Jack Conroy

John Wesley Conroy (December 5, 1899 – February 28, 1990) was a leftist American writer, also known as a worker-writer. He was best known for his contributions to proletarian literature: fiction and nonfiction about the life of American workers during the early decades of the 20th century.

Background "Jack" Conroy was born John Wesley Conroy to Irish immigrants on December 5, 1899, in the coal mining camp of Monkey Nest near Moberly, Missouri. Elements of his childhood experiences growing up in a mining camp can be seen in his Depression-era novels, The Disinherited

Career Though he did not complete a formal education, Conroy worked at various jobs including: railroad shop apprentice (and eventual foreman), recording secretary for the Brotherhood of Railway Carmen of America union, an auto factory worker, and construction.

In 1938 Conroy came to Chicago, on the suggestion of Nelson Algren, to work on the Illinois Writers' Project.

Legacy Conroy has been credited with introducing the worker-writer in literature. His first novel, The Disinherited, challenged critical definitions of what was considered influential literature, blurring the line between the world of the middle-class literate and the world of the worker.

Conroy first achieved national attention when H.L. Mencken published his sketches and stories in The American Mercury magazine.

Major works

Fiction The Disinherited (1933) reflects Conroy's own life Edited The New Anvil (1938–1942) with Nelson Algren, an attempt to revive the working class magazine, The Anvil. Contributing writers included Frank Yerby, Karl Shapiro, Langston Hughes, and William Carlos Williams. Slappy Hooper, The Wonderful Sign Painter (1946), third of three, folktales

Editing

Edited Unrest (1929–1931) with Ralph Cheyney Edited The Rebel Poet (1931–1932) Senior editor for The New Standard Encyclopedia (1947) Edited Writers in Revolt: The Anvil Anthology (1973) with Curt Johnson

Awards Conroy's awards and recognition include:

Guggenheim Fellowship, 1935 Literary Times Award, State of Illinois, 1967 Society of Midland Authors James L. Dow Award for Anyplace But Here, 1967 Rabinowitz grant to write his autobiography Missouri Literary Association, Literary Award, 1969 Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Missouri at Kansas City, 1975 National Endowment for the Arts, Artist's grant (1978) Mark Twain Award, Society for the Midwestern Literature, 1980 Recognition by the Missouri Senate, 1984 City of Moberly, Jack Conroy Day, May 22, 1985 Society of Midland Authors Award for Lifetime Achievement, 1986 Lifetime Membership, Missouri Folklore Society “A True Friend of Working People”, Central Missouri Labor Council, AFL-CIO and all the working men and women of Mid-Missouri