Shaemas O'Sheel
American poet / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shaemas O'Sheel (September 19, 1886 – April 2, 1954) was an Irish American poet and critic. Born James Shields,[1] he changed his name to an anglicized spelling of its Irish version soon after high school.[2] He worked briefly for the United States Senate (1913-1916), held jobs with various newspapers, and did publicity and advertising work. Although third-generation[3] Irish American and never visiting Ireland,[1] he was active in the Irish independence movement. He was, in his own words, "a very ardent communist and a staunch supporter of the Soviet Union".[4] However, because he disagreed with Soviet foreign policy, many communist publications (such as New Masses) refused to publish his work.
As a member of the League of American Writers, O'Sheel served on its Keep America Out of War Committee in January 1940 during the period of the Hitler-Stalin pact.[5]