Cathryn J. Prince, author of For the Love of Labor: The Life of Pauline Newman, answers questions about her new book.

Q: Why did you decide to write this book?

Pauline Newman defied the status quo, blazing a trail toward personal independence and civic engagement; her steadfast belief in collective action resonated deeply with me. On a personal level, I find echoes of her journey in my own family’s history. My paternal grandparents immigrated to America from Ukraine and Poland in the early 1900s, fleeing violent pogroms and economic instability. My grandfather, barely a teenager, apprenticed as a furrier in the garment district, eventually establishing his own successful business. Meanwhile, my grandmother juggled work in various clothing shops while raising three children. Born in the US to immigrants from Lithuania and Belorussia, my maternal grandparents also embodied perseverance and aspiration — my grandfather was a liquor salesman and my grandmother a school teacher.

Q: What is the most interesting discovery you made while researching and writing your book?

Connecting with Pauline Newman’s grandsons, Michael and Hugh Owen, was deeply meaningful. They offered glimpses of Newman not just as a trailblazing activist, but as a partner, mother, and grandmother. A recording of a dinner conversation with Elisabeth, Newman, and Chester revealed her warmth and wit, while the handwritten cards exchanged between Newman and Miller brought her down to earth. These small artifacts — everyday notes, birthday wishes — made her human. They reminded me that beyond her accomplishments as an organizer and advocate, she lived a full and textured life. For a biographer, those intimate details matter most — they’re what make history breathe.

Q: What myths do you hope your book will dispel or what do you hope your book will help readers unlearn?

It’s not exactly a myth — but I hope readers come away realizing just how long people like Pauline Newman have been fighting for things like universal health care, affordable coverage, and safe working conditions. These battles didn’t start yesterday — they’ve been raging since the 1920s.

Q: What is your advice to scholars/authors who want to take on a similar project?

Don’t start with a fixed idea of who the person is or what their story should be. Skip the thesis — follow the trail. Let the research lead, and the narrative will take shape from there.

Q: What do you like to read/watch/or listen to for fun?

I’m an eclectic reader — just as happy with a classic Rex Stout mystery like The Rubber Band as I am diving into sharp nonfiction like Yuval Noah Harari’s Nexus or the lyrical sweep of Daniel Mason’s North Woods. As for television, I loved What We Do in the Shadows, Ludwig, and Slow Horses.  My music taste is just as wide-ranging: from Bruce Springsteen’s grit to Allison Russell’s soul, to Stephen Eicher’s cool — plus a few wild cards thrown in for good measure.

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