Hoover’s archive, a treasure trove for biographers

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During the decades that J. Edgar Hoover headed the FBI, the height of the cold war, state agencies in the United States increased their surveillance of many writers that today are household names. The files vary in length, and so does their justification. In the case of John Steinbeck, it is stated that his integrity “is beyond question”, but that his wife attended a meeting of the communist party. Others that were more outspoken, like Bukowski or James Baldwin, attracted attention for their own opinions and strong public presence. Today the FBI has released most of these files, sorted them and presented them freely online for history buffs. They resemble scrapbooks, with clippings and notes about the doings of those under investigation. Oddly, the files contain information that many today release themselves on social media. For those interested in literary history, however, Hoover’s archive can shed new light on the personalities of past writers, and satisfy our modern cravings for voyeurism. Below are a few samples:

 

John_Steinbeck_with_Elaine_Scott_1950

John Steinbeck (1902-1968) The wife of Nobel laureate John Steinbeck was thought to have communist sympathies.

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JamesBaldwin1964-a

James Baldwin (1924-1987) A gay black writer, Baldwin was constantly in the media spotlight throughout his career, debating social issues and visiting ivy league universities.

James Baldwin Part 01 of 02-21-23-2-c
James Baldwin Part 01 of 02-21-23-3-c
James Baldwin Part 01 of 02-21-23-1-c
bulkowski23

Charles Bukowski (1920-1994) Bukowski’s text “A dirty old man” got Hoover to inform the White House.

Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-44-1-a
Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-77-78-1
Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-77-78-2-b
Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-1-c
Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-3c
Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-4-c
Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-2-.c
TrumanCapote1959

Truman Capote (1924-1984) Capote, remembered as a true crime pioneer and his story Breakfast at Tiffany’s, was under investigation for his ties to Cuban friendly organizations. The FBI file on Fidel Castro himself totals tens of thousands of pages.

capote_truman_pt01-43-1-b
capote_truman_pt01-20-1-a
John_Steinbeck_with_Elaine_Scott_1950 steinbec1a-47-1-b steinbec1a-49-50-1-c JamesBaldwin1964-a James Baldwin Part 01 of 02-21-23-2-c James Baldwin Part 01 of 02-21-23-3-c James Baldwin Part 01 of 02-21-23-1-c bulkowski23 Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-44-1-a Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-77-78-1 Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-77-78-2-b Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-1-c Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-3c Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-4-c Henry Charles Bukowski Jr Part 01 of 01-80-83-2-.c TrumanCapote1959 capote_truman_pt01-43-1-b capote_truman_pt01-20-1-a

 

You can search the FBI celebrity archive yourself at

vault.fbi.gov

 

 

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