Fabulous documentary that takes a look at the career, challenges, efforts and effects of one of the modern pioneers in the fight for freedom of the press. A great movie that you might have missed!
The free flow of books, ideas and information today is due, in no small part, to the efforts of Barney Rossett. Mr. Rossett was the publisher/owner of Grove Press and The Evergreen Review. During the 1950s Grove Press fought long-running legal battles to publish, in America, books like Henry Miller's 'Tropic of Cancer' and, later, the works of William S. Burroughs including ‘Naked Lunch’. Grove and Evergreen also introduced writers like Samuel Beckett (they published 'Waiting for Godot'), Pablo Neruda, Octavio Paz, Kenzaburo Oe and, my personal favorite, Eugene Ionesco. For his efforts, Rossett fought decades of lawsuits and arrests for publishing these materials. Later, Grove introduced some films like ‘I am Curious: Yellow’ and added a fight for cinematic freedom as well.
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