Emma Goldman could not have known that the years from 1910 to 1916 would be her most prolific, perhaps the most celebrated period in her entire life, both then and now. Reveling in love and in anarchy, cushioned by a time of comparative tolerance for challenging ideas and interest in the new, Goldman blossomed as a political theorist, author, orator, and internationalist. The circles of her influence rippled away from the predominantly immigrant radical culture of New York City's Lower East Side and moved into a broader milieu of bohemians and radical intellectuals. With a remarkable ability to articulate the wrongs of a country permeated by brutal labor violence and dire poverty—accentuated by unprecedented wealth—Goldman sought to incite the public either to take action or to empathize with those who did.

This volume's primary sources include a remarkable selection of letters, newspaper reportage, government surveillance documents, essays and speeches, photographs, and lecture bills, all paired with detailed scholarly annotation. In addition, the volume is prefaced by a narrative and analytical essay by Candace Falk.