Radio War Nerd EP171—"Finks": CIA, Paris Review & Cultural Cold War

Guest: Joel Whitney, author Recorded: February 27, 2019 The War Nerd talks to author Joel Whitney about his new book "Finks: How The CIA Tricked The World's Best Writers" which exposes how deeply American spies meddled in and weaponized highbrow culture and magazine culture in the Cold War — with a particular focus on the Paris Review, the famous literary journal founded by CIA officer Peter Matthiessen, and helped every step of the way with its many CIA editorial liaisons. One of the most intriguing was Paris Review editor John Train, who later pioneered the use of arming western-backed jihadis (in Afghanistan) with video cameras and training them to film—or stage, if they had to—Russian atrocities for propaganda use in the West. We discuss the Good — James Baldwin; the Bad — too many to name; and the Ugly, poet Robert Lowell. Buy Joel Whitney's book "Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World's Best Writers". Check out Joel's personal website including links to his articles. Follow Joel on Twitter.