Dissenting Traditions Essays on Bryan D. Palmer, Marxism, and History

The provocative works of Bryan D. Palmer reshaped the historiography of labor, communism, and the Canadian left. As a whole, Palmer’s writings reveal a commitment to critical dissent wedded to a proactive imagination, seeking out alternatives to past and present structures through a complex understanding of history. Dissenting Traditions gathers Palmer’s colleagues, students, and sometimes-critics to examine and expand on the defining themes of his career. Tracing Palmer’s participation in key debates, the authors demonstrate that the study of class coupled with public advocacy can lead to profound social change. In this moment of increasing precarity, Palmer’s politically engaged scholarship offers affirming evidence to scholars and activists alike on the remaining importance of working-class history.