The first full-length biography of the celebrated novelist, critic, editor (of The Masses), poet, and playwright who was both central to radical culture in the early 20th century and profoundly skeptical of it. Intelligent, sympathetic. . .a superb life of the sweetest singer of the 'lyrical left.' ? William L. O'Neill “Revealing, fascinating...there is a sense of the real past here. More important, there is a real sense of the present revealed to us in that past.” ―Dan Jaffe, American Studies “This is sure to become the standard for any work on a classic American radical!” ―Elliott Shore, Journal of American History “Dell deserves the intelligent, sympathetic, yet probing treatment Clayton has given him in this highly readable book.” ―William L. O'Neill, Professor of History, Rutgers University; author of Coming Apart “Not only a perceptive analysis, but a thoughtful reflection...There's much to be learned here.” ―Daniel Aaron “Mr. Clayton builds a skillful intellectual portrait of one of America's radical literary figures.” ―Douglas A. Silva, The New York Times Douglas Clayton has taught literature at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is now humanities editor at the University of Nebraska Press.