those in poverty to "ghosts in a graveyard." Michael Kohler In the words of Kromer himself, his unfinished novel Michael Kohler is 'a working class novel dealing with working-class people.' Taking place in the era of the Haymarket affair, Michael Kohler touches on the idea of workers having influence on the value of their labor, essentially being non-existent. The unfinished novel depicts the structural economic flaws of the Mine Wars, which occurred in West Virginia from 1912 to 1921. After a few introductory chapters, the reader is introduced to Michael Kohler, son of Michael Kohler senior, and effectively becomes the protagonist. Through the lens of Michael, one can see the critiques Kromer is highlighting, being the disparity in wealth and greed of higher-ups. During a period where movements such as the Mine Wars gained traction, it becomes clear what message Kromer is portraying, albeit an unfinished project. Michael Kohler can be read and interpreted as a socialist novel through themes of labor and working class struggles. External links Full text of Waiting for Nothing Tom Kromer Archive References 1906 births 1969 deaths 1935 novels Alfred A. Knopf books Great Depression novels Writers from Huntington, West Virginia 20th-century American novelists American male novelists Itinerant living 20th-century American male writers Novelists from West Virginia Marshall University alumni