February 21, 2003

'John Reed & the Writing of Revolution'

By NINA C. AYOUB

As a journalist of war, revolution, and labor upheaval, John Reed has made for some exciting copy.

Those interested in his life can choose among several biographies or even the cinematic crash course in Reds. But what's missing, writes Daniel W. Lehman, is an appreciation of Reed's artistry. Too few literary critics have actually read the journalist's work, argues the scholar, a professor of English at Ashland University and author of John Reed & the Writing of Revolution (Ohio