I just finished the new biography of Sanora Babb by Iris Jamahl Dunkle. Babb is the author who wrote a Dust Bowl novel and was put on hold because Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath was published a few weeks before hers was slated to be. The fact that she was a woman, with a woman's perspective on this major historical event, had as much to do with her second class treatment. In recent years, it's come to public knowledge that Steinbeck actually relied on Babb's notes and ethnographic data in putting together his award winning novel.
Sanora Babb's story is one of constant struggle and perseverance. She was born dirt poor-literally, as her family lived in a dugout home in Western Colorado for a time before moving to a couple of small towns in Kansas. The daughter of an abusive addicted gambler, Babb witnessed the emotional and physical abuse of her mother and sister. Herself, as well. But after learning to read from newspapers plastered on the dirt walls of their home, Babb climbed out of that hole and ultimately became a journalist and writer worthy of an agent and numerous publishing credits.
Her life is a fascinating look at the zeitgeist of the 1930s and 40s, as well as the structure of the publishing industry with a paternalistic array of gatekeepers making decisions that impact millions of lives. In her quest to get her novel published, Babb was able to get numerous short stories in print, as well as her own autobiography. But her crown jewel remains Whose Names Are Unknown, the novel that complements Steinbeck's work perfectly. (The name comes from a posted eviction notice declaring that the tenants names were unknown) Babb writes from the heart. Her life provided her with so many unforgettable characters and experiences that are reflected in much of her work. She was decades ahead of her time, living as a woman who was fiercely independent and possessed with a deep sensitivity to all the beauty and tragedy around her. She was married (rather openly) to the award winning cinematographer William Howe and had brief relationships with other literary notables like Ralph Ellison.
I taught about the Dust Bowl and Great Depression for over 30 years. Wish I would have had Babb's novel. I will never teach Grapes of Wrath again, but If I did, I would not do it without the work of Sandra Babb.
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