They are as much alike as they are different.

One was the son of a physician and died from alcoholism. The other was born to a liquor salesman and died a teetotaler. They are often confused for one another even though they are unrelated. One once worked for the other one as a janitor.

They were both two of the finest writers in American history and helped shape our laws, our customs and our national identity. Both are loved and hated.

They were American critics and this country gave them plenty of fuel for their fiery prose.

They won the greatest prizes given authors, had numerous best sellers and their books were made into movies.

Together they are Sinclair Squared.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Babbitt Bubble

Only a few literary characters are entries in dictionaries. George Babbitt is one of those. And with the current real estate ruin, babbittry bubbles. Local communities relive the novel in plays like this one.

Socialist Sinclair

We have the recent presidential campaign for yet another spike in interest in Upton Sinclair who proudly wore the socialist label and even ran for governor as a socialist.
He probably would have won the election if a capitalist newspaper owner and the hollywood money interests had not viciously opposed his campaign with rabid dog rhetoric. As our country adopts many of Sinclair's ideals and popularizes his novels (Oil!), a wry smile forms on my lips as I watch the newspaper whose vitriol destroyed Sinclair's campaign slowly swirl down the financial sinkhole. Upton up as capitalism collapses. Upton lives as this article here shows.