Joseph "Usick" Vanzler (November 29, 1901 – June 21, 1956), best known by the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

John G. Wright, was a

Jewish-American American Jews (; ) or Jewish Americans are Americans, American citizens who are Jews, Jewish, whether by Jewish culture, culture, ethnicity, or Judaism, religion. According to a 2020 poll conducted by Pew Research, approximately two thirds of Am ...

socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

, activist and translator. Vanzler is best known as the translator of a number of the important works of

Leon Trotsky Lev Davidovich Bronstein ( – 21 August 1940), better known as Leon Trotsky,; ; also transliterated ''Lyev'', ''Trotski'', ''Trockij'' and ''Trotzky'' was a Russian revolutionary, Soviet politician, and political theorist. He was a key figure ...

— materials which helped to establish to expand the influence of the

Trotskyist Trotskyism (, ) is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International. Trotsky described himself as an ...

movement in the English-speaking world.

Biography

Early years

Joseph Vanzler, known to all who knew him by the nickname "Usick," was born in 1901 in

Samarkand Samarkand ( ; Uzbek language, Uzbek and Tajik language, Tajik: Самарқанд / Samarqand, ) is a city in southeastern Uzbekistan and among the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities in Central As ...

, then part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

and today part of

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

. An ethnic

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

, Joseph was the son of a glasscutter (who had his own shop at Dzhamskaya Str., 19).Samarkand 1902 Yearbook (p. 120)
/ref> Wolfgang Lubitz and Petra Lubitz
"John G. Wright: Bio-Bibliography,"
Lubitz TrotskyanaNet, October 31, 2005; pg. 1. Retrieved April 8, 2010. Vanzler was permitted to attend Russian-language school, institutions which strictly limited Jewish enrollment as part of a policy of official

antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

under the

Tsarist Tsarist autocracy (), also called Tsarism, was an autocracy, a form of absolute monarchy in the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire. In it, the Tsar possessed in principle authority and ...

regime. In school, Vanzler studied a variety of languages, including Russian, Latin, Greek, and French. He developed a proficiency for language study which served him throughout his life as a multi-lingual translator. Following

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, Vanzler and his mother emigrated to the United States, settling in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. Vanzler attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

(then Harvard College), where he studied

Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

for an extensive period. Although he left without a degree, Vanzler developed a formula for spermicidal jelly for use as a

birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...

measure and he became engaged in its manufacture and sale.Wolfgang Lubitz and Petra Lubitz, "John G. Wright," pg. 2. In the 1920s Vanzler married Edith Rose Konikow, the daughter of birth control activist Dr. Antoinette Konikow, a

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and founding member of the

Communist Party of America The Communist Party USA (CPUSA), officially the Communist Party of the United States of America, also referred to as the American Communist Party mainly during the 20th century, is a communist party in the United States. It was established ...

. Under the influence of his wife and mother-in-law, Vanzler was initiated into the world of radical politics.

Political career

Vanzler joined the

Communist League of America The Communist League of America (Opposition) was founded by James P. Cannon, Max Shachtman and Martin Abern late in 1928 after their expulsion from the Communist Party USA for Trotskyism. The CLA(O) was the United States section of Leon Trotsky' ...

, the main American

political organization of the day, in 1933. He began using the pseudonym "John G. Wright" at this time and began to produce a vast array of translations from Russian and French to English on behalf of the political movement to which he gave his allegiance. Vanzler was a founding member of the Socialist Workers Party in 1938. He was a member of its governing National Committee from 1938 until his death in 1956. Vanzler was a prolific writer for the Trotskyist press, contributing several hundred articles to its weekly newspaper, ''

The Militant ''The Militant'' is a socialist newsweekly connected to the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) and the Pathfinder Press. It is published in the United States and distributed in other countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Franc ...

,'' and to its monthly theoretical magazine, '' The New International'' (later ''Fourth International'').Wolfgang Lubitz and Petra Lubitz, "John G. Wright," pg. 3.

Death and legacy

Joseph Vanzler died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

on June 21, 1956 in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He was 55 years old at the time of his death. Vanzler was survived by his first wife, Edith Konikow Vanzler, and their son, Tyl, and by his second wife, Doris Vanzler, and their son who was born in 1952.

Footnotes

Works

Writings

* ''The Truth About Kronstadt.'' New York: Socialist Workers Party National Educational Department, n.d. . 1938 * ''Outline History of Russian Bolshevism.'' With Joe Hansen. New York: Educational Department, Socialist Workers Party, 1940.

Translations

* Leon Trotsky, ''The Kirov Assassination.'' New York: Pioneer Publishers, 1935. * Leon Trotsky, ''The Third International After Lenin.'' New York: Pioneer Publishers, 1936. * Leon Trotsky, ''Whither France?'' New York: Pioneer Publishers, 1936. * Leon Trotsky, ''Lessons of October.'' New York: Pioneer Publishers, 1937. * Leon Trotsky, ''The Stalin School of Falsification.'' New York: Pioneer Publishers, 1937. * Leon Trotsky, ''The First Five Years of the Communist International.'' In two volumes. New York: Pioneer Publishers, 1945.

External links

John G. Wright (Joseph Vanzler) Internet Archive.

Marxists Internet Archive Marxists Internet Archive, also known as MIA or Marxists.org, is a non-profit online encyclopedia that hosts a multilingual library (created in 1990) of the works of communist, anarchist, and socialist writers, such as Karl Marx, Friedrich Enge ...

, Marxists.org. Retrieved April 8, 2010. {{DEFAULTSORT:Vanzler, Joseph 1901 births 1956 deaths American male non-fiction writers People from Samarkand People from Samarkand Oblast Uzbekistani Jews Jews from the Russian Empire American people of Uzbekistani-Jewish descent Soviet emigrants to the United States Jewish American non-fiction writers Jewish socialists Members of the Communist League of America Members of the Workers Party of the United States Members of the Socialist Workers Party (United States) American Trotskyists