The Rebel Girl: An Autobiography, My First Life (1906-1926)

This petition of the first part of Elizabeth Gurley Flynn's author biography has been reedited in accordance with her wishes. She had prepared the manuscript during very trying times. Her trial under the Smith Act took place in Foley Square, New York, in 1952. In the years immediately following, she was engaged in the exhausting processes of appeal and defense, not only in her case but on behalf of the many Communist leaders who were victims of that thought-control prosecution. She began serving her sentence at the Federal Women's Reformatory at Alverson, West Virginia in January 1955 and was not released until May 1957. The book first appeared, under the imprint of Masses & Mainstream, in November 1955. While in prison she was not permitted to see the proofs (nor the book when it appeared). She thus had no opportunity to make final corrections before quotation. Fortunately, Ms. Flynn left among her papers and marked copy of the book, in which she noted some corrections. These have been included in the present edition. She had also plans to give the book a more thorough critical reading, but did not manage to do so before death. However, when she asked International Publishers to reissue the book, she urged that it be completely reedited to correct the errors and smooth out the rough spots. This is been done for the present edition.... That Elizabeth Gurly Flynn never completed her autobiography is an inestimable loss. She would have written about the climactic events of the later years, it was she was deeply engaged, with the same understanding, sensitivity, with, and devotion to working people and socialism that marker story of the early years. --- excerpts from Editor's Notes