Edd Applegate - Muckrakers: A Biographical Dictionary of Writers and Editors

LOUIS ADAMIC WAS BORN IN 1899 in Blato, in Carniola, Austria, before the region became part of Yugoslavia in 1918. Although he attended the gymnasium of Ljubljana, he was dismissed when he was fourteen for mischievous behavior. He immigrated to the United States and found employment with a Slovene language newspaper, the Glas naroda of New York City. Adamic enjoyed his work, but the newspaper collapsed and he was walking the streets within months. In order to live, he worked at odd jobsfrom sweeping floors to waiting on tables. In 1916 he joined the United States Army and served during World War I. He traveled to Panama, Hawaii, France, and throughout the United States; he became a citizen of the latter in 1918. When he was discharged in 1923, he made his home in California.

For the first few years, Adamics writing consisted of translations of South Slavic writers. Occasionally, he would submit a short story or article to a magazine, but his devotion to nonfiction and fiction did not develop until his articles were published by Haldeman-Julius publications, including the companys Little Blue Book series. Eventually his efforts were published in H. L. Menckens American Mercury, and Adamics reputation as an important contributor to American literature was established. He became friends with Carey McWilliams, Robinson Jeffers, Upton Sinclair, George Stirling, and others. His writing concerned the frustrations of working Americans, particularly the working immigrants in the United States, who he believed were suffering from feelings of insecurity and inferiority, feelings that were not unnatural for thousands who had fled from their families and homeland.

In 1931, Adamic returned to New York City and saw his first major book published. Dynamite: The Story of Class Violence in America was just that. Using his muckraking skills, Adamic recorded the senseless violence caused by American labor disputes. This book was followed by his part-fiction, part-fact autobiography Laughing in the Jungle, which was published a year later.

In 1932, Adamic visited his homeland, and in 1934 The Natives Return: An American Immigrant Visits Yugoslavia and Discovers His Old Country appeared. Instantly successful, the book catapulted Adamics literary reputation even further, but not without some criticism. Certain segments of society wrongfully accused him of having endorsed Communism for Yugoslavias welfare. Needless to say, such accusations affected him, but his determination to spread his beliefs resulted in Grandsons: A Story of American Lives and Cradle of Life: The Story of One Mans Beginnings.

Perhaps Adamics best book was published in 1938. Titled My America, it told from an immigrants perspective how the United States was striving for perfection.

For the rest of his life, Adamic devoted his time to books about Yugoslavias problems and racial instability; the problems of immigrants linked one book to another. Unfortunately, his denouncement of the Yugoslavian government and his support of Marshal Tito increased criticism. He was labeled a Communist by the media. When Titos relationship with Stalin ended in 1948, however, Adamic remained pro-Tito and after a six-month stay in Yugoslavia a year later, his attitude was strengthened. He then was criticized by Communist sympathizers.

In 1951, Adamic died from a gunshot wound; the authorities ruled that he had committed suicide.

Adamics style, like Upton Sinclairs and other muckrakers, was simple and direct, especially in My America, an expos written from a personal perspective. In this work he raised several questions and then tried to provide answers through facts.