Factory Girl

The Author: H. Gustav Klaus is Professor of the Literature of the British Isles at the University of Rostock, Germany. He takes a special interest in the 'little' tradition of working-class writing. His books in that area include The Literature of Labour (1985) and The Rise of Socialist Fiction 1880-1914 (1987). More recently he has published a study of the Irish poet Thomas O'Brien, Strong Words Brave Deeds (1994), and an investigation of crime fiction, The Art of Murder (1998).

• Contents: Feminist criticism and working-class writing - Songs of war and peace - The angry voice - Poems of passion and desire - The Penny Post: audience, community, recognition - Disappearance.

Professor Klaus must be commended for his pioneering work in righting a monumental wrong and he quite properly takes to task those feminist writers of our own time who have either ignored Ellen or misinterpreted her life and work to suit their own agenda. (James Mackay, Studies in Scottish Literature) 'Factory Girl' is the product of a strong interest, a commitment to research ...the book is a challenge by the editor, to adapt critical approach to material and context, to show flexibility in drawing information and critical insight from whatever is available...'Factory Girl' makes the reader re-evaluate both the poetry it presents and the reader's assumptions on reading both the book and the editor's presentation of the poetry: no mean achievement. (Ian Campbell, Scottish Literary Journal)