Photo courtesy of William Mapes, from In Solitary and Other Imaginations (The Word Works, 1977)
John Pauker was born in Hungary, and moved to the U.S. in 1924. He worked for the U.S. government beginning in World War II. Over his lifetime, he worked for the Office of War Information, Voice of America Radio, as a White House speechwriter, for the U.S. Embassy in India, and the U.S. Information Agency, where he retired as chief policy guidance officer.
Pauker was the author of fourteen books and editor of the journal Furioso, which he co-founded with Reed Whittemore and Jim Angleton. Four books of his poems were published in the U.S.: Yoked by Violence (1949), Excellence (1968), Angry Candy (1976), and In Solitary and Other Imaginations (1977). He also published books in Iran, India, and France, and wrote fiction, criticism, plays (including one produced on Broadway, called Moonbirds), and translated literature from many languages.
Pauker, who lost many relatives in the Holocaust, sponsored a number of writers and intellectuals to the U.S., saving their lives, including Solomon Deressa from Ethiopia, and Arnost Lustig of Czechoslovakia. He regularly hosted evenings of international writers in his home, and helped exiles find teaching positions.
The Homes
3723 S St. NW, Washington, DC
3006 Porter St. NW, Washington, DC ("More Fun House")
John Pauker
3723 S St. NW, Washington DC
Located in Burleith neighborhood, Northwest- West of Rock Creek
John Pauker
3006 Porter St. NW
Located in Cleveland Park neighborhood, Northwest- West of Rock Creek