Today on the Menu: David Taylor on Being a Writer During the Real Depression

Soul of a People: The WPA Writers’ Project Uncovers Depression America (by David A. Taylor) is about the writers who saved writing during the real Depression by taking part in the Federal Writer’s Project in the 1930s. At the time, out of work writers had no outlet for their thoughts &#151 unlike today when we can flood the crap out of the Web with our useless thoughts. And to preserve their skills, which at the time were much rarer than today, the government put writers on a patch of land in western Nebraska where they could roam free.

That’s not what happened, but some notable notables who participated include: John Cheever, Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, and Studs Terkel.

Click here to learn more about Taylor’s Book.

Also, Ted Kennedy’s memoir was “leaked” (as in, we’re not buying it) and the New York Times has a review of sorts. That book looks fantastic.

More: Episodes of the Menu