Books like Hellman and Hammett by Joan Mellen
Joan Mellen’s first dual biography of Lillian Hellman (1905‑1984) and Dashiell Hammett (1894‑1961) offers a fresh look at two pivotal American writers. Using newly accessed archives from the University of Texas and interviews with their contemporaries, Mellen examines how Hellman and Hammett challenged social and political norms of their era. The book situates their work—Hellman’s plays such as The Little Foxes and Watch on the Rhine, and Hammett’s classics Red Harvest, The Maltese Falcon, and The Thin Man—within the broader context of American literature and radical politics. It also sheds light on their complex personal relationship and its influence on their creative output.
First publish date: 1996
Genre: Biography & Autobiography/Biography
Authors: Joan Mellen
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