Spartacus, the narrative of a Roman slave rebellion, emerged from a federal prison cell where Howard Fast was serving a sentence for contempt of Congress. His literary career, stretching across seven decades, integrated historical fiction with political activism, establishing him as a prominent, if controversial, American voice during the mid-twentieth century and beyond.
Early Development and Historical Focus
Born in 1914 in New York City to immigrant parents, Fast began his writing career early, publishing his first novel at eighteen. His upbringing was marked by poverty following his mother's death in 1923, leading him to seek odd jobs while traveling the country. These experiences influenced his commitment to American historical themes, manifesting in works like Citizen Tom Paine and The Last Frontier, the latter of which provided the basis for the film Cheyenne Autumn.
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During World War II, Fast contributed to the United States Office of War Information through his writing for Voice of America and joined the Communist Party USA in 1943. His political activities attracted the attention of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, leading to a prison term for refusing to identify contributors to a Spanish Civil War orphan fund. Following his imprisonment, he faced industry-wide blacklisting, forcing him to establish Blue Heron Press to maintain his publishing output.
Departure from Party Ideology
Fast eventually grew disillusioned with the Communist Party, formally breaking with the organization in the late 1950s. This transition was precipitated by Nikita Khrushchev's 1956 report criticizing the cult of Joseph Stalin and the subsequent Soviet military intervention in Hungary. He detailed this ideological departure in his 1957 autobiographical work, The Naked God: The Writer and the Communist Party, where he characterized his former political adherence as a betrayal of human liberty.
Later Career and Pseudonyms
Throughout his extensive career, Fast employed various pseudonyms, including E.V. Cunningham, Behn Boruch, and Walter Ericson, to expand his literary reach into genres such as noir and biblical fiction. In his later years, he moved to California to pursue screenwriting, contributing to television programs like How the West Was Won. His 1977 publication, The Immigrants, launched a popular six-part series that marked his enduring commercial relevance.
Fast facts
- Born: 1914, New York City
- Died: 2003, Old Greenwich
- Notable Works: Spartacus (1951), April Morning (1961), The Immigrants (1977)
- Awards: International Stalin Prize for Peace, Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (1973)
- Political Party: Communist Party USA (joined 1943)
- Notable Pseudonyms: E.V. Cunningham, Behn Boruch, Walter Ericson
- Education: New York Public Library self-study
Questions readers ask
Did Howard Fast actually write the screenplay for the 1960 Spartacus film?
While he wrote the novel, the film adaptation is most noted for being directed by Stanley Kubrick; Fast himself was blacklisted during this period.
Why was Howard Fast jailed?
He was sentenced for contempt of Congress in 1950 after refusing to disclose the names of contributors to a fund established for the orphans of American veterans who fought in the Spanish Civil War.
Achievements
- Worked as writer, screenwriter and novelist
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