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Voltairine de Cleyre, “The Past and Future of the Ladies’ Liberal League” (1895-96)

July 28, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

THE PAST AND FUTURE of the LADIES’ LIBERAL LEAGUE. By Voltairine de Cleyre I have assumed a serious and severe office that of historian and prophet. But, pardon me, I intend to be neither serious nor severe; for this is an occasion rather for exchanging greetings and putting ourselves in good humor than being serious, and my talk will be somewhat governed thereby. Our history is short, but, to borrow a ponderous phrase of Renan’s “of interest to the philosophic mind.” At last it ought to be; if it is not so much the worse for the philosophic mind. We […]

Voltairine de Cleyre, “Some Nihilists I Have Met” (1893)

July 28, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

Some Nihilists I Have Met The word nihilist is so generally associated with darkness, secrecy, dynamite, assassination and blood, that had someone whispered five minutes before the encounter, “You are about to meet a Russian nihilist,” I should, no doubt, have hastily retreated to the shelter of law-abiding domiciles, far from the dirty, tortuous, downtown quarter, where, amidst a labyrinth of alleys and deceitful little streets that mockingly led against walls, and then turned back into one another, I found myself one snowy afternoon, picking my way somewhat disgustedly with no very clear idea concerning my exact whereabouts. One thing, […]

Voltairine de Cleyre, “The White Room” (1896)

July 28, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

It was an artist’s masterpiece. He had wrought it all with his own hands, after his idea, which grew as he wrought. It was not square nor long nor round, nor any regular shape, such as we are used to thinking of rooms; it was wider here and narrower there, and had strange turns and niches and carvings and arches; and in all these there were bits of statuary, or tiny fountains, or flowers, or curious sea things gathered from many shores, shells and corals and ocean feathers, picked up years apart. The light came from above as all light […]

Voltairine de Cleyre, “Katherine Karg Harker—Obituary” (1896)

July 28, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

MRS. KATHERINE KARG HARKER.—OBITUARY.[note]An address delivered at the funeral of Mrs. Harker and at the grave. Mrs. Harker, who died at the age of seventy years, had been an Atheist for sixty years, and a member of the Philadelphia Liberal Club for the last twenty-five years.[/note] BY VOLTAIRINE DE CLEYRE. IN the presence of those solemnly closed eyes, these pulseless hands, these voiceless lips I come to speak, as someday I wish that one will speak for me, telling the truth of life and death, The trust of the dead is very sacred. There is but one thing equally so—and […]

Voltairine de Cleyre, “The Hopelessly Fallen” (1902)

July 28, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

The Hopelessly Fallen I generally like what Kate Austin says and always admire the spirited way she says it; but I feel move to write a word of disagreement with her and others concerning this attitude towards “fallen women.” I do not know just what class of persons are included in that category; but from K. A.’s general blunt, straightforward, non-equivocating nature, and her strong determination to apply her faith under all circumstances, I suppose she means all, beginning with the young girl who has once deviated from the rigid line of conventional morality, and been found out, to the […]

Voltairine de Cleyre, “The Hopelessly Fallen” (1902)

July 28, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

The Hopelessly Fallen I generally like what Kate Austin says and always admire the spirited way she says it; but I feel move to write a word of disagreement with her and others concerning this attitude towards “fallen women.” I do not know just what class of persons are included in that category; but from K. A.’s general blunt, straightforward, non-equivocating nature, and her strong determination to apply her faith under all circumstances, I suppose she means all, beginning with the young girl who has once deviated from the rigid line of conventional morality, and been found out, to the […]

Francisco Ferrer, “L’École Rénovée” (1909; Voltairine de Cleyre, tr.)

July 27, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

L’École Rénovée By Francisco Ferrer. Literal translation of an article written by Francisco Ferrer for the L’Ecole Renovee, the Paris review published in the interests of Modern Education. TO those who wish to renovate the education of children two methods are open: To work for the transformation of the school by studying the child, so as to prove scientifically that the present organization of education is defective and to bring about progressive modification; or, to found new schools in which shall be directly applied those principles corresponding directly to the ideal of society and of its units, as held by […]

Liebin, “Little Albert’s Punishment” (1907; Voltairine de Cleyre, tr.)

July 27, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

Links: Voltairine de Cleyre [main page] LITTLE ALBERT’S PUNISHMENT (Translated from the Jewish of Liebin.) ALBERT is nine years old. He is little, thin, and pale. There was no place for him in school, so he has to stay at home. Very likely the hand of an overseeing Providence is in that, since Albert’s being at home has been of much use. Albert’s father is a button-hole maker, but he will soon have forgotten all about his trade, for he has been out of a job for a long, long time. Day in and day out he goes about looking […]

L. I. Peretz, “Hope and Fear” (1906; Voltairine de Cleyre, tr.)

July 27, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

HOPE AND FEAR.* (Translated from the Jewish of L. I. Peretz.) . . . My heart is with you. My eye does not get weary looking at your flaming banner; my ear does not get tired listening to your powerful song . . . My heart is with you; man’s hunger must be appeased, and he must have light; he must be free, and he must be his own master, master over himself and his work. And when you snap at the fist which is trying to strangle you, your voice, and your ardent protest, preventing you from being heard […]

“Buddhism,” translated by Voltairine de Cleyre (1903)

July 27, 2017 Shawn P. Wilbur

Buddhism. A few weeks before Voltairine de Cleyre was struck down in the street by the bullets from Herman Helscher’s revolver, she read in one of her French journals the story of a Chinaman who was shot by a Russian soldier in the streets of a Manchurian village. This story made a profound impression on the young woman’s mind. “That Chinaman was an anarchist and did not know it,” she said to her friends. “His sentiments, his ideas, are mine. I will translate the story for the benefit of my friends.” And she translated, but scarcely had her work been […]