may be due to his ideology. He was a thinly disguised communist and was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. Spivak was imprisoned for his alleged libelous writings. Perhaps neglect is due to his many violations of ethical standards in methods of investigation and reporting. Maybe he is not remembered because his investigative passions were spent on independent inquiries that led to sensational books and exp...