Exploring the FBI's Declassified Records on 10 Renowned Authors

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's previously confidential files on some of America’s most celebrated authors reveal a complex interplay between free expression, artistic creativity, and perceived subversive actions. Dive into fascinating excerpts from the dossiers on 10 literary legends.

1. Ernest Hemingway

Many of Ernest Hemingway's close acquaintances believe it wasn’t financial struggles or his battle with terminal cancer that led the Nobel laureate to end his life in 1961. Instead, they attribute his paranoia to the FBI's surveillance. Hemingway sought treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota in 1960 for worsening mental and physical health, passing away that same summer.

A letter dated January 13, 1961, addressed to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, revealed, 'The Clinic recommended that Mr. Hemingway use the alias George Sevier. Now, he’s anxious about the assumed name and fears an FBI investigation.'

2. John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck expressed his frustration with Hoover’s tactics in a 1942 letter to U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle: 'Could you please tell Edgar’s agents to stop tailing me? They seem to think I’m an enemy alien, and it’s becoming exhausting.'

Hoover was promptly informed about The Grapes of Wrath author's inquiry and responded, 'I wish to clarify that Steinbeck is not and has never been under investigation by this Bureau.' Despite this assurance, FBI agents persisted in monitoring Steinbeck, even scrutinizing his financial activities until 1964.

3. W.E.B. Du Bois

In October 1950, the FBI received an anonymous letter regarding W.E.B. Du Bois, which read: 'While I firmly support free speech, the enclosed New York Times clippings detail a speech that strikes me as deeply subversive, to the point of inciting my outrage.'

What sparked this individual's objection? During a speech in Harlem, New York, the 80-year-old Du Bois declared, 'Among all nations today, the United States stands alone in its desire for war, compelling others to fight, and demanding that we sacrifice our health, education, and sons to a segregated army, all for a global conflict that benefits only wealthy Americans.' Such statements are sure to draw the FBI's attention.

4. William T. Vollman

In 2013, William T. Vollman, a novelist, essayist, and war correspondent, recounted uncovering his extensive FBI file. He was flagged as a potential Unabomber suspect: 'S-2047 William T. Vollman. Based on a tip from a civilian. While Vollman is a well-traveled author, his travel records do not rule him out as a suspect.'

5. James Baldwin

For over a decade and a half, federal agents meticulously investigated James Baldwin's life, scrutinizing his personal relationships, political engagements, and literary works. The author of Notes of a Native Son amassed a file filled with hundreds of pages of detailed observations and critiques, including press excerpts that captured the escalating racial strife of the 1960s and underscored Baldwin's sharp criticisms of the FBI.

6. Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was not only labeled a Communist by the FBI but also depicted as a figure akin to the anti-Christ. His poem, 'Goodbye Christ,' drew the Bureau's focus in 1941. Though penned in 1932, it gained prominence after its publication in the Saturday Evening Post on December 21, 1940, with lines such as:

'Listen, Christ, You did alright in your day, I reckon—But that day’s gone now, They crafted a grand tale about you, Called it the Bible—But it’s dead now.'

Soon after, Hoover began receiving numerous complaints about the Harlem Renaissance poet's supposedly rebellious nature.

7. Truman Capote

The FBI targeted Truman Capote due to his suspected connections to the Cuban Revolution. They closely examined his involvement with The Fair Play for Cuba Committee, an organization supporting the Cuban Revolution against U.S. government opposition, which later gained notoriety through its link to Lee Harvey Oswald. Capote, however, believed the surveillance began after he circulated rumors about Hoover's alleged homosexual relationship. 'It certainly angered Hoover, that much is clear,' Capote remarked. 'And it earned me a 200-page FBI file.'

8. Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury was suspected of planning an illegal trip to Cuba in 1968, prompting the FBI to investigate him. However, their inquiry was short-lived, as agents discovered the Fahrenheit 451 author had no real plans to visit the country. 'Sources familiar with Cuban activities could not provide any evidence suggesting travel to Cuba,' the report stated.

9. Dorothy Parker

Dorothy Parker, the celebrated American poet and sharp-witted writer, faced severe scrutiny from the FBI. In the 1930s, The New York Times reported that an 'anonymous source' accused her of supporting the 'Communist movement.' For the next 25 years, government surveillance tracked her every move, including her involvement in founding the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League in 1936, which the FBI suspected of being a Communist front.

10. Lorraine Hansberry

Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play A Raisin in the Sun drew Hoover's attention, leading to extensive monitoring of her work. A reviewer noted, 'This play does not address Communism directly but focuses on African American aspirations, the challenges they face in advancing themselves, and their efforts to find solutions.'

This article was originally published in 2015; it has been updated for 2022.