Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything cover image

Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything

Not All Propaganda is Art 1: Operation Younger Brother

Jan 23, 2024
01:13:07
Snipd AI
Guests Richard Wright, Kenneth Tynan, and Dwight Macdonald discuss their involvement in the CIA's cultural battle in the 1950s. They explore topics such as the CIA's cinematic version of 1984, creating "books that don't smack of propaganda," and the experiences of African-American artists in France.
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The clash between Richard Wright and James Baldwin was about freedom and their involvement with organizations supported by the CIA.
  • Dwight McDonald and Kenneth Tynan had differing views on propaganda in art, but both played significant roles in the cultural Cold War.

Deep dives

The Clash over Freedom

The clash between Richard Wright and James Baldwin was not just about aesthetics, but about freedom. As Baldwin published "Notes of a Native Son" in 1956, Soul Stein, executive director of the American Congress for Cultural Freedom, played a role in its publication. Wright was a target of attacks and struggles, facing racial struggles as well as a fight against communism. He was seen as an influential voice and received a CIA grant in 1956.

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