John Henry Mackay

Infobox Writer
name = John Henry Mackay


imagesize =
caption =
pseudonym = Sagitta
birthname =
birthdate = 1864
birthplace = Greenock, Scotland
deathdate = May 16, 1933
deathplace = Berlin, Germany
occupation = writer
nationality = Scottish
period =
genre = non fiction
subject = political philosophy, pederasty
movement = naturalism
notableworks = "Die Anarchisten" (The Anarchists) "Der Freiheitsucher" (The Searcher for Freedom)
influences = Max Stirner
influenced = Richard Strauss

John Henry Mackay (1864 – May 16, 1933) was an individualist anarchist, thinker and writer. Born in Scotland and raised in Germany, Mackay was the author of "Die Anarchisten" (The Anarchists) (1891) and "Der Freiheitsucher" (The Searcher for Freedom) (1921). Mackay was published in the United States in his friend Benjamin Tucker's magazine, "Liberty". He was a noted homosexual.

Life

Mackay lived in Berlin from 1896 onwards, and became a friend of scientist and Gemeinschaft der Eigenen co-founder Benedict Friedlaender.

Mackay died in Stahnsdorf on May 16, 1933, ten days after the Nazi book burnings at the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft. Adolf Hitler had become Reichskanzler on January 30, 1933, and all activities of the German homosexual emancipation movement soon ceased. Allegations that Mackay's death may have been a suicide have been disputed:

Writing and influence

Using the pseudonym Sagitta, Mackay wrote a series of works for pederastic emancipation, titled "Die Buecher der namelosen Liebe" ("Books of the Nameless Love"). This series was conceived in 1905 and completed in 1913. [ [http://home.pacbell.net/hubertk/Strauss.pdf thamyris 02 ] ] Under the same pseudonym he also published fiction, such as the pederastic novel of the Berlin boy-bars, "Der Puppenjunge" ("The Hustler") (1926), a work confirmed as realistic by Christopher Isherwood who had experienced the scene personally. [ [http://www.glbtq.com/literature/mackay_jh.html John Henry Mackay] on glbtq.com]

From 1906, the writings and theories of Mackay had a significant influence on Adolf Brand's organisation Gemeinschaft der Eigenen. Mackay was also a key populariser of the work of Max Stirner (1806-1856) outside Germany, writing a biography of the philosopher which also added greatly to the understanding of the work of Friedrich Nietzsche in the English-speaking world.Fact|date=February 2007

Richard Strauss's well-known songs from his "Vier Lieder" (Op. 27), a wedding gift to his wife, "Morgen" and "Heimliche Aufforderung" ("Secret Invitation") set two of Mackay's poems inspired by the love of boys to music.

References

Further reading

* Kennedy, Hubert. [http://home.pacbell.net/dendy/AoLove.pdf "Anarchist of Love: The Secret Life of John Henry Mackay"] (2nd Edition, 2002)
* "On the Nameless Love and Infinite Sexualities: John Henry Mackay, Magnus Hirschfeld and the Origins of the Sexual Emancipation Movement", "Journal of Homosexuality", Vol 50, No.1, 2005.

External links

*
* [http://home.pacbell.net/hubertk/ Complete works of John Henry Mackay: free e-books]
* Thomas A. Riley, [http://tmh.floonet.net/articles/tariley.html New England Anarchism in Germany] . Retrieved Feb 2, 2008.