Author Lauren Kessler tells the story of the notorious Elizabeth Bentley.
Secrets hidden. Secrets revealed. Elizabeth Bentley led the two largest Communist spy rings in America--and then, in a dramatic about-face, became an FBI informant and helped to usher in the McCarthy Era. Author Lauren Kessler, who worked to uncover and understand this complex story, chronicles Bentley's fraught life in Clever Girl: Elizabeth Bentley, the Spy Who Ushered in the McCarthy Era.
Communists vilified her as a raging neurotic. Leftists dismissed her as a confused idealist. Her family pitied her as an exploited lover. Some said she was a traitor, a stooge, a mercenary and a grandstander. To others she was a true American heroine—fearless, principled, bold and resolute. Congressional committees loved her. The FBI hailed her as an avenging angel. The Catholics embraced her. But the fact is, more than half a century after she captured the headlines as the "Red Spy Queen," Elizabeth Bentley remains a mystery.
Lauren Kessler is an award-winning narrative nonfiction writer who specializes in exploring invisible subcultures in our midst. The author of fifteen books, she has written about the gritty world of a maximum security prison, grueling world of ballet, and the surprisingly vibrant world of those with Alzheimer's. Her book, Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of Japanese American Family, won the Oregon Book Award and was the State All Reads selection for Oregon’s sesquicentennial. Her upcoming book, Everything Changes Everything, explores love and loss, wounds and healing, and the search for the answer to the question so very many of us face at a time of upheaval, transition or disconnect: What now? Her weekly essays can be found on her Substack, Life After All at https://laurenjkess.substack.com/
She teaches storytelling for social change at the University of Washington and conducts writing workshops here and abroad. Learn more at https://www.laurenkessler.com/ .
Questions? Contact laurelh@deschuteslibrary.org
AGE GROUP: | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Adult Program |
The Redmond Library has a varied collection of English and Spanish language materials for adults, teens, and children. English and Spanish-language programs are offered for all ages.
